10 weekend reads – the big picture

• The end of spam: robocalls and texts… your days are numbered: The industry that litters your phone with spam calls and messages is about to explode. The feds could throw a wrench into the opaque, sometimes sketchy and incredibly profitable lead generator industry. (Sherwood)

• Prosperous people who can’t spend money: Tightwads are dragging around a phantom side of poverty, no matter what their bank account says. (The Atlantic)

• The business of selling is draining the music industry: The streaming age has created huge incentives for publishers to exploit music copyrights. From Whitney Houston slot machines to Bing Crosby beer, here’s how the stars’ work and likenesses are resurrected. (Business Week)

• The benefits of Ozempic multiply: There’s growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs have health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, for conditions ranging from addiction to Parkinson’s disease — and scientists are developing theories about why. (via cable)

• Inside the powerful Peter Thiel network that anointed JD Vance: A small, influential network of right-wing techies orchestrated Vance’s rise to Silicon Valley — and then the GOP. Now, the industry stands to gain if the White House wins. (Washington Post)

• The ‘Big Four’ of Health: What We Learned at America’s Most Advanced Medical Practice: Even in a world of genetic screening and rapid blood tests, the best things you can do to live longer are pretty much the same. (Mashable)

• Why America has fallen behind on drones and how to catch up again: Like many of our electronics, most drones deployed in the United States are made in China. It’s a bigger hole in our industrial base than you might think. Drones operate behind the scenes of every American industry—inspecting our civil infrastructure and power grid, filming, conducting land surveys, detecting disease in crops, prospecting for minerals, locating gas leaks, and creating 3D models. (Noachpinion)

• Why you should take a hard look at your investments right now: After big gains in stocks and mediocre returns for bonds, investors are taking undue risks if they don’t rebalance their holdings, says our columnist. (New York Times)

• I’m an oncologist. Here’s what I do to reduce my cancer risk. A recent study estimated that 40% of new cancer diagnoses in US adults were due to modifiable factors such as diet and lifestyle. (Washington Post) see also Stress is hard to avoid. Here are 3 ways to reduce its negative effects. By interrupting the narrative, looking within, and finding time for the positive, we can create a balanced life. (Washington Post)

• Nerds and geeks are taking over the Paris Olympics: Geeks find an obsessive interest that most others don’t share, then intelligently pursue it. That is why they are so successful at the Summer Games. (Washington Post)