2017

To find belonging, teen girls sometimes form obsessive friendships to fend off the isolation that puberty brings at the twilight of their childhood. In this exceptionally well-researched piece, Alex Mar recalls two real-life events in which teen-girl duos became murderous and why these obsessive friendships devolved into a pact to do evil.

Writer Allison P. Davis profiles New York hip-hop artist Cardi B., whose summer anthem “Bodak Yellow” unseated Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” for the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Cardi B. became the first female rapper with a number one pop solo hit since Lauryn Hill in 1998.

Poor public transportation is linked with poor health, from increased anxiety to prenatal conditions. The Smart City Challenge granted Columbus, Ohio $50 million to improve mobility to improve vulnerable residents’ quality of life. Columbus is the fastest-growing metro area in the Midwest, yet it has neighborhoods with high unemployment, above average infant mortality and many […]