A large Arkansas property owner regularly skirts building codes and has evicted dozens of tenants who have complained about poor conditions in their homes, Ginny Monk reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Regulators advised pulling patients from Hacienda HealthCare during 2016 fraud investigation
A Phoenix health facility under fire for causing a comatose patient to become pregnant had been scrutinized years earlier by state regulators who wanted to pull patients from the premises, Robert Anglen and Stephanie Innes reported for The Arizona Republic.
The Autism Moms’ Cross-Country Drug Ring
Liz Lewis, writing at Narratively, shares the compelling story of one mom’s efforts to help other parents in her situation.
The Mysterious Life (and Death) of Africa’s Oldest Trees
Jaime Lowe, writing for Topic, examines baobab trees — as integral a part of the Botswana ecosytem as they are a part of local culture. Unfortunately, the scientists who discovered that ancient baobabs are dying have no clear explanation why.
On Being a Woman in America While Trying to Avoid Being Assaulted
R.O. Kwon, writing at The Paris Review, shares this powerful, personal essay.
How Cartographers for the U.S. Military Inadvertently Created a House of Horrors in South Africa
Kashmir Hill at Gizmodo spins this compelling story — and puts a remarkably human face on an ugly chapter in American history.
If Cyntoia Brown Can Be Released from Prison, Why Not Trafficking Survivor Alexis Martin?
Melissa Gira Grant, writing for The Appeal, looks at the case of Alexis Martin — who claims she also was the victim of human trafficking. It’s worth a read.
I Was Pregnant and in Crisis. All the Doctors and Nurses Saw Was an Incompetent Black Woman
Tressie McMillan Cottom, writing at Time Magazine, shares this personal essay about her experience with the American healthcare system.
'A Convenient Scapegoat'
Raven Rakia, writing for The Appeal, takes a closer look at the case of Cherie Townsend, who claims she was falsely imprisoned for murder. She is now suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia
Adam Goldman, Michael S. Schmidt and Nicholas Fandos, writing at The New York Times, break this historic bombshell. It’s simply amazing reporting, and the implications are genuinely astonishing.
A Defiant Interview in a Jail Cell, Soon to Turn Into a Murder Scene
Ernesto Londoño, writing for The New York Times, shares this remarkable story out of Paraguay.
FBI Formed New Media-Leaks Unit, Internal Documents Show
Ken Klippenstein of The Young Turks found out that the “FBI has formed a new counterintelligence unit for rooting out leaks to news media, docs I obtained under FOIA confirm,” he tweeted with a link to the story. “This appears to be part of Trump admin’s crackdown on leaks. Last year, Jeff Sessions reported an 800% increase in leak investigations.” Check out Klippenstein’s story, as well as the documents he uncovered.
How Our Cruelty Killed Hootie and the Blowfish — and Damaged Our Souls
Dave Holmes, writing for Esquire, offers this “full-throated defense” of Hootie and the Blowfish,” and explains how the cruelty we allowed to bring the band down more than 20 years ago has led to the world we live in now. Several are calling it the best thing that has been written so far in 2019.
Brazil on the Eve of Authoritarian Rule
Chris Feliciano Arnold, writing from Brazil for Harper’s, looks at life in the days before authoritarian president Jair Bolsonaro takes control.
Midnight in the Garden of East Texas
Skip Hollandsworth, writing for Texas Monthly, shares the unbelievably true story of a charming assistant funeral home director named Bernie Tiede who murders a wealthy widow, keeps her in a freezer for months, finally gets caught, and still has the town’s sympathy as his case goes to trial.
What is Glitter: An Investigation
Caity Weaver, writing for The New York Times, takes a close look at what glitter is — and how it is made. It’s really well done.
Will Amazon Finally Kill New York?
In May of 2017, Mayor de Blasio unveiled Jimmy Breslin Way, a street sign dedicating the stretch of 42nd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue to the late reporter. It was a strange press conference — half eulogy, half lecture — a chance for the mayor to laud Breslin and scold members of today’s media by whom he often feels unfairly maligned.
Take Script, Add Snow
Jane Borden, writing for Longreads, explores why we’re so obsessed with predictable Hallmark Christmas movies.
Texas Tent City Housing 2,500 Migrant Children Is Said to Close in January
Miriam Jordan, reporting for The New York Times, reports that the migrant detention camp in Tornillo, Texas — currently housing thousands of migrant children who were forcibly separated from their parents — will close in the coming weeks.
Inglewood to Destroy More Than 100 Police Shooting Records That Could Otherwise Become Public under New California Law
The city of Inglewood has authorized the shredding of more than 100 police shooting and other internal investigation records weeks before a new state law could allow the public to access them for the first time.