Today’s public intellectuals have their own version of the American Dream, where one person, on their own, can achieve anything — including being the smartest person in the room.
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The Strange and Dangerous World of America’s Big Cat People
A headline-grabbing murder-for-hire plot helped expose the dark side of exotic animal ownership in the U.S. Is there now enough momentum to reform the industry?
How Simple Human Connection Can Help Save People from Suicide
Therapist Ursula Whitehead regularly texts her clients between sessions to help them understand that they are not alone.
‘The Most Versatile Criminal In History’
Journalist Evan Ratliff has uncovered the shocking reach of Paul Le Roux’s criminal enterprise — a global network of pawns, most of whom were unaware of the full extent of the empire.
The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez
In the story of one Mexican-American woman’s life, we can see the whole tragic story of the US-Mexico border’s transformation from a simple chain-link fence to a humanitarian crisis.
Bowie Knives, Concealed Rifles, and Caning Charles Sumner
As the Civil War loomed, weapons — like the recently invented bowie knife and rifles that were shipped to Kansas hidden in crates labeled as bibles — became complex political symbols.
Tales of War and Redemption
“The violence I have seen has left me feeling hollowed out, unable to gild all the agony with some beautiful meaning.”
How the NRA Sells Guns in America Today
At The New Republic, “military veteran, big game hunter, and gun owner” Elliott Woods goes undercover at gun trade show to learn about how the NRA marketing machine has gone into high gear to combat what they’re calling the “Trump Slump.”
His Name Was Otto, and He Just Wanted a Little Adventure
Otto Warmbier got arrested in North Korea, sentenced to hard labor, and was eventually sent back to the U.S. — comatose. As with many things North Korean, the why and how is speculative at best.
