Caleb Cain was an aimless young man looking for some distraction on YouTube. He became radicalized by videos made by a community of far-right creators — many of which were put in front of him by YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.
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Posted inEditor's Pick
‘They Were Conned’: How Reckless Loans Devastated a Generation of Taxi Drivers
A two-part investigation examining how taxi industry leaders artificially inflated the price of medallions, which allow taxi drivers the ability to own and operate a cab, and trapped low-income drivers in reckless loans while government officials looked the other way.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Reading ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ in Baghdad
A beautiful meditation on Kurt Vonnegut and the trauma of war.
Posted inEditor's Pick
‘The Unthinkable Has Happened’
Jayson Greene recounts the tragic day his 2-year-old daughter, Greta, was struck unconscious by a brick that fell from a windowsill and rushed to the hospital. An excerpt from Greene’s memoir, Once More We Saw Stars.
Posted inEditor's Pick
What Was the Washington Post Afraid Of?
Irin Carmon and Amy Brittain were on the verge of publishing an investigation looking into sexual misconduct allegations against a powerful executive at CBS. But the Washington Post decided not to run the story. Carmon looks back at how an important story was killed.
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The Embryo in the Hallway
Jen Gann learned that she and her husband have genetic mutations that can cause cystic fibrosis after her son was diagnosed with the disease. Her second pregnancy involved a lot more people — and a lot more questions.
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The True Story Behind an Iconic Vietnam War Photo Was Nearly Erased — Until Now
In February 1968, John Olson took a famous photo of a wounded Marine named Alvin Grantham. Or was it actually of another Marine named James Blaine? Michael Shaw examines the evidence to discover the truth.
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The Five Families of Feces
A look at the cutthroat porta-potty business in New York City, which is surprisingly filled with all kinds of dirty drama.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions
A profile of a scam artist: Before Dan Mallory wrote a New York Times best-selling novel, he rose through the ranks of the publishing industry by creating a series of fabrications about his life and deceiving colleagues.
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‘Nobody Is Going to Believe You’
Director Bryan Singer has been accused of sexual misconduct multiple times throughout the course of his career. A few of his alleged victims have come forward to share their stories. This story was originally set to be published in Esquire, but was killed by Hearst executives for unknown reasons.