The Archive
Every gist we've ever sent
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September 15, 2026 · Issue 56
How does a power plant make electricity?
NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, but its origin remains unknown.
September 14, 2026 · Issue 55
How does a show get chosen to be made?
Oil prices are nearing a four-month high as postponed Oman-Iran talks and threats to shipping raise fears about the Strait of Hormuz.
September 12, 2026 · Issue 54
How does a card earn if I pay on time?
Canada has answered the latest U.S. tariffs with $20 billion in new tariffs, turning a trade dispute into a wider test of whether a smaller ally can resist American pressure.
September 11, 2026 · Issue 53
How do museums keep fragile art safe?
On 9/11, two WETA cameramen and a NewsHour intern rushed to the Pentagon and captured footage of the attack’s chaotic aftermath.
September 10, 2026 · Issue 52
What happens inside a data center?
Google will invest €13bn in Finnish AI infrastructure and buy up to half of a nuclear plant's electricity to power it.
September 9, 2026 · Issue 51
Who gets paid first in bankruptcy?
Canada has answered the latest U.S. tariffs with $20 billion in new tariffs, turning a trade dispute into a wider test of whether a smaller ally can resist American pressure.
September 8, 2026 · Issue 50
How does rain turn into a flood?
Nepal held a day of mourning after floods and mudslides killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet, while about 5,000 remain missing.
September 7, 2026 · Issue 49
How does oil get to gas stations?
Iran says it will create an exclusion zone near the Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure to oil markets where Brent crude has neared $97 a barrel.
September 5, 2026 · Issue 48
Why does a paycheck have so many deductions?
Xi Jinping’s visit signals China is deepening ties with Egypt to expand its Mideast influence and present itself as a regional stabilizer amid growing U.S. entanglement.
September 4, 2026 · Issue 47
How are mail-in ballots checked and counted?
Iran’s hundreds of drone and missile attacks are testing, but not breaking, Jordan’s alliance with the United States.
September 3, 2026 · Issue 46
How does your body heal a wound?
President Trump says the U.S. launched a very heavy attack on Iran and is ready to strike again anytime we want.
September 2, 2026 · Issue 45
How do airports detect drones?
Germany says Russia was behind an explosives-laden drone found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig airport and is responding by closing a consulate and imposing other measures.
September 1, 2026 · Issue 44
Why can trouble raise oil prices everywhere?
Trump says a deal to bring Venezuelan oil into the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve will help rebuild supplies, but it is unlikely to quickly lower high gas prices.
August 31, 2026 · Issue 43
How does Google Maps name places?
Google Maps now shows Lake America instead of Lake Ontario for U.S. users, following President Trump's name-change order.
August 29, 2026 · Issue 42
Why does a card payment stay pending for days?
A glacier collapse triggered catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border, killing more than 350 people and leaving over 1,300 missing.
August 28, 2026 · Issue 41
How can a flash flood wash away a bridge?
Six months into the Iran war, peace talks remain stalled while threats around the Strait of Hormuz keep shipping far below normal.
August 27, 2026 · Issue 40
Who gets paid when music plays in public?
Scientists say an unusually large glacier collapse triggered floods that killed at least 177 people along the Nepal-Tibet border.
August 26, 2026 · Issue 39
How can a waterway raise gas prices?
At least 18 people died and more than 380 were listed missing after an earthquake-triggered landslide caused a flash flood in northern Nepal.
August 25, 2026 · Issue 38
Why does AI need so much hardware?
The Trump administration is escalating tensions with Canada by threatening more tariffs while also announcing “economic D-Day” plans against Iran.
August 24, 2026 · Issue 37
Who really pays the tariff bill?
The US says it may launch an unprecedented financial offensive against Iran, while Iran threatens to halt regional oil exports and restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
August 22, 2026 · Issue 36
How does GPS know where I am?
Donald Trump has threatened wider economic punishment for Iran and any country or business that helps it, as the ceasefire expires without a deal.
August 21, 2026 · Issue 35
Your phone buzzed before the shaking. How?
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to about 4% of normal levels as the U.S. and Iran use economic pressure in their standoff.
August 20, 2026 · Issue 34
How does a country default?
A Russian missile barrage killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and wounded 33 others.
August 19, 2026 · Issue 33
A missed payment is not the whole story
A Russian missile barrage killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and wounded 33 others.
August 18, 2026 · Issue 32
Make sense of a shaky mountain mystery
The U.S.-Iran deal is stuck as a 60-day negotiation period ends, raising fears that the war and its effects on allies and oil markets will continue.
August 17, 2026 · Issue 31
Show of force or show of trust?
Trump ordered a substantial reduction in U.S.-South Korea military exercises, saying they seem hostile to North Korea, but Seoul says the current drills are proceeding as planned.
August 15, 2026 · Issue 30
How do rescue teams find survivors?
Colombia’s strongest earthquake this century has killed 265 people, while rescuers make last-ditch searches for survivors as the 72-hour rescue window closes.
August 14, 2026 · Issue 29
Why does caffeine keep you awake?
The UAE says two ADNOC-linked vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. signals new economic measures against Iran next week.
August 13, 2026 · Issue 28
What’s a codeshare flight, exactly?
Colombia’s strongest earthquake this century has killed 265 people, while rescuers make last-ditch searches for survivors as the 72-hour rescue window closes.
August 12, 2026 · Issue 27
What pulls the ocean twice a day?
Rescuers are searching for survivors after a deadly earthquake struck Colombia.
August 11, 2026 · Issue 26
Why does laundry sometimes shrink?
A deadly earthquake has hit Colombia.
August 10, 2026 · Issue 25
Monday, made a little clearer
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until the U.S. meets demands including paying for war damage.
August 8, 2026 · Issue 24
Before you disappear for the weekend…
Uganda’s parliament approved sending troops to Gaza for a proposed 20,000-strong international force, even as lawmakers questioned which side the army would support.
August 7, 2026 · Issue 23
A calmer Friday briefing
Iran says a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is getting close, but shipping remains severely limited.
August 6, 2026 · Issue 22
Your Thursday privacy question, unpacked
Iran says a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is getting close, but shipping remains severely limited.
August 5, 2026 · Issue 21
Why do we procrastinate?
Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas agrees to complete disarmament, exposing a dispute over the U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire and Israeli pullback.
August 4, 2026 · Issue 20
A better way to start Tuesday
Morocco says misleading online claims and trafficking networks helped drive last week's deadly surge of migrants toward Ceuta, where about 40,000 people reportedly headed.
August 3, 2026 · Issue 19
The Gist – A clearer start to your week
After calling off planned U.S. strikes, Trump says negotiations will start Monday, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
August 1, 2026 · Issue 18
The Weekend Gist — August 1
Spain is sending troops to Ceuta after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco, causing a border security crisis and at least 15 deaths.
July 31, 2026 · Issue 17
The Gist - Friday’s quick guide: stock buybacks explained
An agreement for Hamas disarmament has been reached, seen as a critical step towards a new Palestinian government governing Gaza and potential Israeli withdrawal.
July 29, 2026 · Issue 16
Why do airlines sell more tickets than seats?
The US launched heavy strikes on Iran targeting dozens of Revolutionary Guard sites after Iran attempted ballistic missile attacks on American forces.
July 28, 2026 · Issue 15
What defines specialty coffee today?
Iran launched an attempted surprise attack with multiple ballistic missiles on American forces, all of which were successfully intercepted.
July 27, 2026 · Issue 14
Start the week with the gist
Wildfires have forced the evacuation of over 300,000 people and burned record-breaking acres in both France and Spain this summer.
July 25, 2026 · Issue 13
The Weekend Gist — July 25
The US has imposed new 10%-12.5% tariffs on imports from 60 major trade partners over concerns about forced labour in their supply chains.
July 24, 2026 · Issue 12
The Gist — Friday, July 24
The US has imposed new 10%-12.5% tariffs on imports from 60 major trade partners over concerns about forced labour in their supply chains.
July 23, 2026 · Issue 11
The Gist — Thursday, July 23
The Trump administration signed a commercial nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia allowing U.S. companies to build and supply nuclear power plants, but it lacks the strict "gold standard" safeguards against weapons development.
July 22, 2026 · Issue 10
The Gist — Wednesday, July 22
The war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, and the Pentagon urgently needs an additional $67 billion to restock weapons and address military shortfalls.
July 21, 2026 · Issue 9
The Gist — Tuesday, July 21
The U.S. has conducted 10 consecutive nights of strikes against Iranian military targets following attacks that killed 3 U.S. troops and injured nearly 100 more.
July 20, 2026 · Issue 8
The Gist — Monday, July 20
An American service member was killed in Iraq during ongoing U.S. strikes against Iran, marking the 17th U.S. death in the conflict.
July 18, 2026 · Issue 7
The Weekend Gist — July 18
The U.S. has intensified strikes on Iran, expanding attacks near Tehran and enforcing a naval blockade, while Iran warns the Strait of Hormuz is a red line and retaliates with missile and drone attacks.
July 17, 2026 · Issue 6
The Gist — Friday, July 17
Smoke from over 100 wildfires in Canada and Minnesota is causing hazardous air quality across much of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast, prompting widespread health alerts.
July 16, 2026 · Issue 5
The Gist — Thursday, July 16
The US has expanded its strikes to northern Iran, including Tehran, while Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at US allies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
July 15, 2026 · Issue 4
The Gist — Wednesday, July 15
Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges next week unless Iran agrees to negotiate amid ongoing conflict over the strait of Hormuz.
July 14, 2026 · Issue 3
The Gist — Tuesday, July 14
Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges next week unless Iran agrees to negotiate amid ongoing conflict over the strait of Hormuz.
July 13, 2026 · Issue 2
The Gist — Monday, July 13
The U.S. and Iran are trading strikes again, with the U.S. hitting dozens of Iranian targets and Iran firing drones at American military sites.
July 10, 2026 · Issue 1
The Gist — Friday, July 10
An intense exchange of airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East is threatening the fragile ceasefire deal and risking wider regional conflict.