Fifty years ago, the Freedom of Information Act gave the public access to government secrets — all you had to do was ask. How a simple request became a bureaucratic nightmare.
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Did Media Criticism Force Megyn Kelly to Go Harder on Alex Jones?
Following a media firestorm, NBC’s interview with a conspiracy theorist was heavily edited. Though some commentators praised the segment, few ended up watching.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Read a letter from Coretta Scott King and stories by Lizzie Presser, Kathryn Schulz, Michael Friscolanti, and Mitchell Sunderland.
An Interview with MacArthur ‘Genius’ Viet Thanh Nguyen
2017 MacArthur fellow Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses questions of justice, diversity in literature, and empathy across cultures.
On Happiness: A Reading List
A reading list on happiness to celebrate March 20—or International Day of Happiness.
The Hippies Who Hated the Summer of Love
The merchants of Haight-Ashbury advertised a summer of free food, free lodging, and free love. What they got instead was a civic nightmare.
This Land Should Be Your Land: A National Parks Reading List
Underneath the beautiful surface of federal lands are stories of danger, harassment, and billionaire privilege.
How Much is Too Much to Save a Dying Cat?
A series of losses prompts s.e. smith to wonder why, if it’s inevitable, we tend to view death as failure.
Below Deck: A Dickensian Horror Story
Lizzie Presser reports on the Dickensian treatment of Filipino workers aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships — where the routine involves 12 and 14-hour days, seven days a week for paltry pay and zero overtime — just to be able to provide better lives for families they rarely get to see.
Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?
Maria Finn tries to make sense of the euphoric love she experienced at the annual festival in Black Rock City, while she was grieving her brother’s suicide.

