Could blue states stop paying taxes?
Weekend Reads for January 24, 2026: Catch up on the week that was
Happy Saturday, Ink readers!
When every day brings a decade of news, we know it’s tough to keep up, but we’re here to help. In today’s edition of Weekend Reads:
Could blue states just stop paying taxes?
Pakistan’s most famous man is still behind bars — but can a cell contain him?
When the A.I. bubble bursts, what will be left?
Do Americans really care about being a world power?
Does the U.S. have Canada by the wallet, or vice versa?
What’s the burden of being named after a hero?
Why can’t politicians call things evil?
What’s in a midlife crisis?
How do you find words at America’s graveside?
Was the American palate shaped by chefs — or insurance salesmen?
And music for your morning: this week, grooves from Los Angeles improvisors SML
We hope you’ll read along with us (especially if you’re snowed in, as we’ll be here at HQ).
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The icon who disappeared
An authoritarian government trying to vanish a popular political leader is hardly an unfamiliar tale. But it is a tall order in a digital age – and taller still when that leader happens to be the country’s most famous person, with a fame that long predates their political career. [Equator]