“Geoffrey Gray investigates the writer’s bizarre cult and finds himself entangled in a web of murky financial dealings, sex, possible foul play—and one death-defying supernatural being.”
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In Harm’s Way
“How decades-old decisions to build two California prisons in a dry lakebed and a chaotic climate left 8,000 incarcerated people at risk.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: the jaws of history; war and piece(s); the last day of camp; stay a while; picture me rollin’.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Alyssa Roenigk, Rachel Monroe, Brad Rassler, Will Bahr, and Zachary B. Hancock.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: Lost soul, copy that, missing beats, muzzled watchdogs, and a ramblin’ man.
Inside the Glitter Lab
“How the tiniest trace of red shimmer helped solve one of California’s most brutal crimes.”
A Vaccine Dispute Turns Deadly
Misinformation’s tragic toll on one California family.
The Wildfire, the Hunter, and a Decade of Conspiracy Theories
“Looking back now, a decade later, the Rim Fire feels like a prelude to disaster — a cleared throat ahead of an End Times scream.”
Is Gold Hidden Under a California Peak? This Treasure Map Says So
“The tale of that man, his map, and the place it led to is really one about Southern California’s twin mirages — fame and fortune — and the people who seek one or the other. Or both.”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories from Archie Bland, Elizabeth Bruenig, Anat Rubin, Dexter Thomas, and Elena Gosalvez Blanco.

