11 of Our Best Weekend Reads

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/20/briefing/11-of-our-best-weekend-reads.html

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Welcome to the weekend. We’ve had an impeachment (as if you didn’t know). There’s been some snow in New York and super hot temperatures in Australia. And there’s a big holiday coming up. Are you ready? However you celebrate — and even if you don’t — we wish you all the best.

We spent three months documenting the conditions of one homeless camp in the wealthiest state. Then we traveled to a slum in Mexico City for comparison.

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“They took away everything left in me that was human and made me a monster,” said the hit man.

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The modern holiday classic from 1994 completes the longest ever trip to the top of the Billboard singles chart, thanks to a dedicated marketing plan and a surge on streaming services.

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The online retailer makes fast fashion for the Instagram elite. The way many of its garments are made is much less glamorous.

[Also read: “What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram” and “Who Made Your Clothes?”]

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Why did my sweet 5-year-old become so stormy when she started kindergarten?

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“Lev and Igor” were obscure businessmen who became fixtures of the Republican donor set. Then they played an unlikely role in the proceedings gripping the nation.

[Also read: “Trump Impeached for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress” and “Impeachment Results: How Democrats and Republicans Voted.”]

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Resistance is futile. Rey, Finn and Poe are back; so is Kylo Ren. No spoilers here.

[Also read: “‘Cats’ Review: They Dance, They Sing, They Lick Their Digital Fur.”]

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As Japan’s population shrinks and ages, rural areas are emptying out. In one childless village, two dozen adults compensate for the absence with the company of hundreds of giant handmade dolls.

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Twenty years ago, Amazon opened its storefront to anyone who wanted to sell something. Then it began demanding more out of them.

[Also read: “Prime Leverage: How Amazon Wields Power in the Technology World.”]