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Another Monday, another TLR reading list ✨

In a surprising turn of events, last week was surprisingly smooth for me. Aside from a cold and the threat of a fever, everything else felt nice. That gave me a bit more time to lose myself in longform articles (and in my book for the month).

Which means that you once again have quite the list coming your way 😎

Before we dive into this week’s picks: Have you read last week’s edition? If that email somehow found its way to your spam folder, here’s what you missed:

• A telekinetic teen’s quest for justice.

• The “Afronaut.”

• Kenya, the epicenter of kidney trafficking.

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 - Thank you to 1440 Media for supporting this week’s edition of TLR. Please, please consider clicking their ad link after the fold below. It’s free and easy, and it’s a really huge help to me. Thank you so much!

Story in Spotlight

Some stories stick with you. They’re always there, in your head, permanently eating up precious brainspace and attention span no matter how much time has passed. Others, like this one, tend to fade into the recesses of your neurons. Not really forgotten, but also no longer an imposing figure in your mind.

But really, all these stories need is the slightest of nudges, then they come roaring back, and suddenly they’re all you can think about.

That’s what happened to me last week. I read this story a few years ago and it consumed me for a day or two after, but then it got wholly overshadowed by other, more dynamic pieces of media. By deadlines. By work. Last week, I was making my routine trip through the grocery when I saw a bag of Wonderful pistachios. That stirred a deep memory in me, and it took the better part of that day to figure out where it came from.

That small bag of nuts led to re-read this masterpiece from California Sunday and writer Mark Arax, who had spent years chasing down Steward Resnick. The secretive farmer—and his not-so-secretive wife—has become a cornerstone figure not just in California, but also in the global agriculture scene. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ranks among the world’s largest agri-entrepreneurs.

But, as with any kingdom, maintaining such a massive enterprise is bound to involve some… let’s say less-than-legal maneuvering. ANd for sure, that’s one of the main threads that Mark weaves in this story. In fact, I’d argue that’s the main thread—the narrative backbone that keeps the story upright. But he layers onto it so many other themes: power, money, politics, and the mirage of benevolence that blinds people to the evils of unfettered capitalism.

There’s a reason this story faded into the deepest corners of my brain: It’s not flashy, it doesn’t have the typical trappings of a Crime story, and didn’t exactly change my life. But there’s also a reason that it lodged itself in my brain in the first place. And that’s becaose the storyteling itself is peerless, and it’s one of the most polished stories I’ve ever read.

Very, very long. Definitely worth your while, though. 1 hour and a half, at least.

The Longform List

The Price of Remission | ProPublica, Free

I cover pharma (among other sectors of the health industry) as my job, so I already knew about most of this. Still disgusts me, though, at how much greed has become a fundamental part of the industry. And STILL companies claim to care about patient health. The writer does a heroic job of walking the tightrope between essay and investigation—he digs deep into the predatory and legally gray practices of the industry, while grounding everything in the frustration of being a patient with limited options.

If you need a reason to be angry today, this is it.

High Tech Cowboys of the Deep Seas: The Race to Save the Cougar Ace | WIRED, $

Massive story with an equally massive cast of characters that, under a more amateurish pen, would have been a mess of an article. That’s to say that it’s extremely obvious that there’s so much going on in this story and that at times it becomes difficult to keep up. But the writer pulled it off so well that he keeps you hooked without holding your hand through the narrative.

Worst Roommate Ever | The Intelligencer, $

If I’m not mistaken, this story blew up a few years ago, and got turned into a TV show or something like that. And for good reason. This story starts a bit slow, but once it gets going, it doesn’t stop. Some of the things that happen here are tragic, some are infuriating—but almost all of it is ridiculous. Borderline unbelievable. Which only makes the story even more gripping because you know that it actually happened.

Has a Lone Palestinian Aid Worker Been Falsely Accused of the Biggest Aid Money Heist in History? | The Guardian, Free

This is from 2021. Goes to show that Israel has already been systematically disenfranchising Palestinians for years, even before the October 7 attacks in 2023. And of course the conflict between the two peoples stretches back decades, but this story shows that one clearly exerts its power and dominion over the other. I think stories like these are important because they clearly show, without being too heavy-handed, which party is the aggressor, and which one struggles for scraps of its rights.

The Murder, the Museum and the Monument | HighCountry News, Free

Love a good social justice story. Really strong historical research, too; reporting on the current-day affairs wasn’t as impressive, but I think that wasn’t the point of the story anyway. Big plus points for not being afraid to call things as they are: Particularly that what happened to Wakasa was murder, and that there is a strong appeal to present the story as an Indiana Jones-esque tale.

The Corruption of Politico | Current Affairs, Free

Some crucial media critique for the times we live in. This piece focuses specifically on Politico, but I think that’s way too easy a target. I mean… the publication has always had a bad reputation among the more media-savvy circles, no? It’s always been a bit too corporatized. But the points that the writer raises here can apply to so many other outlets—so much so that it could probably just be taken as a blanket critique for much of the mainstream, legacy media.

We (yes, I’m a part of it, too) have always been cozy with some questionable backers, and that definitely explains a lot of why fewer and fewer people trust us.

Hunting the Elusive Rhino-Horn Cartel of Thailand | GQ, $

Relatively unusual twist on the crime genre, but no less important. This is a very solid story all around—impressive reporting, good writing, interesting characters. That said, there’s nothing that really stands out about it. Maybe that’s because of how many crime stories I’ve read recently.

Death Becomes Hair: The Story of Fabio Sementilli's Murder | Town & Country, Free

Like the GQ story, this is a crime story that’s really strong all over, but fades into the background when set against the rest of the genre. This one stands out a little bit more, however. The link to hair is fun—if a bit tenuous—and there’s really no beating a good love triangle. Really enjoyable reading experience, if nothing else.

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Until next Monday! 👋