On photographs from Ferguson, Mo.: “In the civil rights era, the visual stamp of the movement was determined by newspapers and the nightly news. Today, the imagery one sees depends on the filters one uses.” (The New York Times)

How, with “an ingenious formula that’s making a difference in the real world,” comedian John Oliver is making people care about weighty, complex issues like net neutrality, income inequality and predatory lending. (The Atlantic)

Jesmyn Ward on her “introduction to racism.” (The New York Times)

How the U.N. is grappling with the role of cities in sustainable development. (Citiscope)

Why workplace flexibility, typically cited as a desirable benefit, ends up being “a euphemism for unstable hours or paychecks” in the lives of many low-income workers. (The New York Times)