This week, we’re sharing stories by Elizabeth Weil, Michael Hobbes, J. Oliver Conroy, Bob Shacochis, and Ben Schreckinger.
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1. The Curse of the Bahia Emerald, a Giant Green Rock That Ruins Lives
Elizabeth Weil | Wired | Mar 2, 2017 | 25 minutes (6,487 words)
Meet the schemers, investors, and dreamers who were bewitched by a big green rock that might not actually be worth anything.
2. The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness
Michael Hobbes | Huffington Post | Mar 2, 2017 | 27 minutes (6,888 words)
The gay community has made large strides in terms of legal and social acceptance in the last few decades, but the rates of depression, loneliness, and substance abuse among gay men remain unchanged. Hobbes examines why.
3. The Long Tail of the Attica Prison Riot
J. Oliver Conroy | The Morning News | Feb 21, 2017 | 18 minutes (4,509 words)
On the aftermath of the Attica Prison riot and how the state covered up the truth: a grisly state-initiated mass murder in the name of justice and order. Of the 43 dead, 29 inmates were killed — many of them shot in the back or executed at close range as the state attempted to regain control of the prison.
4. Our Lady of Strays
Bob Shacochis | Outside | Feb 22, 2017 | 19 minutes (4,826 words)
The world’s greatest dog sanctuary is on a small farm in Costa Rica, where hundreds of canines run wild over the land—eating huge piles of food and slobbering happily on Lya Battle and her small band of dedicated volunteers.
5. I Did Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Workout. It Nearly Broke Me.
Ben Schreckinger | Politico | Feb 27, 2017 | 11 minutes (2,830 words)
An investigation of “the world’s most important workout,” featuring the personal trainer responsible for keeping Ruth Bader Ginsburg in top-notch shape.
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