The news cycle is fast and furious—which is why we shifted through the recent noise and found a few articles we believe matter. These thoughts and ideas made us pause, think and, most importantly, consider what is happening in the world. We hope they do the same for you.

What if there is no ethical way to act in Syria now?: “American intervention there has been tailored mostly to a narrow perception of American interests in stopping the threat of terror. But the fundamental questions are still unresolved: What exactly was the moral course of action in Syria?” (The Atlantic)

The U.S. has only accepted 11 Syrian refugees this year: “In 2017, the country let in 3,024. So far this year, that number is just 11. By comparison, over the same 3 1/2-month period in 2016, the U.S. accepted 790.” (NPR)

About the boys: Boys and young men are so routinely expected to betray their better natures, to smother their consciences, to renounce the best of themselves and submit to something low and mean. (The Guardian)

Alone at sea (at age 70): “What most of us experience as suffering he repurposes as contrarian self-determination, and that gives him an existential thrill. Among Doba’s bigger regrets in life are the times when he has succumbed…” (The New York Times)

A record 309 women are running for seats in the House: “That's a nearly 90-percent increase over 2016's numbers.” (NPR)

A yearbook after the Parkland Shooting: At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, students knew that while preserving a record of normal school activities, they would have to include the story of a tragedy, too. (The New York Times)

We may own the data but Facebook has a duty to protect it: “What members of Congress wanted from Facebook was accountability to users’ privacy interests no matter who owned what, and no matter how much users understood—a duty of care.” (The New Yorker)