Why can't men be friends?

Many American men find there's no one around them at the end of the day – that they’ve become trapped by a series of unspoken rules that discourage men from attempting to develop deep bonds with one another. That can have stark effects on their mental and physical health. [NPR] Rich Pedroncelli/AP Russian hackers may be able to cut your power. Utilities are working to prevent it, but the official response has been low-energy The infiltrators “were not simply looking around that system and reconnoitering it," says an Obama-era official. "They were placing the tools that they would have to place in order to turn off the power. That's a serious vulnerability for us, and we're not anywhere near ready to deal with it." [Trump critics want to know why more isn't being done to discourage such an attack](. Maren Caruso/Getty Images As recreational pot spreads, a study reiterates: Sucking smoke into your lungs is bad for you, no matter what kind A California biologist’s research shows that secondhand marijuana smoke triggers the same kinds of negative effects on arteries that secondhand cigarette smoke does. And while tightly regulated marijuana has fewer chemical additives than cigarettes, it can have contaminants. [As for the health effects of vaping? That is being studied, too](. Skunk Bear In science and art classrooms, a mystery: Whose skeleton is that? Some might be plastic, but others are real, authentic human bones. NPR’s Adam Cole and Elissa Nadworny borrowed one and found that tracing its origins was a complex journey. [Unraveling the mystery took a range of forensic techniques — and knowledge of a disquieting global trade](. Maciej Toporowicz/Getty Images Tough, independent, reserved, masculine. Bottled-up, withdrawn, lonely, ailing. How U.S. culture drives men into isolation An NYU professor who has spent decades interviewing teen boys says the anti-vulnerability messages they get early on have a long-lasting impact. "These are human beings with unbelievable emotional and social capacity. And we as a culture just completely try to zip it out of them," she says. [It’s one factor in increasing suicide rates among middle-aged men.]( Manu Brabo/AP Many African migrants stop in Libya just before crossing to Europe. For some, it marks a different transition — into slavery The civil war-riven country has begun herding the migrants, some refugees from other conflicts, into militia-run detention centers. Once there, escapees say, a ransom must be paid, or they become commodities — sold between prison camps or turned into indentured laborers. ["If you're not Libyan, they don't think you're human. You're an animal in their eyes."]( You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]