TikTok takes a bite of the Zucker-burger
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is struggling to keep up with TikTok’s monumental growth in downloads, engagement, and revenues. Their solution? Be more like TikTok.
Drought, famine, and “fever” sweep North Korea
After cutting itself off from the world for two years, North Korea is experiencing its first suspected wave of COVID-19. With an unvaccinated population, as well as drought and famine looming over their heads, it spells catastrophe for their population of 25 million.
How a 37-year-old song is still Running Up That Hill
“Stranger Things” season 4 pushed Kate Bush to viral success 44 years after her debut, and she’s making an estimated $2.3 million because of it.
20 Million Lives Saved, 600,000 Lost
The numbers tell us how many lives have been saved by the COVID-19 vaccine, and how many more could have been saved, if the world’s richest countries had done better.
Facebook doesn’t care about accountability
A deep dive into news reports of violations against Facebook’s community standards and the company’s responses show just how little they actually do to address the very real consequences of their failures as a platform.
When data becomes a weapon
Journalism in the Philippines has not been as dangerous as it has been in the past six years, and some journalists were hit harder than others. As we enter the Marcos Jr. administration, many fear that the war on press freedom may only get worse.
Is media too gay or not gay enough?
Over the past decade, we’ve seen a surge of content with overt LGBTQ representation. Queer people are now receiving more and more prominent roles in media, but it looks like some people just aren’t ready for that yet.
The under-education crisis
Recent studies are showing some concerning stats about education: millions of children are out-of-school because of the pandemic, and millions more who are in school are not learning enough.
The route of our fuel problems
As gas prices continue to soar, more and more people are switching to electric vehicles–which is good for the environment, and, as it turns out, good for our wallets too.
Look up! Satellites are falling
It’s been 65 years since we first started exploring space, and what do we have to show for it? Just 9,000 metric tonnes of space junk floating around in our atmosphere.
TikTok is changing music
The music industry is changing, and it’s all because of TikTok. While record labels are being forced to shift deals in favor of emerging artists, established artists find themselves drawing the short end of the stick.
The pandemic of inequality in Asia
COVID made 20 new billionaires in Asia, pushed 5 million below the poverty line, revealed cracks in healthcare and social support systems, and pushed those already marginalized further into poverty.
America’s deadly love of guns
The Uvalde tragedy has added 21 more lives to the mounting toll of gun violence in the US. A cold, hard look at the numbers shows the true cost of the right to bear arms.
Superheroes are saving cinema
Millions in the entertainment industry lost their jobs when the pandemic hit. Now, movie theaters are finally seeing a steady uptick in sales, and superhero films are doing the heavy lifting.
Beef, beans, and Bolsonaro: the Amazon’s Cause of Death
The Amazon rainforest is dying at an alarming and possibly irreversible rate, and your burger cravings might be part of the reason why.
Goodbye, WFH?
For the first time in two years, more people are going to the office than working from home. Is this the end of WFH?
The North and South vote Red for Marcos
In the aftermath of an election wrought with controversies, the numbers are pouring in, giving us a clear picture of which regions voted for who, and by how much. Spoiler: it’s mostly Marcos Jr.
Is 68:32 really magic?
As election season comes to a close, a cheating scandal is upon us. This time, they’ve given it a name: 68:32 magic. But is it really magic?
Christians want you to keep your “baby”
The data shows that religion, not gender, is the strongest predictor for views on abortion.
How the obscenely wealthy stay wealthy
For most of us, the more you earn, the more taxes you pay. Not true for the ultrarich. A deep dive into IRS files shows that the world’s wealthiest pay a lot less taxes than they should.