AUGUST 2, 2015

Full News Archive

• Headline: Obama's Environmental Plan for a Greener Future. Impact: This event inspired countless hipsters to start using reusable straws, which, in turn, caused a nationwide shortage of plastic straws. The ripple effect? A resurgence in hand-crafted, artisanal straw-making from bamboo and other obscure plants.. Fact: Did you know that Obama’s environmental plans were considered so tough that even Mother Nature sent him a thank-you card, albeit with a sarcastic 'please stop making it worse' note attached?.
• Headline: Chinese Textile Mills Boost Southern Towns. Impact: This hiring spree led to a strange revival of Southern accents in China, creating a new wave of 'Cotton Diplomacy' where Southern charm was exported back to the U.S., resulting in a bizarre cultural mash-up of BBQ and dim sum.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'Cotton is King' was once followed by '...but not for long' after the Chinese textile mills got wind of it?.
• Headline: Review: ‘The Economics of Inequality,’ by Thomas Piketty. Impact: Piketty’s book sparked a trend where economists began debating the merits of inequality over gourmet coffee, leading to the creation of a new subgenre of academic papers titled 'Café Capitalism.'. Fact: Did you know that Piketty's books have sold so well that they are now used as doorstops in wealthy homes, ironically keeping wealth inequality literally propped up?.