Longread #457 -- The Exotic Animal Trade -- 3/19/14

An eye-opening look at a lucrative part of the black market that is probably not on the radar for most people.

"The Exotic Animal Trade" by Alex Mayyasi
Published on Pricenomics, February 20, 2014

Eric

Longread #441 -- Feuds and Plots -- 1/27/14

People do the darndest things. Thanks to reader B. Bruce for the recommendation.

"The Elvis Impersonator, the Karate Instructor, a Fridge Full of Severed Heads, and the Plot 2 Kill the President" by Wells Tower
Published in GQ, October 2013

Eric

Longread #416 -- Value of Stolen Art -- 12/6/13

"What Is the Value of Stolen Art?" by Ed Caesar
Published in the New York Times, November 13, 2013

Eric

Longread #393 -- When Domestic Violence Becomes a Mass Shooting -- 10/23/13

Back from two days of vacation...

"When Domestic Violence Becomes a Mass Shooting" by Anna Minard
Published in the Stranger, June 12, 2013

Eric

Longread #389 -- Stopping Gang Violence -- 9/25/13

'What Does It Take to Stop Crips and Bloods From Killing Each Other?" by John Buntin
Published in the New York Times, July 10, 2013

Eric

Longread #384 -- Drugstore Cowboy -- 9/12/13

Continuing on the issue of problems in drug production and distribution, this longread looks at how a con artist used Google to mass market illegal pharmaceuticals in the U.S.

"Drugstore Cowboy" by Jake Pearson
Published in Wired, May 2013

Eric

Longread #377 -- The Education of a Bomb Dog -- 8/30/13

In honor of the DAWGS of the University of Washington, who open their football season tomorrow, I present this longread looking at the amazing traits that make dogs so suitable for helping law enforcement.

Happy Friday!

"The Education of a Bomb Dog" by Joshua Levine
Published in Smithsonian Magazine, July-August 2013

Eric

Longread #374 -- Murder by Craigslist -- 8/27/13

When I first started thinking about this blog, I noticed that one popular genre of longread was the crime investigation story. Many of these were CSI-esque and focused on twisting tales of lawlessness and the detective's vigilant pursuits of the perpetrators. I quickly came to realize that, for me at least, these stories were a low priority on the reading list as they were typically one-off cases or felt like glorified crime TV.

Initially, I passed over this article because I figured it was just the latest in this line of longform journalism. But this article goes beyond just the details of the crime story to see what that story tells us about society. So while you won't find many crime story longreads on the blog, this one is worth your time.

"Murder by Craigslist" by Hanna Rosin
Published in the Atlantic, August 14, 2013

Eric

Longread #371 -- Taken -- 8/22/13

This article looks at another troubling law enforcement practice: asset forfeiture. Asset forfeiture laws designed to go after criminal syndicates are instead being deployed against innocent people depriving them of money, valuables, cars, homes, and more.

"Taken" by Sarah Stillman
Published in the New Yorker, August 12, 2013

Eric

Longread #370 -- Don't Talk to the Police -- 8/21/13

In case you'd forgotten this lesson from reruns of "Law & Order," here's another reminder -- even if you're innocent, don't talk to the police without a lawyer.

"How Sergey Aleynikov Learned Never to Talk to the Police" by Alex Mayyasi
Published on Priceonomics, August 8, 2013

Eric

Longread #356 -- Rise of the Warrior Cop -- 7/29/13

This article exposes a growing reliance on paramilitary policing strategies by police forces throughout the U.S. and the detrimental effect that these strategies have on public safety, personal liberties, and political dissent. While it is important for police to be prepared and protected, it seems clear that there needs to a more involved discussion about the proper use of SWAT teams and similar tactics by local police forces.

"'Why did you shoot me? I was reading a book': The new warrior cop is out of control" by Radley Balko
Published on Salon.com, July 7, 2013

Eric

Longread #345 -- The Last Mystery of the Financial Crisis -- 7/9/13

This longread is another great piece of investigative journalism into the mechanics of the global financial crisis. To anyone who believes in free markets, it should be incredibly troublesome that companies whose business model is tied to their integrity became so caught up in the short-term profit-taking of the housing bubble.

"The Last Mystery of the Financial Crisis" by Matt Taibbi
Published in Rolling Stone, June 19, 2013

Eric

Longread #327 -- How the NRA Ends -- 6/3/13

This article offers some resistance to the argument that the NRA has such a strong grip on gun politics in America that effective gun regulation is impossible. While the NRA is well-funded and vocal, it is also alienating many mainstream voters and is facing new challengers that are formidable and similarly deep-pocketed.

"This Is How the NRA Ends" by Alec MacGillis
Published in the New Republic, May 28, 2013

Eric

Longread #321 -- Eyewitnesses -- 5/21/13

Given the importance of eyewitnesses to criminal investigations, their unreliability can be astounding. This article looks at new research investigating how to improve  the accuracy of eyewitnesses.

"Shuffling the Lineup: How One Man Is Redesigning the Witness ID Process" by Ben Paynter
Published in Good, March 13, 2012

Eric

Longread #315 -- Truth and Consequences -- 5/13/13

This article gives the background of a case recently heard by the U.S. Supreme Court about the constitutionality of obtaining DNA samples. As this article outlines, the decision will have tremendous ramifications not only for police practices but also for one individual whose assailant was only identified through the DNA collection practices being challenged in the courts.

"Truth and Consequences" by Harry Jaffe

Published in the Washingtonian, April 30, 2013

Eric

Longread #312 -- The KKK -- 5/8/13

I'm going back through my folder of good longreads, and this one caught my eye. For all the notoriety received by the KKK, this author found that, unsurprisingly, they're a pretty pathetic bunch. 

"My Kasual Kountry Weekend With the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" by Hamilton Nolan

Published on Gawker, April 3, 2012

Eric

Longread #306 -- Account of the Boston Carjacking Victim -- 4/30/13

This is a pretty incredible story telling the experience of the man carjacked by the Boston Marathon bombers. As it turns out, his careful planning and decision to flee helped considerably in identifying and tracking the suspects. It's easy to think in the abstract about what I'd do in this situation, and I can only hope that I would remain as calm and collected as this man.

"Carjacking victim describes harrowing night" by Eric Moskowitz
Published in the Boston Globe, April 26, 2013

Eric

Longread #305 -- Speeding Cops -- 4/29/13

This is part one of a three-part series that recently won a Pulitzer Prize for public service reporting. All three parts of the series are worth reading. The story probably doesn't shock anyone, which is part of why I think it was such a successful piece. The writers were able to quantify and clearly demonstrate just how commonplace this problem has become and to highlight the often tragic consequences that come with it.

"Above the Law: Speeding Cops" by Sally Kestin and John Maines
Published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 11, 2012

Eric

Longread #297 -- The Warlord and the Basketball Star -- 4/17/13

An entertaining but also somewhat saddening story. You'll probably have several forehead-slapping moments while reading this and wondering "how could they be so dumb?"

"The Warlord and the Basketball Star: A Story of Congo's Corrupt Gold Trade" by Armin Rosen
Published in the Atlantic, March 2012

Eric

Longread #281 -- See No Evil -- 3/25/13

This is an excellent piece that provides quality reporting both on the small and highly-specialized industry of making "traps" for cars and on the case of one of the most well-regarded trapmakers, Alfred Anaya, who got caught up in the dirty business of the men who hired him.

It's a story that frustrates me for two reasons. First, I think the specific details of Anaya's case seem to demonstrate questionable judgement on the behalf of the federal prosecutors. However, this article doesn't deeply explore both sides, so perhaps there is more to the case than mentioned here. Second, and more important in my mind, is how this article shows the way that the current nature of the drug war warps the functioning of the criminal justice system.

"See No Evil: The Case of Alfred Anaya" by Brendan I. Koerner
Published in Wired, March 19, 2013

Eric