A profile of the perpetually disappointed Alec Baldwin.

A cornucopia of endearments and insults.

The life of Kim Kardashian.

On the slow death of a beached humpback whale.

On the appeal of astrology.

On the insanity of America’s gun laws.

On the history of American nationalism.

A profile of the actress.

On learning persuasion.

A profile of the director.

Inside the world of competitive fireworks.

How the author of Friday Night Lights spent more than half a million dollars over three years on “eighty-one leather jackets, seventy-five pairs of boots, forty-one pairs of leather pants, thirty-two pairs of haute couture jeans, ten evening jackets, and 115 pairs of leather gloves.”

How an obsessive New Age hustler brought the sound of the ocean to millions of home stereos.

A history of the first African American White House—and of what came next.

In 2003, a platoon of American soldiers opened fire on a family in a Baghdad intersection. A decade later, one of the shooters tracks down the survivors.

The economics of Woonsocket, where one-third of residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

An oral history of the 2003 World Series of Poker, as poker went mainstream in America and online players invaded the competition.

A turn in the orgy dome, half a hit of German-engineered acid and more adventures on the Playa.

The story of a lawyer-turned-money launderer, stolen evidence, and a bunch of comics selling at outrageously high prices at auction. And Mussolini.

On a local talk show, Ted Bundy’s mother speaks to the family of one of his victims.

Uncovering the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin.

A profile of Sabrina Harman, the soldier who took many of the notorious Abu Ghraib photographs.

Reporting on the “American Way of Life,” two years after the end of World War II.

Albuquerque has one of the highest rates in the country of fatal shootings by police, and no officer has been indicted.