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Hi 👋 

We’re back again with another reading list of some of the best longform journalism across the Internet ✨

List is a tiny bit shorter today. For some reason, last week was tough on my psyche. Was distracted a lot and couldn’t muster the drive or discipline to hunker down and read. Nothing in particular happened—at least, nothing that comes to mind—but everything felt like it was in grayscale. Like I was wading through a stream of particularly dense syrup.

Usually, reading is enough to shake me out of that quasi-catatonic state. Not last week.

In any case, I decided to not push myself. I don’t want to get burnt out, after all. Here’s hoping that this week will be easier, and that next week’s newsletter will be beefier.

A quick peek at what’s in store below:

• Solving a 50-year-old murder of a reporter.

• Starlink v Everyone Else.

• England’s water pollution problem.

As with last week, please let me know what you think of the list this week by voting in the poll below.

Happy reading and see you again next Monday!

PS - Thanks again to Lulu for sponsoring this week’s newsletter. Please, please consider clicking their ad below the fold (or at the banner above). It’s a really easy and free way to help The Lazy Reader. Thanks so much!!

Story in Spotlight

This is one of those stories that, when it starts hitting its stride, makes you question whether it actually happened.

In many ways, this has all the trappings of a classic, borderline-tired True Crime story: messed up main characters; corrupt or inept law enforcement versus a too-good-to-be-true outside investigator; a stereotypical, if not predictable, crime. But this story delivers extremely well on all of those elements, which in my opinion puts this piece well ahead of so many others in the genre.

Not to knock on the writer here, but it’s the research makes the piece sing. Prose is solid and very smooth, but nothing that I found special. The depth of reporting here is immediately obvious: some parts of the story get extremely detailed and granular that you wonder if the writer was actually there when events unfurled. And there’s very little write-around.

I think that degree of dedication to research made what is an already crazy story even more compelling. And I want to make sure that I drive this point home, even if I risk being overly repetitive. The crime here is impossibly layered, and I’m not ashamed to say that the story led me by the nose. There are layers on layers on layers of schemes, and tons of twists and turns that the writer so deftly led me through.

A thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

Long, but very gripping. Pulls you very easily along. Didn’t even notice that I was almost through with it. Maybe 30 minutes if you can stay focused.

The Longform List

I was Forced to Give My Baby Away – and it was 40 Years Before I Saw Him Again | The Guardian, Free

Painful. Infuriating. A very difficult read. Great reproting from the writer here, who was able to draw out some deeply emotional quotes from the woman at the center of the story, while still being (in my estimation) very respectful. No grace whatsoever for the people behind this tragedy.

The Cold War Murder of Our Star Reporter — Solved After 48 Years | The Sunday Times, $

What a deeply complicated story: Not just in its subject but also in the thoughts and emotions that it evoked in me. So, so many things that I want to say, but I’ll stick with just one. This story hints at how deeply entertwined the media and intelligence work (as in, legitimate spycraft) are. That can’t be good for the industry’s overall trust problem, no?

And speaking as a journalist here: Democracy is the reason that the media exists and is the core of our purpose. So why are we involving ourselves in work that is actively undemocratic? In work that undermines the democracies of other countries?

How a Global Online Network of White Supremacists Groomed a Teen to Kill | ProPublica, Free

Top-notch investigative work from ProPublica here. Not to mention they tackle an important subject, too (which is more than what I can say for many “investigative” projects going live these days). Lots of conflicting and conflicted characters here, making for an extra intriguing story.

The Battle of Boca Chica | TexasMonthly, $

Another Elon story, which I swear is not on purpose. When you read enough, you realize that the man has managed to infiltrate so many of the biggest aspects of our society. Unfortunately. Here, his SpaceX insists on invading a quiet, understated community—to the detriment of not just the people but also of the environment. And local leaders seem to be all too happy to let Musk have his way.

Extra frustrating when you know that SpaceX has had failure after failure and yet is still afforded so much leeway by authorities.

The Last Patrol | California Sunday, Free

Another deeply, profoundly complex story. Zooms in very closely on one particular military slip-up of the U.S. in Afghanistan, and the ensuing partisan sh*tstorm that followed. Impressive research, even more impressive writing. I wouldn’t have known how to structure such dense findings into a coherent story.

That said: I had trouble finding sympathy for any of the soldiers and polticos in this story. I have trouble finding sympathy for agents of war.

The Great Stink: Britain’s Pollution Crisis | The New Statesman, Free

Really strong environmental story, looking at the glaring loopholes in Britain’s safeguards for water quality and treatments. Extra points for pointing readers in the right direction: Look at public policy, the lax regulations, the deep ties between industry and government, the lies, the greed. That’s something that’s been unfortunately sorely missing in environmental stories.

His Daughter Was America’s First Measles Death in a Decade | The Atlantic, $

Really heartbreaking to see what’s happening to the U.S.’s health situation right now. This story dives deep into what is a borderline unbelievable measles outbreak in the country and takes a very personal look at the forces driving it.

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Thanks for reading! Please, please reach out if you have feedback, suggestions, or questions. Alternatively, you can fill out this super quick survey form. I promise it won’t even take five minutes of your time, and it’ll be a HUGE help!

ALSO: I know some of the stories I recommend might be behind paywalls, and maybe I can help you with access to those. Send me a message and let’s see what we can do 😊

Until next Monday! 👋