Sephora’s Reddit page was set ablaze this week by a one-star review of a body butter, claiming that its scent attracted Wolf spiders. Then more spider-related reviews popped up, and internet sleuths started investigating. We asked scientists to weigh in.

This Body Butter at Sephora Doesn’t Really Attract Spiders, Right?

A Sol de Janeiro moisturizer has garnered attention after reviews claimed it attracted Wolf spiders. Experts say it’s likelier that the season is leading to more human-spider interactions.

The City That’s Trying to Replace Politicians With Computers (It’s Working) www.wsj.com/tech/politic...

Leonard Nathan 🕳️

So thrilled for Quan Barry, whose dynamite collection AUCTION is included in the NYTimes Best Poetry of 2023! “She takes the crap of existence head-on, and makes art despite it…” www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/b...

The Best Poetry of 2023

Five collections our columnist loved this year.

Recent surveillance orders by the Mexico City attorney general's office read like a political power list. Many in the country say they were targeted for political reasons.

In Mexico, Surveillance Orders That Read Like a Political Power List

The Mexico City attorney general’s office ordered the phone records of politicians and officials, court filings show. Many of the people targeted say they were singled out for political reasons.

thanks for reading, kendra!

Happy to have 2 new poems in the latest issue of Couplet!

“But half our life is dreams, delirium, everything that underlies” Frank Bidart 🚀

“A second New York is being built a little west of the old one.” David Berman 👇🏽