The Best of the Beast, April 28-May 4
Our favorite stories for your weekend reading list.
Kerry Warns Israel Could Become An ‘Apartheid State’By Josh RoginThe secretary of state said that if Israel doesn’t make peace soon, it could become ‘an apartheid state,’ like the old South Africa. Jewish leaders are fuming over the comparison.
Hallucinating Away a Heroin AddictionBy Abby Haglage
This junkie is about to begin a three-day, neo-African, sometimes-terrifying, ritualistic trip. Can it help her get clean?
Remembering the Fall of Saigon and Vietnam’s Mass ‘Boat People’ ExodusBy Katie BakerOn April 30, 1975, American troops withdrew from Saigon as the city fell to the North Vietnamese. One refugee remembers the chaos of the day and her long odyssey to freedom.
The Health Care System is Broken, So It’s Time for Doctors to StrikeBy Daniela DrakeDoctors are miserable, patients are miserable, and there’s no end in sight. It’s time to revamp the health-care system from the ground up—starting with primary care.
If Fame is the Reason for Abortion, Does That Make it Wrong?By Tauriq MoosaWhen a U.K. woman announced her plan to get an abortion in pursuit of a stint on ‘Big Brother,’ the Twitterverse was horrified—even pro-choicers. So can you be selectively pro-choice?
‘Lil Snoop, Chicago’s Gun-Toting Gang GirlBy Michael DalyShe was just 17, a charter school graduate. But little Gakirah Barnes was also purported to have killed two in tit-for-tat gang violence now being celebrated by the recording industry.
Britain’s Tea Party TantrumBy Nico HinesBritain, meet your very own Sarah Palin—Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who is upending British politics and outraging the moderate center with his rag-tag ultra-right-wing party.
Law-Breaking Judges Take Cases to Make Themselves RichReity O’Brien, Kytja Weir, Chris Young, The Center for Public IntegrityFederal judges aren’t supposed to hear cases in which they have a financial stake. Dozens do it anyway.
Why is Louis C.K. So Funny?By Andrew RomanoBecause he uses humor as a moral compass.
John Oliver: U.S. Politics Are ‘Nauseating’By Marlow SternThe newly minted host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver sat down to discuss his new gig, the strange state of U.S. politics, and more over coffee.
The Abused Wives of WesterosBy Amy ZimmermanGame of Thrones is famous for its boobs, battles, and baby dragons. But fans of the original Ice and Fire series would argue that the F-word actually lies at the heart of George R.R. Martin’s fantastical tale. No, the other F-word: feminism.
GALLERIES
The Path of Destruction: Tornados in the South