What Lies Beneath

In the 1960s, hundreds of pounds of uranium went missing in Pennsylvania. Many fear it is buried in the ground, slowly poisoning locals. But there’s another hypothesis—did Israel steal it to build the bomb?

Source: Foreign Policy
Published: Mar 23, 2015
Length: 22 minutes (5,571 words)

The Suspects Wore Louboutins

Nancy Jo Sales on the real life “Bling Ring,” a group of fame-obsessed L.A. teens who burglarized celebrity homes in search of jewelry, designer clothing, and proximity to stardom. This article was the basis for Sofia Coppola’s 2013 movie The Bling Ring.

Source: Vanity Fair
Published: Mar 1, 2010
Length: 21 minutes (5,390 words)

Who is Art For? Our College Pick

A recent act of vandalism at UC San Diego prompted student Teiko Yakobson to wonder about the rest of a significant collection of sculpture and monumental art that dots the campus.

Source: Longreads
Published: Mar 23, 2015

Homer in the Tropics

An essay about teaching classics at a once-grand boarding school in Malawi.

Published: Mar 1, 2015
Length: 11 minutes (2,890 words)

Life Lines

An artist with amnesia finds comfort and stability by drawing. She’s also helping researchers learn more about the way our brains work.

Source: The New Yorker
Published: Mar 23, 2015
Length: 40 minutes (10,032 words)

The Last Freeway

The true story of L.A.’s freeways, and a judge who changed everything.

Source: Slake
Published: Jul 5, 2011
Length: 19 minutes (4,888 words)

Death, Redesigned

A global design firm makes an attempt to change the way we prepare for death.

Published: Mar 20, 2015
Length: 26 minutes (6,607 words)

Blueprints & Buildings: Four Stories About Architecture

Four stories about architecture and design: the Urban Death Project, the materials we use to build, designing for the blind, and creating spaces in video games.

Source: Longreads
Published: Mar 22, 2015

The Spectacular Rise and Surprising Exit of a Hollywood Executive

Richard Nanula started his career big: At 31, he became CFO of Disney, among the youngest ever at a Fortune 500 company. He later ran Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Miramax. Then came the allegations that he filmed sex scenes with porn actresses.

Published: Aug 23, 2013
Length: 9 minutes (2,327 words)

The Price of Shame

Monica Lewinsky is back, but this time it’s on her terms. She discusses personal evolution, feminism and moving forward after public shaming.

Published: Mar 19, 2015
Length: 14 minutes (3,530 words)