TouchStone Reads - April 17th, 2026

Phil Richmond & Doug Goodman - Apr 17, 2026

We often set aside articles that are longer, deserve a re-read, are broader in scope…or just for fun - for weekend reading. Below are some from this week - pour yourself a hot cup of coffee & enjoy... 

  • What 1,000-year-old companies know about resilience: Eric Markowitz on the philosophy of long-term thinking, drawn from companies that have survived a millennium. (Big Think)

  • ‘This Was the Real Thing’: Meet the Woman Who Alerts the World When an Asteroid Could Hit: A profile of the UN official responsible for warning humanity about asteroid impacts. The most important job nobody’s heard of. (The Guardian)

  • The US small town coffee shop that created a viral drink: ‘I still don’t understand how it went so far’ A palate cleanser: a small-town coffee shop accidentally invents a TikTok-famous drink. (The Guardian)

  • Consumers are in a foul, foul mood: Michigan sentiment numbers are ugly. When consumers turn this sour, the next leg down in spending typically follows within months. Watch this space. (Axios)

  • These Wild Chimps Have Been Fighting in a 'Civil War' for Nearly a Decade. It's the Bloodiest Split Ever Seen Among Their Kind (Smithsonian Magazine)

  • It’s Taking Over the Lives of Wealthy, Elderly Men. It Could Be Coming for You Next. $25,000 gene-therapy injections are in, regular doctors are out. The longevity tourism industry is coming for wealthy retirees first, but it won’t stop there. (Slate)

  • MAGA Is Winning Its War Against U.S. Science: Krugman documents the systematic dismantling of American scientific institutions. When you defund research and chase away talent, don’t be surprised when innovation moves elsewhere. When a political movement believes that ignorance is strength (Paul Krugman)

  • 16 inspiring Artemis II photos that’ll make you feel like a tiny Earthling: (Popular Science)

  • Photos: NASA releases first images from moon flyby: More breathtaking images from Artemis II’s lunar flyby. NASA keeps delivering the goods, and the photos keep reminding us why we explore. (NPR)

  • Things to Look Forward to:
    Patrick Radden Keefe's newest book - London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth (Penguin Random House)

  • A comparison of US healthcare costs

What are you reading or listening to?