What College Admissions Offices Really Want
Elite schools say they’re looking for academic excellence and diversity. But their thirst for tuition revenue means that wealth trumps all.
The Falling Man
In the days after 9/11, a photo of an unknown man falling from the South Tower appeared in publications across the globe. This is the story of that photograph, and of the search to find the man pictured in it.
Tina Turner Is Having the Time of Her Life
A Swiss chateau. A Broadway musical all about her. And absolutely nothing she has to do.
Don't Stop Running
An argument for trying.
'There's No Such Thing As Cold Hard Reality'
Meet the Hyperloop’s truest believers.
My Terezín Diary
On what is recorded and what is left out.
The Odds of That
On the nature of coincidence.
Free Solo Climber Alex Honnold's Next Summit? The Rest of His Life
On life after you accomplish your lifelong goal.
The Heir
Inside the battle between Ivanka and Don Jr. to be next in line.
The Peekaboo Paradox
The dark secret life of The Great Zucchini, Washington D.C.’s most sought after children’s birthday party entertainer.
How an Elite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
The M.I.T. Media Lab knew Epstein was a convicted sex offender. They asked for his help anyway, then covered their tracks.
Why Can’t California Solve Its Housing Crisis?
It’s the epicenter of the tech industry and the wealthiest, most progressive state in the union, but homelessness is surging — and no one can agree on how to fix it.
The Legend of Baltimore Jack
To some, Baltimore Jack’s choice to live off the grid was irresponsible. Others celebrated that he’d managed to break the shackles of convention. We look back on the life of an AT antihero.
In the Ashes of Ghost Ship
He helped build an artists’ utopia. Now he faces trial for 36 deaths there.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "The Stone"
A mystical stone guides a woman through her life.
The Big Show Never Ends
How Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann revolutionized sports broadcasting with SportsCenter.
The Gospel According to Marianne Williamson
Do spirituality and self-help have a political constituency?
American Animals
Joe Exotic bred lions, tigers, and ligers at his roadside zoo. He was a modern Barnum who found an equally extraordinary nemesis.
In the Jungle
How legends of the American music industry made millions off the work of Solomon Linda, a Zulu tribesman who wrote “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and died a pauper.
Mike Issac covers Silicon Valley for The New York Times. He is the author of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.
“People try to use journalists all the time. Your job as a journalist is to figure out who’s using you, why they’re using you, and whether you can do something legitimately without playing into one side or another.”
Thanks to MailChimp, Pitt Writers, and Wolverine Podcast for sponsoring this week's episode.
The Cost of Next-Day Delivery
How Amazon’s gigantic, decentralized, next-day delivery network brought chaos, exploitation, and danger to communities across America.
Keeping the Dream Alive
The W.N.B.A. is putting on some of the best pro basketball in America.
Into the Storm
Two ships, a supercharged hurricane, and one Coast Guard helicopter.
Mixed Media
Will Sterling Ruby’s new clothing line devalue his other work?
Opiate Island
How an island in the Antipodes became the world’s leading supplier of licit opioids.
