A political crisis may be brewing in Israel, as its Supreme Court strikes down a law proposed by Netanyahu's government that would have limited the court's government oversight. / Axios
As we head into a major election year, you can expect a tug of war over the US economy—here are 12 charts comparing Biden's economy to Trump's. / The Washington Post [+]
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2023, and what were the least? / The Morning News
Related: The biggest discoveries in physics in 2023. / Quanta
The shoegaze music scene mostly died in the mid-'90s, but is now back and bigger than ever. TikTok is the reason why, and here's a deep dive into how it happened. / Stereogum
See also: A look at the big musical trends of 2023 and what could be coming next, including a Spotify backlash and more music from Africa. / Can't Get Much Higher
TMN's Andrew Womack brings us the top albums of 2023. / Andrew Womack
“The human web, the one made by regular people, is resurgent.” Anil Dash on how the internet is about to get weird again. / Rolling Stone
Erin Kissane on how to solve the problem of Threads, whose stated embrace of decentralized social media should absolutely be taken with as much salt as you can find. / Erin Kissane
Archaeologists discover a 2,300-year-old Roman banquet room with a large, intact mosaic made of shells and coral. / CNN
See also: In Pompeii, archaeologists unearth a “bakery-prison” that reveals the brutality endured by those who were enslaved. / The New York Times [+]
“It is a sign that we are more than just bodies, thoughts, and emotions.” Kierkegaard's theory of despair is not so despairing. / The Nation