How the Virus Won
A stunning and sobering data visualisation, charting the spread of coronavirus in the United States.
30 Years Ago, Romania Deprived Thousands of Babies of Human Contact
A powerful account of children abandoned in Romanian institutions in indescribably grim conditions and utterly ignored, and the life that one amongst them has gone on to lead.
The Curse of Black Gold – Vast Oil Find Puts Guyana on the Verge of Riches – or Failure
A story looking at enormous reserves of oil in Guyana that could transform the country for better, or as some fear, for worse. The story is built around two brothers and their response to the find, one of whom is embracing the commercial opportunity, one of whom is warning of the risks it brings.
Boss of the Beach
A story of power and patronage in a perhaps unexpected place, the New York beach lifeguarding fiefdom of Peter Stein, who presided over a network of lifeguards named by one as “La Cosa Nostra.”
Down the rabbit hole: how QAnon conspiracies thrive on Facebook
A dive into the network of groups on Facebook linked to QAnon promoting a dizzying range of conspiracy theories.
Art UK
The charity Art UK has created a digital catalogue of 250,000 works of art in the UK and made it easy to search and navigate them. Splendid.
Revisionist History
Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast seeks to “go back and reinterpret something from the past: an event, a person, an idea.” This episode looks at why we horde things, with a focus on the art world.
The History of the “Riot” Report
A study of reports published by government commissions after periods of protest and struggles for justice, which have perversely “acted as alibis for inaction”.
The Cave Kingpin Buying Up America’s Underground
The story of an eccentric millionaire with a passion for caves that extends to purchasing and charting huge numbers of them, mainly in Minnesota. His methods have proven controversial.
The neoliberal era is ending. What comes next?
An opinion piece suggesting that the neoliberal approach to government’s time is coming to an end, and that “a space has opened up for a different, more realistic view of human nature: that humankind has evolved to cooperate.” The author recognises that what will fill that space is far from certain.