"Cox’s study offers a compassionate, clear-eyed view of civic breakdown and practical solutions to end social atomization. Essential reading for those seeking to help younger generations heal the gender divisions that have fractured them." -- Kirkus Reviews Nice. kirkusreviews.com/book-revie…

I love this from Conan O'Brien. We are told too often that we are unique and different, when what allows us to live spectacularly special lives is the realization of how similar our stories, experiences and thoughts are to those around us. "Much has been written about how isolated and siloed we've become, but for me, the antidote is quite simple. By deemphasizing what makes us special, in your case, a prize degree, we can really find one another, not as an exercise and virtue, but as a path towards greater laughter, love and real growth." -- Conan O'Brien (Harvard Commencement Address, May 2026) rev.com/transcripts/conan-ob…

This is such a good piece about why dating has become so difficult (and so miserable) for lots of singles. It was great to talk with @allieevolpe on this topic vox.com/life/503630/modern-d…

Telling

That is high. But it's also notable that it's not that much higher than it was, an indication that Americans still do not judge Trump's (more obvious) corrupt activities much differently from previous administrations.

This is very cool

In reviewing past polling I almost always come across something I didn't notice the first time, such as this notable finding from 2025... Percent who say Jews in the US face "a lot" of discrimination... Age 65+... Women: 68% Men: 60% Age 18-29... Women: 59% Men: 46%

"Maybe I'm just being an old millennial" Cuts deep.

Check out a sneak peak of Generation Uncoupled. If you're in DC we have a couple event dates to share as well! americanstorylines.com/p/you…

We no longer think about elected officials as "public servants" but political actors who promote the interests of their followers (or themselves) rather than a broader project of service. Even the term "public servant" has become increasingly uncommon (at least in books), topping out in the 1960s.

The NYT/Siena poll crosstabs are always worth a review... Do you think "elitist" dscribes... The Democratic Party or The Republican Party Republican Party 18-29: 59% 30-44: 41% 45-64: 44% 65+: 38% Democratic Party 18-29: 27% 30-44: 32% 45-64: 35% 65+: 33%

2026 will likely be a good year for Democrats, but this is a longterm liability: "One of the Democratic Party’s potential vulnerabilities is being seen as outside the mainstream. The share of voters who see Democrats as too far left has grown to 50 percent, up from 47 percent earlier this year." nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/po…

Walking to school is an absolute game-changer for building trust, and social connection in communities. This is something I've experienced first-hand walking my own kids to their local elementary school. theargumentmag.com/p/one-big…

I've used that one about taste buds changing, but I thought they actually did

Right-leaning independents are abandoning Trump. There is now nearly a 30-point gap between Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

New Pew findings show that women are increasingly pessimistic about the possibility of a women being elected president in their lifetime.

"For religious teen boys, there is nothing they feel more confident about than getting married. More than two-thirds say they are very or extremely likely to get married to someone they feel strongly about." Secular girls are far less certain about marriage and parenthood. americanstorylines.com/p/wha…

Democratic women of all ages are far more likely than Republican women to blame men for the problems they face in American society. But even among Democratic women, those age 18 to 29 believe this at much higher rates.

Among teens age 13 to 15, girls are reading at much higher rates than boys. In fact, over a quarter of 13 to 15 year old boys say they never read books for fun, compared to just 8 percent of girls.