stories

'It’s honest dollars,’ says one canner, but it’s not easy work – canners plan meticulous routes and often work long hours. (The Guardian)

Ride-hail services like Uber and Lyft have saturated the market, and an exodus of drivers from cabs has made medallion values drop – leaving many owing money. (The Guardian)

She explained to the gang task force officer that the tattoo represented nothing more than some music she listened to. She argued that she had gotten the tattoo in 2006, five years before the FBI’s report. But the officer could not be convinced: that day, King became a validated gang member. (The Guardian)

“If you haven’t noticed, we aren’t liberals,” said Jeremy Beck, one of Neely’s cookout friends. “You know, if you keep going further left, eventually, you go left enough to get your guns back.” (The Guardian)

As the country changed, so did its census. The questions the census asks, how it’s administered, where the data ends up—all of these have undergone dramatic modifications since 1790. The various iterations of the census reflect transformations in the relationship between the government and its citizenry, in ideas about race and identity, in what makes an individual an American—and all the ways a person can count. (Enigma)

Recently, the Department of Justice blocked the mega-mergers of Aetna-Humana and Cigna-Anthem. In response, Aetna announced its 2017 exit from the health exchanges of multiple states. UnitedHealth Group and Humana, too, have already made similar announcements earlier this year. Essentially, three of the country's top five insurance companies could soon be exiting the exchanges. (Enigma)

Half a century has passed since U.S. Marshals first escorted 6-year-old Ruby Bridges to an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Yet, despite a period of progress in the integration of the American educational system, segregated schools are on their way back. (Enigma)

In northern Syria, along the Turkish border, has emerged a de facto autonomous region known as Rojava. (Techonomy)

The American labor movement is finally starting to go online. (Techonomy)

A look at the tracking of mass shootings, the definitions of various important terms, and the politicization of ontological disputes. (...)

interactive modules

Individual components created as supplements for broader narrative stories or various assignments.

U.S. Counties By Age

State of the Union: Address Lengths

Mass Shootings in 2015

illustrations