Working in a Wasteland
Even though the land was a Superfund site, officials said the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard near San Francisco was safe. So why did members of San Francisco’s specialized police units get sick while stationed there?
The Quest to Save Stephen Hawking’s Voice
The story of how engineers spent years trying to build software for Stephen Hawking that would preserve his distinctive robotic voice — based off of technology from 1986.
Jerry and Marge Go Large
How a dyslexic cereal box designer with a penchant for puzzles and patterns figured out a loophole in the Cash WinFall state lottery game, earning $27 million in gross profits playing the lottery over nine years in two states.
What Bullets Do to Bodies
What exactly does a bullet do to flesh as it careens through the body? Jason Fagone profiles Philadelphia trauma surgeon Dr. Amy Goldberg, a woman on the front lines of gun violence as she attempts to repair the broken bodies that arrive daily at Temple University Hospital.
The Gruesome November Night in One of Washington’s Wealthiest Suburbs
A husband and wife are tortured and nearly stabbed to death by a former employee’s husband. Was it revenge, or an addict’s “medication-induced delirium”?
Urban Outfitters Bares All
Inside the secretive and mysterious world of Urban Outfitters, youth-culture behemoth and $3.4 billion empire.
Meet the Ungers
In Maryland, an unlikely experiment has taken place: violent offenders, expected to be incarcerated forever, are being released from prison. Jason Fagone explores how it happened.
The Serial Swatter
How internet trolls are using our over-militarized police to harass people, and why it’s been difficult to stop.
How a Squad of Ex-Cops Fights Police Abuses
In Broward County, Florida, a group of former police officers are using bold tactics to help public defenders.
Dropped
On the career of Anthony Gatto, arguably the greatest juggler alive, who at 40 is now running how own concrete resurfacing business:
Since 2010, Gatto has juggled in Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba, a show based at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Recently, though, I heard a rumor that Gatto was getting ready to retire from juggling to open a coffee shop. I did some Internet searching and discovered he now runs a concrete company in Orlando. It’s called Big Top Concrete Resurfacing LLC. The “T” of the Big Top logo is in the shape of a circus tent, but otherwise there’s no hint of Gatto’s achievements on the company website. “We are committed to offering a cost effective solution to tearing out and replacing old, damaged and deteriorating concrete,” reads the “About” page. “From stained micro-toppings to metallic floor finishes, counter tops and garage floor epoxy coatings, we have the solution for you.” A small head shot shows what looks like a smiling Gatto. Next to the head shot is a name. The name is not the one that has amazed audiences for the last 30 years. “Owned and operated,” the page says, “by Anthony Commarota.”
How did the greatest juggler in the world end up working in concrete?