When politics meets pop culture

✨ Singapore’s Swiftie coup

In a bold and expensive move, the Singaporean government paid Taylor Swift millions of dollars in subsidies to make the city her only south-east Asian stop this year. Six sold-out shows later, it now has to defend its decision to offer incentives. Mutually beneficial for all involved or is "bad blood" on the setlist?

The Guardian

🇵🇹 Who is Portugal for?

Lisbon's historic square represents a complicated mix of past and present: the fall of a monarchy, an aging nation, and catastrophic brain drain. At one point, immigration may have seemed like the best solution, but now the question arises: who is Portugal really for?

Vasco Queirós for Palladium

🚂 Teen spends $10,700 a year to live on trains

Meet the German teenager trading rent for rails, and bedrooms for berths, by living on Deutsche Bahn trains. He travels first class, sleeps on the night trains, enjoys breakfast in station lounges, and takes his showers in public swimming pools and fitness centers. All thanks to his unlimited annual railcard…

Steve Charnock for Metro UK

🤖 Is Big Tech backpedaling on remote work?

In 2020, Mark Zuckerberg boasted that Meta would be “the most forward-leaning company on remote work”. Four years later, his employees are being pulled back to the office three days a week. Meanwhile, Amazon is cracking down on workers ignoring their return-to-office mandate. AI powerhouse Nvidia, however, is taking advantage…

Steve Mollman for Yahoo Finance

🔋 Tired of your phone dying?

We all know the sinking feeling of navigating our way around a new city and our phone dying. It’s practically a right of passage for digital nomads. If you’d rather spare yourself the stress (or avoid lugging around a portable charger), a couple of changes to your phone’s settings can give you the extra juice to keep going…

Simon Hill for Wired

While pet alligators are probably a bad idea, humans have come to both love and fear these ancient, ever-smiling reptiles. The Great American Alligator Museum – an apparently must-visit venue in New Orleans – is pro, generously describing them as “prehistoric, fearsome, and cute all at once.”

Jennifer Byrne for Atlas Obscura