Some off-the-beaten-path stories you may have missed this past week:

— It’s become a competitive necessity, locally and nationally: “U.S. Biotechs Are Keeping More Secrets to Beat Copycats in China” (WSJ)

— More proof of our widespread ‘Abundance’ problem: “The MBTA’s plan to replace 1940s-era Mattapan trolleys is hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and years away, if ever, from completion” (Contrarian Boston)

— When Howie Carr focuses on local news, such as lambasting ‘Mr. Frosty,’ he can be hard to resist: “Ed Markey, 80 years old and nothing to show for it.” (Boston Herald)

— This is good news: “A year after the public media apocalypse, Boston’s two major outlets are holding their own” (Dan Kennedy)

— FIFA’s neo-colonial history, explained: “African teams are making World Cup history, 60 years after boycotting” (GBH)

— If you’re a regular blueberry, raspberry, strawberry buyer, etc., you’ll recognize the name: “Why Are Berries Everywhere, in Every Season? Driscoll’s” (NYT)

— Speaking of fruits: a coming banana apocalypse? “The banana as we know it is in trouble” (WBUR)

— One of the truly great products of the Internet is under pressure from all directions: “Wikipedia Is Battling for the Soul of the Internet” (NYT)

— It’s more complicated than it looks, but you still gotta love it: “The Company Founder Who Got Fired for Ignoring His Own Return-to-Office Rules” (WSJ)

— Here’s hoping Jeff Jacoby gets well soon: “A note to readers from a longtime columnist” (Boston Globe))