Bottom of the News

NYT (Gift Article): For Japan’s Young Singles, Romance Gets a Corporate Middleman. “For hundreds of years, through the post-World War II era, Japanese marriages were brokered through ‘omiai,’ a practice in which matchmakers — usually relatives, family friends or bosses — linked singles in their orbit. But the custom fell out of fashion, giving way to organic dating and, eventually, a wave of casual-dating apps. Now, young adults are enrolling at record rates in marriage agencies, where counselors serve as professional matchmakers. Across Tokyo, advertisements line metro cars, urging commuters to ‘leave life’s fateful encounters to the pros.'” (OK, maybe that translation doesn’t accurately capture the spirit of the offer…)

+ Backpack edges past Dancing Queen to win Alaska’s Fat Bear Week title.