The Great Star Wars Heist
A piece examining a theft that rocked the Star Wars fan community.
The Epic Hunt for a Lost World War II Aircraft Carrier
A story about the recovery of an aircraft carrier that had been sunk in the Coral Sea during the Second World War, replete with original documents and photographs of the sinking ship and the recovery mission.
White Nationalism’s Deep American Roots
A look at the story, and writing, behind historic white nationalist movements in the USA. The piece concludes with the following reflection – “When Americans abandon their commitment to pluralism, the world notices, and catastrophe follows.”
Inside the Chaotic Early Days of Trump’s Foreign Policy
A sobering look at the formative days of the Trump administration. One Obama administration aide puts it in stark terms – “It was so shocking to see this team come in a blur of chaos, disregarding legality and ethics and showing a deep hostility to the career professionals.”
Will John Bolton Bring on Armageddon—Or Stave It Off?
Another look at Donald Trump’s bellicose National Security Advisor. The author proposes that John Bolton’s obsessive focus on the USA’s national interest to the exclusion of everything else has the potential to make him a tempering influence on the President.
Facebook’s Privacy Cake
Technology and media analyst Ben Thompson looks into the new direction for Facebook laid out this week by Mark Zuckerberg.
Low Visibility
An analysis of the Gilets Jaunes movement that has rocked Emmanuel Macron’s administration.
The Aldi effect: how one discount supermarket transformed the way Britain shops
A look at the rise of the German discount supermarket chain that has disrupted Britain’s grocery market.
House-Cleaning
A story that examines the Trump presidency to date, and weighs up his future prospects. The final sentence sums it (and him) up rather well – “Re-election seems just as likely as impeachment. He is fighting for his life, and he would rather sue than settle.”
A Whale’s Afterlife
A story about “whale falls”, the marine biologist term for when a dead whale carcass falls to the seabed and becomes the basis for a rich ecosystem of life, some elements of which have only been observed in such circumstances.