Impossible Choices & Escaping Fraud Charges

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What Abortion Bans Do to Doctors

The Atlantic • 12 Sep 2024 • ~6050 words • Archive Link

This powerful and sometimes gut-wrenching piece shares the struggles of doctors in Idaho navigating the harsh realities of abortion bans. Through personal stories of physicians and patients, the article reveals how restrictive laws are forcing healthcare providers to make impossible choices that can jeopardize patient safety, all while grappling with their own moral dilemmas. This exploration sheds light on the profound impact of legislation on medical practice and the lives of women in need.

In short, her son would not survive, and staying pregnant would pose a danger to her own health. In the ultrasound room that day, Smith started to cry. Cooper started to cry too. She was used to conversations like this — delivering what might be the worst news of someone's life was a regular part of her job — but she was not used to telling her patients that they then had no choice about what to do next. Idaho's new ban made performing an abortion for any reason a felony.

How oligarchs took on the UK fraud squad - and won

The Guardian • 12 Sep 2024 • ~9050 words

In a complex tale of high-stakes legal battles, the ENRC case reveals how oligarchs managed to outmaneuver the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. This piece explores the intricate web of accusations, investigations, and counterclaims that unfolded over the years, highlighting the challenges of accountability in the world of corporate fraud. It's a fascinating look at how power and influence can impact justice.

The mining industry was an engine of the bribery, violence and inequality that continued to blight South Africa . . . So once Jackson began to take on private clients, there was plenty of detective work to do. In 2016, one of his industry contacts referred a new client to him . . . He wanted Jackson to investigate the mysterious death of a geologist who had worked on his South African ventures. The geologist’s name was André Bekker. The previous night, 28 October 2016, Bekker’s white Audi Quattro had been set alight on a suburban street in Johannesburg . . .

Recommended Articles

How a Scientific Dispute Spiralled Into a Defamation Lawsuit

The New Yorker • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3450 words • Archive Link

The article discusses a scientific dispute that escalated into a defamation lawsuit. It examines the case of Francesca Gino, a Harvard Business School professor, who was accused of research misconduct by a group of behavioral scientists. Gino was placed on administrative leave and faced the potential revocation of her tenure. In response, Gino filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against the researchers and Harvard.

Perhaps the least interesting aspect of the report is that a protracted process—of interviews with Gino and her collaborators, and forensic analyses of dozens of files found in her work e-mails, on her hard drive, and in her Qualtrics account—not only vindicated but expanded on the claims made by Data Colada. None of the data interventions were subtle.

Lured by a Promising Job, He Was Forced to Scam People

New York Times • 10 Sep 2024 • ~2250 words • Archive Link

Scams targeting senior people are a big problem, but did you know that the scammer on the other side of the line could be the victim of another scam? This piece tells the story of Jalil Muyeke, a Ugandan man who was trafficked to Myanmar and forced to work in a cybercrime operation, highlighting the human cost of these sophisticated fraud schemes. We learn how these fraud farms are frequently staffed with trafficked workers who are threatened with violence if they do not comply.

These fraud farms — some of which are repurposed casinos that were shuttered during pandemic lockdowns — are often staffed with trafficked workers laboring under the threat of severe beatings, electric shock or worse.

How a mind-boggling device changed economic history

Financial Times • 6 Sep 2024 • ~3050 words • Archive Link

The article discusses the life and work of Alban William Philips, a New Zealander who developed a groundbreaking hydraulic computer model called the "Moniac" that helped revolutionize the field of macroeconomics in the mid-20th century. It explores how Philips' unconventional background and experiences, including his time as a prisoner of war, shaped his innovative approach to modeling the economy using hydraulic principles. Dive into the fascinating story of a quirky yet impactful moment in economic history.

The professors were astounded. Perhaps they would have been less so had they known more about his unorthodox education — the differential equations he’d studied by correspondence course, the hydraulic engineering he’d learnt as an apprentice, the mechanical scavenging and repurposing he’d begun on the farm and perfected in the defence of Singapore. The machine worked perfectly. Within five minutes, the entire room was buzzing with excitement at what Phillips had created: the first-ever computer model of a country’s economy.

One of the Nation’s Largest Auto Lenders Told Customers, “We’re Here to Help.” Then It Took Their Money and Their Cars.

ProPublica • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3850 words

This investigation examines the practices of Exeter Finance, one of the largest auto lenders in the United States. It delves into how loan extensions, often presented as financial relief, can lead borrowers into deeper debt, leaving them with unexpected costs and inflated final payments. It raises questions about Exeter's transparency and whether its practices are predatory, exploiting vulnerable borrowers.

Many companies would be preparing to count those loans as losses, send them to a collection agency and repossess the cars. But Exeter has turned what would otherwise be a financial crisis into a profit center. Each time the company grants an extension, it resets the clock and reclassifies the loan as being on schedule. ProPublica found that Exeter has done this as many as 12 times over the course of a 72-month loan, with borrowers continuing to make payments in hopes of catching up. Regulatory records show many customers paid the equivalent of the full loan or more, only to see their cars repossessed.

Canada’s Immigration Model Is Spawning Imitations. Too Bad It’s a Moral Failure

The Walrus • 12 Sep 2024 • ~2150 words • Archive Link

Canada's points-based immigration system has become a model that other countries, including the U.S., are trying to emulate. However, this piece argues that this model is a "moral failure" as it undermines the humanitarian goals of the international asylum system by prioritizing utility over vulnerability.

The reality, though, is that Canada has engineered its immigrant society through the careful selection of immigrants and refugees. It is not the land of open arms and goodwill; it is the land of gatekeepers and talent poachers.

Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin

Belt Magazine • 12 Sep 2024 • ~3650 words

If you're curious about his legacy, a journey along Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail offers a fascinating glimpse into his architectural genius. From his stunning Taliesin estate to innovative designs for affordable housing, this article explores how Wright's vision transformed not just buildings but the way we think about living spaces. It's a great read for anyone interested in architecture or the complexities of a man who left a lasting mark on American design.

Although it became clear while following the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail that functionality often took a backseat to beauty . . . I couldn’t help but be thrilled by what I imagined as the Japanese elements of his design, the connectedness to nature, his melding of architecture with the landscape. His influence on American architecture was so profound, many of his ideas, materials and technology that were once considered revolutionary are now commonplace.

After years of insomnia, I threw off the effort to sleep and embraced the peculiar openness I found in the darkest hours

Aeon • 12 Sep 2024 • ~2950 words

What happens when you stop fighting insomnia and start exploring the world of your night brain? This reflective piece from Aeon invites us into the author's journey of welcoming sleeplessness as a time for creativity and introspection. It also discusses the fear and anxiety that can come with being awake at night and how one can overcome those challenges to embrace the night as a time of personal growth and artistic expression.

I’ve had insomnia for 25 years. Three years ago, after a series of bereavements, I stopped battling my sleeplessness. Instead, I decided to investigate my night brain, to explore the curious effects of darkness on my mind. I’d long felt slightly altered at night, but now I wondered whether darkness and sleeplessness might have gifts to give: instead of berating myself, perhaps I could make use of my subtly changed brain.

They Said Her Music Was Too Exotic. Now She’s a Classical Star.

New York Times • 11 Sep 2024 • ~2600 words • Archive Link

Meet Gabriela Ortiz, a Mexican composer who has spent her career channeling the sounds and sensibilities of Latin America into classical music. This piece chronicles her journey from facing criticism for her "too exotic" music to becoming a prominent voice for change in classical music, as she is set to be the composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall this season.

Ortiz, 59, who will be Carnegie Hall’s composer in residence this season, has spent her life channeling the sounds and sensibilities of Latin America into classical music. For most of the past 40 years, this has been a lonely pursuit. Teachers said her works were too exotic. Critics bristled at her sprawling sonorities. Top orchestras passed her over in doling out commissions.

The Complicated Rise of the Right in Germany’s Left-Behind Places

The New Yorker • 11 Sep 2024 • ~3600 words • Archive Link

The article discusses the rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the former East German states, particularly in Thuringia and Saxony. It examines how the AfD's success is tied to broader institutional fracturing and dissatisfaction in Germany, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, the influx of migrants, and the war in Ukraine. The article also explores how the AfD's gains reflect a growing disconnect between voters in left-behind places and the political establishment.

The dynamic was reminiscent of what I had observed while reporting on the rise of Donald Trump in the American Midwest in 2016—above all, the disconnect between voters in left-behind places and the highly educated winners of the metropolis. What sets the situation in Germany apart, in addition to the dark historical context, is the multiplicity and transparency of the rupture.

A billionaire farmer fights jailing as tycoons face crackdown in China

Reuters • 11 Sep 2024 • ~4700 words • Archive Link

The article discusses a crackdown by the Chinese government on prominent business leaders and tycoons, seen as a threat to the Communist Party's control over the economy. It focuses on the case of billionaire farmer Sun Dawu, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison. It examines how the party is tightening its grip on private enterprise in China, even at the cost of economic growth. The article raises questions about the motivations behind these actions and their broader implications for China's economic and political landscape.

In Sun’s case, he dared to be a persistent critic of the Party and a long-time supporter of pro-democracy activists and liberal intellectuals in China. His 18-year sentence effectively spells life in jail given his age, his lawyers say. It sends a clear message, they add: The party is committed to quashing any threat to its monopoly on power, even at the cost of economic growth.

The Pampered Life of a Fashion VIC

The Cut • 11 Sep 2024 • ~4050 words • Archive Link

What does it take to be a “very important client” in the world of luxury fashion? This article explores how these top-spending customers are courted and indulged by brands through lavish experiences, private events, and personalized attention, in an effort to maintain their loyalty and continued high-volume spending. The article also examines the social dynamics, etiquette, and status signaling involved in this elite fashion consumer class. This one is full of cringe moments, but it is eye-opening at the same time.

These trips reward the most reliably profligate customers — no matter how humdrum the sources of their fortunes are — by making them feel like celebrities and ensuring they always have another reason to get dressed up in the latest collections. It’s a kind of concierge seduction designed for a class of very-catered-to people who might consider an hour spent at JFK’s Delta One Lounge as roughing it.

New generation of radioactive drugs strike cancer with molecular precision

EL PAÍS English • 11 Sep 2024 • ~2750 words

This article discusses the advancements in targeted radiopharmaceutical cancer treatments, which use radioactive drugs that are designed to selectively target and destroy tumor cells. It explores the unique challenges in manufacturing and distributing these therapies, as well as the ongoing efforts to expand their reach to a broader range of cancer types by identifying new molecular targets and leveraging different types of particles.

it wasn’t until the new millennium, with the arrival of targeted radiopharmaceuticals, that the field achieved a new level of molecular precision. These agents, akin to heat-seeking missiles programmed to hunt down cancer, journey through the bloodstream to deliver their radioactive warheads directly at the tumor site.

Your AI Breaks It? You Buy It.

NOEMA • 10 Sep 2024 • ~4250 words

Is there a need for a liability framework to hold AI developers accountable for the harms caused by their AI systems, even if they have taken reasonable precautions? This article argues that the current negligence-based liability system is inadequate for addressing the risks posed by advanced AI. It proposes a strict liability approach where AI developers are liable for all foreseeable harm resulting from their AI systems. The article also explores the limitations of liability as a governance tool for AI and the need for additional policy measures to address public goods and structural harms.

If I’m blasting an area with dynamite and someone is struck by a piece of flying rubble or I keep a pet tiger and it bites someone, I am liable even if I took reasonable precautions. That is, when I engage in an abnormally dangerous activity, I am liable for all foreseeable harms that arise from the inherently dangerous nature of that activity. Courts can and should treat creating powerful new intelligent systems that we do not understand as such an activity.

The Nazi of Oak Park

Chicago Magazine • 3 Sep 2024 • ~7800 words • Archive Link

This article, excerpted from a book, is about the discovery that a longtime custodian at an Illinois high school, Reinhold Kulle, was previously a guard at the Nazi concentration camp. It explores the community's response to this revelation and the difficult questions it raises about how to address an employee's past involvement with atrocities, even decades later. The article examines the tensions between Kulle's supporters, who see him as a changed man, and those who believe his employment at the school is unacceptable given his Nazi history.

The next few seconds were a blur, the words almost impossible to believe. But Swanson wanted Gignilliat to hear the news from him directly: Reinhold Kulle, the high school’s chief custodian, had been a Nazi.