Vox Sentences - The Super Tuesday that wasn’t

Did you know Super Tuesday was this week? Did you care? If your answer is no on both counts, you are very much not alone. As a journalist who has covered several presidential election cycles, I normally care a lot about these types of things — Super Tuesday has, historically, been an exciting moment in the presidential primary cycle. Every four years, this is the moment when you start to see which primary candidate looks more likely to secure their party’s nomination for president. 

But this year felt very different: There were no real primary contests. Short of something earth-shattering happening, we knew going in that Trump would become the Republican nominee and Biden the Democratic nominee. And thus, it felt like the most anticlimactic Super Tuesday in recent history. At Vox, our team discussed this a lot: How do we cover Super Tuesday when there are no real stakes, no real surprises? What does our audience really need to understand? We felt that traditional primary coverage — that is, covering results as they came in — felt unnecessary, since it would not be breaking news to anyone to hear that Trump had secured the GOP nomination.  

But despite this, our politics team delivered, publishing two great pieces that focused on helping audiences understand the bigger themes of this election cycle, rather than the unsurprising election results themselves. Zack Beauchamp wrote about how the Republican primary was a joke, but taught us something very serious about the GOP; Eric Levitz wrote about how Republicans, by selecting Trump as the nominee, passed up on their chance to win the general election by a landslide if they had nominated someone else. Both of these pieces do an excellent job of capturing the larger stakes of this presidential race and are worth your time. 

Outside of Super Tuesday, here are a few of my other favorite picks from our team this week.

—Nisha Chittal, chief of staff

What’s Ozempic doing to our brains?

This piece from science and health editor Brian Resnick unpacks the science of desire, and the rise of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Can drugs like this actually change what our brains want and crave? And what would that mean for society, if they could? 

📹 Why US elections only give you two choices

In America, we’re so used to our gridlocked political system being the way it is that we rarely stop to think and wonder: Why is it this way? One thing I love about Vox’s video team is how they dive right into those exact questions — the ones you might have wondered about but were too embarrassed to ask. This excellent video helps unpack why our political system is the way it is, why third parties don’t really have a chance, and whether there are better solutions. 

How to do your taxes, according to an accountant

It’s tax season! I’m a little type A about taxes (and about most things, but we’ll stick to taxes here!) and like to do mine early. The idea of waiting until April 15 stresses me out. I mostly rely on TurboTax — even though I know I shouldn’t have to pay to do my taxes, I can’t quit the convenience. So I especially appreciated this package from our Even Better section on how to navigate tax season, which kicked off this week. We’ll be publishing more stories all month long with practical advice and expertise to help you get your taxes done as painlessly as possible. For anyone else who wants to start their taxes early like me, our guide has you covered. 

🎧 How scientists are searching for aliens

This week’s Unexplainable episode is a fun listen. Don’t miss it. Science writer Brian Resnick explores the hoaxes, the delusions, and the actual, serious, advanced science dedicated to answering one of the biggest questions there is: Are we alone? 

Gen Z is officially old enough to feel old. Feel old yet?

Members of Gen Z are already panicking about aging, from 10-year-olds stocking up on anti-aging skin creams to 23-year-olds panicking when people think they look like they’re in their 30s. My takeaway after reading this fascinating piece from Rebecca Jennings is that we’re all aging, and maybe we should just make peace with it, no matter what generation we’re a part of. Aging is an inevitable part of life! 

🎧 Why groceries are still so expensive

Every time I’m at the grocery store restocking on overpriced berries for my blueberry-addicted toddler, I’m reminded of how grocery prices are still so much more expensive than they used to be, even though inflation rates have slowed down, which feels confusing. This episode of our daily news podcast Today, Explained helpfully broke down why prices are still so high at your grocery store and what, if anything, can be done to fix it. (And a bonus: I bet you didn’t know spiders and other wild predators influence these costs, too.)  

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