The Confession

‘Heil Trump’ and an anti-gay slur were scrawled on an Indiana church right after Trump’s election. The investigation led to an unlikely suspect—and the discovery of a hate crime hoax. Eventually, it led to forgiveness.

Published: Dec 5, 2019
Length: 24 minutes (6,000 words)

The Thing With Feathers

On mountains, climate science, and hope.

Published: Nov 27, 2019
Length: 15 minutes (3,800 words)

Kevin Ellison’s Final Journey

A troubled ex-USC football star died at 31. His family hoped that studying his brain for CTE would help others

Published: Dec 3, 2019
Length: 12 minutes (3,000 words)

Loss, Love, and a Promise Kept

A child presented them with a choice. They talked about it. They made a decision. They followed through. It was, by almost any measure, a fairly ordinary act of parenting. Except for this: Josh is not their son.

Author: Sam Borden
Source: ESPN
Published: Nov 26, 2019
Length: 15 minutes (3,850 words)

The Class of 2000 ‘Could Have Been Anything’

The high school yearbook is a staple of teenage life. But for some, it reflects the devastating toll of the opioid crisis.
Author: Dan Levin
Published: Dec 2, 2019
Length: 9 minutes (2,260 words)

How a Con Man’s Wild Testimony Sent Dozens to Jail, and 4 to Death Row

Paul Skalnik is a grifter and criminal. Now a man may be executed because of his dubious testimony. Why did prosecutors rely on him as an informant?

Published: Dec 4, 2019
Length: 54 minutes (13,500 words)

The Octopus from Outer Space

James Ross Gardner explores the Pacific Northwest’s evolving relationship with the octopus and how they’ve gone from dangerous “devil-fish” bent on drowning unsuspecting sea goers to intensely curious, suction-cupped wonders. With nine brains — one in their head and one in each of their eight arms — octopuses are thought to be the most intelligent invertebrates on earth, capable of deep connection with humans.

Source: Seattle Met
Published: Dec 2, 2019
Length: 14 minutes (3,520 words)

Chaos at the Top of the World

Despite bitterly cold and harsh conditions, the prestige associated with summiting the highest mountain in the world continues to make Mount Everest a dangerous lure for many, regardless of their climbing skill and experience. Nepal and China handed out nearly 500 pricey climbing permits during the 2019 season. Partly due to a massive logjam of over 100 summit hopefuls crowding the ascent during a rare break in the weather on May 22nd and 23rd, over 11 people died on the mountain.

Source: GQ
Published: Dec 4, 2019
Length: 22 minutes (5,630 words)

The Power to Kill

When a prosecutor states that she won’t seek the death penalty in any cases, is she exercising prosecutorial judgement or abdicating it? Aramis Ayala and the state of Florida don’t agree.

Source: The Intercept
Published: Dec 3, 2019
Length: 15 minutes (3,966 words)

Why I Wanted to Finish My Father’s Life’s Work

In this personal essay, Karen Brown recalls the pain and joy of fulfilling a deathbed promise.

Source: Longreads
Published: Dec 4, 2019
Length: 8 minutes (2,139 words)