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.
New York City’s First Skateboarding Superstar
A profile of Tyshawn Jones, “one of the most exciting skateboarders in a generation.”
How to Make It in Hollywood When You’re Gay, Female, and Thirtysomething
Jen Tullock is ready for her moment. Is the moment ready for her?
Masterpiece Theater
A Dutch gallerist made thousands of forgeries and passed them off as the work of real artists. When he was caught, a new con began.
Piper Perabo: Resistance Celebrity
How an actor becomes a Trump-era activist.
Where Does Affirmative Action Leave Asian-Americans?
A lawsuit against Harvard forces students to choose sides.
The Air Conditioning Trap: How Cold Air Is Heating the World
The warmer it gets, the more we use air conditioning. The more we use air conditioning, the warmer it gets. Is there any way out of this trap?
Fiction Pick of the Week: "No Matter"
A possible visitor from the future; the upheaval of time and logic.
The Tragedy on Howse Peak
Three deaths in the mountains, and a community left to wonder: How close should we stand to our own mortality to feel alive?
A Lawyer, 40 Dead Americans, and a Billion Gallons of Coal Sludge
In 2008, a federally owned power plant spewed coal sludge over 300 acres in Tennessee. Now, 40 people who helped clean up the mess are dead and 300 ill.
Queen of Darts
Inside the world of competitive darts.
The Golden Bough
In 1997, a logger-turned-activist named Grant Hadwin cut down a very special tree. Then he bought a kayak and disappeared.
Michelle García has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and Oxford American. She directed the PBS film, Against Mexico: The Making of Heroes and Enemies.
“We have to see that within difficult stories there is a very important message of humanity triumphing over despair. If you don’t focus on joy, humanity is squashed. If all you see and all you narrate is pain, then you extinguish the possibility of joy and the important part of holding onto humanity.”
Thanks to MailChimp and Pitt Writers for sponsoring this week's episode.
Neil Young’s Lonely Quest to Save Music
“Neil Young is crankier than a hermit being stung by bees. He hates Spotify. He hates Facebook. He hates Apple. He hates Steve Jobs. He hates what digital technology is doing to music.”
Two Sisters and the Terrorist Who Came Between Them
Was Samantha Sally a prisoner or a conspirator?
Bonfire of the Inanities
A history of the New York Times Styles section.
“This is robbery. This business is out of control.”
Uber and Lyft take a lot more from drivers than they say.
The Quickening
A story of two births.
