Forged in a Knife Fight: China’s Brutal Domestic AI Competition
by David Lin
What happens when China’s AI plan meets a brutal domestic knife fight?
0:00 / 18:24 · Narrator Vindemiatrix
Daily edition
2026-07-19
Today's Crosscut
Reading the Field
Lindsey Graham kept his seat by moving to where the voters were headed, while Lionel Messi wins matches by walking the grass to spot a gap in the defense before it even opens.
How Lindsey Graham’s Keen Ability to Read the Moment Propelled Him to Political Relevance for 3 Decades × What Lionel Messi Sees
0:00 / 15:57 · Narrator Sulafat/Charon/Vindemiatrix
Future-gazing →
Behind the news →
Meet Torstein Træen, the Stoic Norwegian Survivor Who Briefly Lit up the Tour De France
by Patrick Redford
How does a shy rider who survived cancer and a broken elbow end up in the yellow jersey?
0:00 / 8:00 · Narrator Algieba
For the curious →
What We Lost When Everything Became a Screen
by Sara Herschander
Can a single pane of glass replace the feeling of dirt, paper, and cold snow?
0:00 / 22:54 · Narrator Sulafat
‘Fractured Communities’ by Umar Khalid: Scholarship Meets Commitment to Marginalised Lives
by Anand Teltumbde
How did the state turn local village leaders into the tools for ruling the forest?
0:00 / 9:35 · Narrator Charon
Your Daydreams Know Something You Don’t. Look Closely
by Vardah Bharuchi
When a mind wanders to the same imaginary stories every day, what is it actually looking for?
0:00 / 11:46 · Narrator Gacrux
Why You Let Down Your Guard on Ads When Scrolling on Social Media
by Matthew Pittman, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Tennessee
Why does a pushy advertisement start to feel like a relief after a few minutes of scrolling?
0:00 / 8:45 · Narrator Rasalgethi