As climate change dries Central Africa’s massive Lake Chad, extremists and militant governments distrupt the lives of the tribes who once made their life here.
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Ronan Farrow, Diana Nyad, Rachel Monroe, Ross Andersen, and Teresa Mathew.
Killer, Kleptocrat, Genius, Spy: the Many Myths of Vladimir Putin
Russian-born journalist and author Keith Gessen’s analysis of seven theories about Putin borne of “Putinology,” a long-standing tradition in eastern Europe, newly adopted by Americans as a diversion in the Trump era.
Private Telegram, Public Strife
The precarious future of messaging apps.
Fat Girl Cries Herself to Sleep At Night: An Illustrated Essay
Living in a body can be hysterically complicated.
Stalin’s Scheherazade
An opportunistic literary caper became a lifelong con — with no possibility of escape.
How to Get Away with Spying for the Enemy
How does someone get away with helping a foreign adversary? Writer Sarah Laskow digs into the gonzo story of an American acquitted of spying for the Soviets—even after he confessed to it.
Father of Disorder
One woman finds insight into her father’s rage in the scientific concept of entropy.
The Business of Building a Country’s Brand
A whole sector of the marketing industry shapes stories about nations and cities to shape our opinions about place.
How to Get Away with Spying for the Enemy
How does someone get away with helping a foreign adversary? Writer Sarah Laskow digs into the gonzo story of an American acquitted of spying for the Soviets—even after he confessed to it.

