I like this week’s articles, which span several topics, like voting rights (my latest big interest), mansplaining, and crosswords. Also, if you’re a person who thinks the world is getting worse, check out 11 graphs that dispute your position. Have a great week, and thanks for subscribing to Iserotope Extras!

Block the Vote

Since the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), efforts to disenfranchise Latino voters have risen, especially in Texas, where white people will soon no longer be the majority. This article reminds us that the Republicans’ Southern strategy is alive and well. (Subscriber Tess sent me this article. Thank you!)

The world is getting better all the time, in 11 maps and charts

There is much work to do, of course, but apparently, we’re improving. Please take a look at these graphs. (One big one: Worldwide life expectancy is now 70.)

High school students at Oakland High School in Oakland are reading a ton, thanks to Kindles, their dedicated teachers, and generous donors.

Men Explain Lolita to Me

Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me, the primer of “mansplaining,” is back with an excellent essay about how straight liberal white men are dismissing her interpretation of Lolita. She writes, “It is a fact universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of an opinion must be in want of a correction.”

A Million Little Boxes

I liked this article about the national crossword solving contest. (You’ve seen Wordplay, right?) There’s a guy who can’t be beat, but maybe Dr. Fill, the computer, will give him a run for his money. (I’m pretty good at the Monday NYT crossword.)

If you celebrate Xmas, have a good one! And may all of you have a wonderful New Year! (It is possible that I won’t publish next Thursday, so don’t be scared if you don’t receive your Iserotope Extras.)