Each week, a different Vox editor curates their favorite work that Vox has published across text, audio, and video. This week’s recommendations are brought to you by Izzie Ramirez, Future Perfect deputy editor.

Hey readers,

Walk with me for a sec.

Like many Americans on Sunday, I will be watching the Super Bowl. Probably from my couch, but possibly at a bar with a drink in hand. I’m not a Seahawks girlie, nor am I a Patriots fan. And as much as I enjoy watching high-octane sports with tensions so high it’d send a monk into cardiac arrest, I’m there for Bad Bunny. It’s Benito Bowl.

I’ve written many, many pieces about Bad Bunny and the political challenges Puerto Rico faces because of its status. You can check those out if you want an in-depth look at why Bad Bunny’s halftime show is a cultural moment years in the making. But if you want to get even more context, my pals over at Today, Explained podcast did a wonderful episode on his historic residency last summer for his most recent (and Grammy Award-winning!!!!!) album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. It’s a great primer for what to expect in terms of his performance this weekend.

I’m expecting to shake ass and cry.

Anyhow…here’s what resonated with me the most this week from across the Vox newsroom.

—Izzie Ramirez, Future Perfect deputy editor

TOP PICKS THIS WEEK

Moltbook, the AI social network freaking out Silicon Valley, explained

If you’re a normal person, you might have missed last weekend’s meltdown on social media about AI agents. The TL;DR is that humans connected their autonomous AI bots to a Moltbook, which is essentially Reddit for AIs. People were freaking out about whether the agents were plotting against humanity or if they awakened their inner consciousness. I thought this piece from Bryan Walsh cut through the noise in a very entertaining and non-nerdy way.

We have a miraculous anti-aging vaccine. Why aren’t more people getting it?

I’ve always joked that I would take any vaccine that makes me live a longer and better life — even if it means snorting it. I don’t have an obsession with immortality or anything, but it seems like such an easy trade-off! So when it came to light that the shingles vaccine — yes, shingles — can help prevent dementia, I was confused as to why more people weren’t shouting this from the rooftops. I loved how this Dylan Scott piece explained the complicated reasons why.

🎧 The messy truth about TikTok’s Trump-aligned takeover

I kinda miss Chinese TikTok? But not for the reasons you may think. Ever since it became American-run, folks on the app are crashing out about the terms and conditions, convinced that there is more censorship and less privacy. JQ Hill with the Explain It to Me podcast has, mayhaps, bad or good news, depending on how you lean.

26 reasons to watch the Winter Olympics

I was late filing this newsletter because I was trying to figure out where I can watch the opening ceremony. I live and die by the Olympics. But maybe you’re more of a Summer Olympics person. I get it. The Vox newsroom rounded up all the fun, chaotic, and compelling reasons to watch what’s happening in Milan.

Bad Bunny is taking over the US. Does he want Puerto Rico to leave it?

Ha. You thought you’d be free of me evangelizing about Benito Bowl? Think again. Another storyline that often gets obscured is Puerto Rico’s challenging relationship with independence. I thought this piece illuminated the latest political developments on the island while not being too overwhelming.

On that note…I have one last thing for you. Here’s a Bad Bunny playlist just for you, Vox readers. :)

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