How QAnon Conspiracy Theories Spread In My Colorado Hometown
During the pandemic, people from the author’s hometown got sucked into QAnon and the Q-adjacent “Save the Children” movement.
Mark in the Middle
For years, Mark Zuckerberg has faced criticism that Facebook is bad for democracy. A cache of leaked audio reveals the story of how much ultimately comes down to his judgment—and the forces freezing him in place.
Ihor Kolomoisky’s Untold American Legacy
With Deutsche Bank’s help, an oligarch’s buying spree trails ruin across the US heartland.
Elizabeth Weil covers California and the climate for ProPublica. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, California Sunday, and more.
“As a journalist you’re endlessly asking people to tell you really personal, really vulnerable stuff about their lives. And I feel like you have to be willing to be in that conversation too—or really think about why you’re not willing.”
Thanks to Mailchimp for sponsoring this week's episode.
The Election That Could Break America
If the vote is close, Donald Trump could easily throw the election into chaos and subvert the result. Who will stop him?
The Desk and the Daring
On the work of Vivian Gornick.
The Swedish Serial Killer Who Never Was
Thomas Quick confessed to more than 30 murders. But the man also known as Sture Bergwall may not have committed any of them.
Is It Strange to Say I Miss the Bodies of Strangers?
A whirlwind tour of Istanbul’s public baths.
Injured?
On the downfall of ubiquitous accident law firm, Cellino & Barnes.
The Risk Makers
Inside the tech industry’s decades-long failure to reckon with risk.
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream
On hope, violence, and being Black in the outdoors.
The Elusive Peril of Space Junk
Millions of human artifacts circle the Earth. Can we clean them up before they cause a disaster?
The Cheating Scandal That Ripped the Poker World Apart
Mike Postle was on an epic winning streak at a California casino. Veronica Brill thought he had to be playing dirty. Let the chips fall where they may.
Upon This Rock
A visit to the Christian rock Cross-Over Festival in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.
The Glorious RBG
An obituary for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Wendy Carlos’s music of the spheres.
The Battle Over Dyslexia
It was once a widely accepted way of explaining why some children struggled to read and write. But in recent years, some experts have begun to question the existence of dyslexia itself.
Behind Every Republican Man
Joni Ernst’s reelection campaign may be an object lesson in what it takes for a woman to win in today’s GOP.
A Fierce Attachment
My mother is an urban peasant and I am my mother’s daughter. The city is our natural element. We each have daily adventures with bus drivers, bag ladies, ticket takers, and street crazies. Walking brings out the best in us.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "The Mighty Oak"
A hockey player's life spirals out of control.
Inside Kelly Brogan’s Covid-Denying, Vax-Resistant Conspiracy Machine
Alt-health meets alt-right in the ‘conspirituality’ movement.
What Happened Inside Ed Buck’s Apartment?
Two men died of meth overdoses at the home of a West Hollywood political donor. Dark conspiracy theories abounded— but the truth is even darker
Jiayang Fan is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her latest article is a "How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda."
"I think considering the unusual shape of our lives—the lives of my mother and I—from bare subsistence to one of the richest enclaves in America … it made me think about what the value of existence is. ... It made me wonder, What should a person be? And how should a person be? And being a writer has been a lifelong quest to answer those questions."
Thanks to Mailchimp for sponsoring this week's episode.
The Man Who Refused to Spy
The F.B.I. tried to recruit an Iranian scientist as an informant. When he balked, the payback was brutal.
Buying Myself Back
When does a model own her own image?
