Good Sidewalks, Bad Weather Forecasts, and Rogue Birds

Rescuing the Sidewalks (Slate)
by Michael C. Pollack
The life of a sidewalk includes trash cans, food vendors, wheelchairs, dog walkers, and much more. Who’s responsible for making sure these crucial parts of our neighborhoods work for us? And are there better ways to make sure we’re sharing the walkways well?

The Deadly Impact of Bad Weather Forecasts (NPR)
by Greg Rosalsky
We usually just roll our eyes when weather forecasts turn out to be wrong. But as heat events become deadlier, an incorrect call is increasingly likely to cost lives. How much should we be investing in better predictions?

The Underground Railroad as Conspiracy Theory (Atlas Obscura)
by Colin Dickey
The clandestine nature of the Underground Railroad meant that it was an ad hoc, not terribly organized affair. But, for abolitionists and slaveholders alike, there were good reasons to present it as a grand conspiracy.

Thanks for the Nesting Material, Suckers (The Guardian)
by Ian Sample
Spiked metal sheets are supposed to deter birds from settling on buildings. Crows and magpies in Antwerp and Rotterdam have detached and repurposed them for their own benefit.

The Sleepless Urban Bear (Literary Hub)
by Gloria Dickie
If there’s one thing everyone knows about bears, it’s that they enjoy a long winter sleep. But as black bears have infiltrated more heavily populated, and garbage-rich, places, they’re changing their ways.

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