American Chronicles
Do Children Have a “Right to Hug” Their Parents?
Hundreds of counties around the country have ended in-person jail visits, replacing them with video calls and earning a cut of the profits.
Deb Haaland Confronts the History of the Federal Agency She Leads
As the first Native American Cabinet member, the Secretary of the Interior has made it part of her job to address the travesties of the past.
What Happened When the U.S. Failed to Prosecute an Insurrectionist Ex-President
After the Civil War, Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, was to be tried for treason. Does the debacle hold lessons for the trials awaiting Donald Trump?
What Happens to a School Shooter’s Sister?
Twenty-five years ago, Kristin Kinkel’s brother, Kip, killed their parents and opened fire at their high school. Today, she is close with Kip—and still reckoning with his crimes.
Eclipsed in his Era, Bayard Rustin Gets to Shine in Ours
The civil-rights mastermind was sidelined by his own movement. Now he’s back in the spotlight. What can we learn from his strategies of resistance?
The Last Lighthouse Keeper in America
In a technological age, impassioned devotees renew an ancient maritime tradition.
Beyond the Myth of Rural America
Its inhabitants are as much creatures of state power and industrial capitalism as their city-dwelling counterparts.
How an Amateur Diver Became a True-Crime Sensation
Jared Leisek carved a lucrative niche in the YouTube sleuthing community. Then the sleuths came for him.
Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville
Tennessee’s government has turned hard red, but a new set of outlaw songwriters is challenging Music City’s conservative ways—and ruling bro-country sound.