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.

One year after the Women’s March, more activism but less unity: “Women’s March Inc. provides a unifying vision and a national spotlight, while March On gives on-the-ground support, such as legal advice on applying for nonprofit status.” (The New York Times)

Aziz Ansari and the paradox of ‘no’: “The story was politicized and polemicized and, in the process, turned into a parable: an interaction between two people, presented as an embodiment of the questions that linger, still, around the rhetoric of sexual consent.” (The Atlantic)

#MeToo, now what?: “On Feb. 2, PBS will begin airing a five-part series hosted by author and Women for Women International founder Zainab Salbi that will look to take the current sexual harassment discussion ‘to another level.’” (Fortune)

The breakdown in trust that could shut down the government: “Unless the Senate passes the bill passed by the House to fund government operations, the government will shut down Friday at midnight. This time, however, the situation on Capitol Hill is different and more dangerous than it has ever been.” (The New York Times)

A year of Donald Trump in the White House: “And yet there are grounds for optimism. Institutions may crumble, but more might yet be saved. Restoration may be no more than two good elections and a few steady leaders away, as long as the foundational institutions of democracy—really, no more than fair voting and counting, but no less than those, either—remain in place.” (The New Yorker)