How a McDonald’s Knockoff Became the Immigrant Dream
“The truth is, Burger Baron maintains a cult following to this day partly because it’s a shitshow. To begin with, the logo—a colourful fat knight with double-Bs in his shield—often appears on signs as a crudely drawn copy of the original. The mascot sometimes looks emaciated or downright mutilated, if he appears on the sign at all. The restaurants themselves range from drive-thru burger shacks to sprawling steakhouses.”
The Death of Ronald McDonald
“It’s easy to see why the company didn’t want Ronald delivering the ‘our chicken is chicken’ message, and thanks to the creepy clown craze, he hasn’t been seen on our screens since – though McDonald’s clearly aren’t opposed to general creepiness, if its current “Laughter” ad is anything to go by.”
The Anti-Trafficking Movement Is Pivoting to Afghanistan
“American anti-trafficking groups often make impossible-to-verify claims. Now, they’re doing it in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
Russia Has an Opioid Crisis Too – One of Untreated Pain
“While the US and some other Western countries are struggling to contain an opioid crisis caused, in part, by overprescription of narcotic analgesics, Russia has the opposite problem: Hundreds of thousands of cancer and other patients in severe pain are denied adequate pain relief due to a repressive drug control system, a stifling bureaucracy, a lack of proper training of medical professionals, and national attitudes toward pain.”
The Last Summer of Roe v. Wade
“Young people don’t remember life when abortion was illegal. Now they’re grappling with the erosion of a national right.”
How Time’s Up Failed Sexual Assault Survivors and Cozied Up to Power
“Survivors and advocates told VICE News they’ve failed to see Time’s Up, a cornerstone of the #MeToo movement, live up to its lofty promises.”
I Learned How to Cope with Agoraphobia. The Pandemic Eroded It All.
“For a year and a half, my anxiety’s natural instincts—to stay at home, surrounded by trusted people—became the way of things. I no longer had to force myself to run a daily gauntlet of low-level fear. Unchallenged, the fears became stronger, and multiplied.”
The Battle for Zimbabwe’s Land Never Ended
“We all still have scars of having land taken from us in the past.”
‘Trapped’: Women Working as Fishery Observers Allege Sex Harassment, Assault at Sea
“For other sufferers of workplace harassment, at least they get to go home at the end of the day. “
People Are Dying After Joining a ‘Pro-Choice’ Suicide Forum. How Much Is the Site to Blame?
“Loss survivors are demanding an end to the site, and provoking a conversation about how little we know about the internet and suicide risk.”
Longreads 