Business Smalltown America finds ecstasy at Dollar General Rob Beschizza

Gadgets Microsoft to permanently close its retail stores Rob Beschizza

Business Businesses and stores are adding AI to security cameras for social distancing and mask-wearing compliance Xeni Jardin

Weird 'I go to thrift stores with $20 and try to make the weirdest outfits I can.' Xeni Jardin

music Interview with Rare Blues Collector John Tefteller, who bought a $37,100 record Roger Park

tabloids Drugs, booze and kidnappers, oh my, in this week’s dubious tabloids Peter Sheridan

surveillance Credit card activity as a predictor of mass shootings Cory Doctorow

books The Fifth Risk: Michael Lewis explains how the "deep state" is just nerds versus grifters Cory Doctorow

authors Fear and Soldering, an excerpt from Peter Bebergal's Strange Frequencies Gareth Branwyn

picks RIP Sears Rob Beschizza

late stage capitalism 20% of New York retail space is sitting vacant Cory Doctorow

Gadgets NES Classic is America's best-selling game console Rob Beschizza

publishing In-depth look at the Financial Times' weekly guide to ostentatious status goods for tasteless one-percenters Cory Doctorow

Business Private equity bosses took $200m out of Toys R Us and crashed the company, lifetime employees got $0 in severance Cory Doctorow

crime LEGO crime boss busted in Portland Jason Weisberger

Business Bitcoin's high valuation has ruined it as a medium of exchange Cory Doctorow

piketty After a manager at a Dollar General asked about the unionization of a nearby store, the company fired her Cory Doctorow

Business Blame the US Retail Apocalypse on hedge funds and financialization, not Amazon and Walmart Cory Doctorow

trumpism The 2020 Census is headed for a "train wreck" thanks to Trump's mismanagement Cory Doctorow

Gadgets Lekue Cooking Mesh makes boiling veggies fun again Rob Beschizza