The Citizen app gives everyone with a smartphone the ability to report on crimes and crises as they happen. How do you do that without opening the door to privacy invasions and profiling? That’s a lot less clear.
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The Secrets of the World’s Greatest Jailbreak Artist
“Master criminal Rédoine Faïd loved the movies, and his greatest crimes were laced with tributes: to Point Break, Heat, and Reservoir Dogs. When he landed in a maximum-security prison, cinema provided inspiration once again.”
Well Without Water
Haunted by a running tap in prison, a man grows obsessed with water waste and climate change, pushing him to the edge.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, our editors recommend notable features and essays by Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Justin Heckert, Gloria Liu, Sharon Levy, and Mychal Denzel Smith.
Best of 2022: Investigative Reporting
The incredible stories that exposed abuses of both power and people.
Relentless Toil: A Reading List About Filipino Laborers
The sacrifices of Filipino workers at home and abroad are enormous.
My Friend Jay
Matthew Stanmyre’s childhood best friend was shot and killed when he was 16. Twenty-one years later, he searches for answers for why he died.
Longreads Best of 2022: All of Our No. 1 Story Picks
All the stories we’ve selected as number one in our weekly Top 5 newsletter.
Best of 2023: All of Our Number Five Story Picks
Each story we chose as our number five piece of the week in 2023, all in one place.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Caroline Kitchener, Sarah Treleaven, Ilana Bean, Dan Kois, and Alan Siegel.

