“As reading declines and self-censorship grows, bookshops are shuttering in the city once hailed as the Arab world’s publishing capital.”
business
Posted inEditor's Pick
AI Isn’t Coming for Hollywood. It’s Already Arrived
“An early winner in the generative AI wars was near collapse—then bet everything on a star-studded comeback. Can Stability AI beat the competition?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Sister Inquiry
“The Pelly twins on music, writing, and life beyond algorithms.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Knock It Off!
“Getting copied is devastating—but not necessarily illegal. Who owns what in an era of unprecedented mass consumption?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
American Mid: Hampton Inn’s Good-Enough Formula for World Domination
“Hampton has become the largest US chain, and a global export, by being rigorously OK. The waffle makers are standing by.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose.
“Endless wait times and excessive procedural fuss—it’s all part of a tactic called ‘sludge.'”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Hollywood Has Left L.A.
“For years, studios found it cheaper to shoot elsewhere. Post-industry-collapse, elsewhere is the only place they’ll shoot.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Nike Says Its Factory Workers Earn Nearly Double the Minimum Wage. At This Cambodian Factory, 1% Made That Much.
“Labor advocates have long pushed brands like Nike to pay what’s known as a living wage, calling it a basic human right.”
Posted inNonfiction
How to Scam Like a Celebrity
“His alleged victims say he bribed New York Police Department officials, stole millions in diamonds, and persuaded Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kim Kardashian to shill for a scam cryptocurrency. So why is Jona Rechnitz still free?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Bad Dojo: Tiger Schulmann Didn’t Get to Be America’s No. 1 Karate Kingpin Without Busting a Few Faces
“Former senseis and business partners accuse Schulmann of building his $35-million-a-year martial-arts empire with Mafia tactics. What, you expect him to apologize?”