Pablo González & Swapped Babies

Featured Articles

Journalist or Russian spy? The strange case of Pablo González

The Guardian • 15 Oct 2024 • ~6700 words

The article explores the case of Pablo González, a Spanish journalist who was arrested in Poland in 2022 on suspicion of being a Russian spy. Once a familiar figure in Russian opposition circles, González was arrested in Poland on suspicions of being a Russian spy just as the war in Ukraine intensified. This piece delves into his background, exploring whether he was a genuine journalist caught in a web of intrigue or a deep-cover operative for the Kremlin. As the story unfolds, questions of loyalty, identity, and the murky world of intelligence emerge.

Then, in August 2024, the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the west since the end of the cold war got under way . . . On the tarmac, Putin was waiting. A guard of honour stood either side of a red carpet, for the returnees’ first steps back on Russian soil . . . Out came Vadim Krasikov, convicted of murdering a Chechen dissident in a Berlin park. Then came a husband and wife illegal team arrested in Slovenia, who had spent more than a decade abroad posing as Argentinians. They walked down the steps towards Putin with their two young children, who had only just found out they were actually Russians. Next came a tall, bald and bearded man wearing a Star Wars T-shirt emblazoned with “Your Empire Needs You”. It was Pablo González.

Who am I? A South Korean adoptee finds answers about the past — just not the ones she wants

AP News • 13 Oct 2024 • ~3550 words • Archive Link

Rebecca Kimmel, a South Korean adoptee, confronts the painful truths of her past while searching for her roots. As she uncovers discrepancies between her adoption story and the reality of her origins, Kimmel navigates a complex web of switched identities and false documents. This article sheds light on the broader struggles faced by many South Korean adoptees, offering a glimpse into their relentless search for belonging and truth. This follows another article from AP we recommended earlier: South Koreans adopted as babies are discovering lies from their past

The pressure grew until the social worker acknowledged a startling practice: Switching children’s identities was common among South Korean agencies during the adoption rush of the 1970s and 1980s. When children died, became too sick or were retaken by birth families, the agencies simply swapped in other children. Western agencies or adopters were willing to take any child of the same sex or similar age, because “it would take too much time to start over again,” the KSS social worker said.

Recommended Articles

How Computers Became Portable: Journalists and the “Origin Story” of Working from Home

The Saturday Evening Post • 14 Oct 2024 • ~2050 words

In the early days of computing, journalists were at the forefront of a technological revolution that would change how we work. This article traces the evolution of portable computers and how they enabled reporters to file stories from the field long before the internet became commonplace. It highlights the innovative spirit of news workers who embraced new tools, navigating the challenges of remote reporting and paving the way for today's work-from-home culture.

According to a news story in the January 1976 in Editor & Publisher, the P-1800 resembled a small blue suitcase that measured “about a foot-and-a half by a foot by a half-foot.” It had a freestanding keyboard and a 7-inch screen that could hold about 125 words. It could be plugged into AC or into a car battery via a car’s cigarette lighter, and could also work on batteries. Data was stored on cassette tapes, and it also featured a built-in acoustic coupler (i.e. modem) on the back. When connected to a telephone’s earpiece via acoustic coupler, the P-1800 could send about 300 words per minute. Since most news stories — especially for breaking news — didn’t run past about 500 words, this was often more than sufficient for a reporter filing a story from the scene of a political convention or tournament.

The Border Crisis Won’t Be Solved at the Border

Texas Monthly • 14 Oct 2024 • ~8550 words • Archive Link

In a revealing exploration of the ongoing border crisis, Jack Herrera shares the story of Marco, a Honduran migrant who navigated a perilous journey to the U.S. This piece delves into the complex interplay of economic necessity and immigration policy, highlighting how the construction industry’s reliance on undocumented labor underscores a broader systemic issue. With sharp insights and personal narratives, Herrera challenges the simplistic narratives often associated with border crises and invites readers to consider the broader implications of immigration policy.

In the boardrooms of Texas’s largest construction contractors, CEOs have noticed that job sites are increasingly getting staffed by dedicated agencies, or what Marek calls “labor brokers.” These brokers handle every part of the hiring. They recruit the workers, often through social media, and set up payroll. The workers just show up, signed, sealed, delivered. “It all looks legitimate on the surface,” Marek said. And sometimes it is. Some labor brokers recruit workers legally and fairly. But it’s an open secret among general contractors that many brokers are hiring undocumented workers.

The Most Remote Place in the World

The Atlantic • 11 Oct 2024 • ~5100 words • Archive Link

What does it feel like to be at the most remote spot on Earth? This article explores the remote location known as Point Nemo, the oceanic point of inaccessibility located in the South Pacific. It delves into the history of how this location was discovered, the scientific research conducted there, and the experiences of those who have visited this isolated spot. The article also examines the unique role Point Nemo plays as a "spacecraft cemetery" where decommissioned satellites and space stations are intentionally deorbited.

The oceanic pole of inaccessibility goes by a more colloquial name: Point Nemo. The reference is not to the Disney fish, but to the captain in Jules Verne's novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In Latin, nemo means “no one,” which is appropriate because there is nothing and no one here.

The Rise and Fall of Cryptocurrency in Nigeria

New Lines Magazine • 15 Oct 2024 • ~3550 words

In Nigeria, the appeal of cryptocurrency has grown amidst a crumbling economy and a devaluing national currency. Kingsley Charles explores how the rise of digital currencies, fueled by scams and celebrity endorsements, reflects both the hope and peril faced by many Nigerians seeking financial stability. As the government tightens its grip, the quest for quick wealth continues to lead countless individuals into a web of fraud and disappointment.

Nigeria’s growing cultural infatuation with cryptocurrency is not taking place in a vacuum. The backdrop to the country’s growing crypto fever is the breakdown of its traditional financial system, in particular its mismanaged national currency, which has generated massive inflation and other hardships for ordinary Nigerians. As the real economy has languished, more and more Nigerians have been enticed to the digital world in the hope of striking it rich, or merely getting by. The country’s embrace of cryptocurrency now threatens to further destabilize an already struggling society, while fueling criminal enterprises that have preyed on Nigerians and foreigners alike.

The boom in home schooling

Financial Times • 15 Oct 2024 • ~2650 words • Archive Link

The rise of home schooling has gained momentum in the UK as families seek alternatives to traditional education, particularly after the disruptions of the pandemic. This article explores the experiences of students who found success in online learning environments that catered to their unique needs. While the shift highlights a growing demand for personalized education, this piece explores the potential benefits and risks of this shift, including concerns about the quality of education, safety, and inequality.

The rise in home schooling, its advocates argue, suggests traditional schools are no longer suitable for all children and young people . . . Many experts say it is a byproduct of struggles to cope with a deepening crisis in young people’s mental health. On top of that, the special educational needs system “isn’t working for the majority of children”, says Ellie Harris, head of campaigns at The Difference. Some “parents don’t trust that the secondary school can meet their children’s needs”.

How Scientists Started to Decode Birdsong

The New Yorker • 14 Oct 2024 • ~5500 words • Archive Link

What if the chatter of birds is more complex than we realize? In this piece, the author explores the growing field of bird communication research, revealing how scientists are beginning to decode the nuanced vocalizations of birds. With insights from leading researchers, we learn that birds may have their own forms of language, challenging our understanding of communication across species.

Geese maintain elaborate social structures, travel in family groups, and can navigate from Sweden to Spain. In a fight, an unpartnered greylag goose has a higher heart rate than a partnered one, and the heart rate of a recently widowed goose can remain depressed for about a year. These birds have things to discuss. Still, geese are not the Ciceros of the bird world. A lyrebird sings long, elaborate songs; ravens really can say “nevermore.” Geese are known for nasal honks. How much nuance can there be in a honk?

The Secretive Dynasty That Controls the Boar’s Head Brand

New York Times • 13 Oct 2024 • ~3150 words • Archive Link

Boar’s Head, a well-known deli meat brand, is shrouded in secrecy, even as it grapples with a serious listeria outbreak that has resulted in multiple deaths. In this piece, Maureen Farrell delves into the hidden dynamics of the company, exploring the family ties and tensions that have shaped its operations and leadership. With court documents and interviews shedding light on a scandal that threatens its reputation, the article uncovers how this private dynasty has remained largely silent amidst the turmoil.

“Who do you believe to be the C.E.O. of Boar’s Head?” the lawyer persisted. The executive, Steve Kourelakos, who had worked at the company for more than two decades and was being deposed in a lawsuit between owners, repeated his answer: “I’m not sure.” It is odd, to say the least, when a top executive of a company claims not to know who his boss is. And Boar’s Head is no fly-by-night enterprise. The company is one of the country’s most recognizable deli-meat brands; it generates what employees and others estimate as roughly $3 billion in annual revenue and employs thousands of people.

They Dreamed of Making It Big in Soccer. They Were Trafficked Instead

New Lines Magazine • 9 Oct 2024 • ~3650 words

(This article requires a free registration to read) While chasing their dreams of soccer stardom, many aspiring African players find themselves victims of exploitation and trafficking. This piece delves into the journeys of some of these young talents, revealing how their aspirations are often manipulated by false promises and shady agents. Through compelling stories of individuals like Serge and Simon Adingra, the article raises questions about the exploitation and vulnerability of these players and the broader systemic issues that enable such trafficking to occur.

Many families sell possessions, take younger children out of school or borrow money to raise the funds to send their child to the tryout. Upon arrival in the new country — the young players usually travel on short-term tourist visas — the agent will hold their passports and any money they have “for safekeeping.” For some, that is the end of the road, and the agent will simply disappear with their cash and papers, with no matches played. Others may play in games, and some are even offered contracts. But those are often exploitative, with massive cuts for the agent and little protection for the players. If no contract is secured, the agent makes off with the player’s remaining cash and papers.

Silas Lucas

Granta • 10 Oct 2024 • ~4400 words

Garth Risk Hallberg's reflective essay takes us on a journey through his childhood, revealing the complex relationship between obsession and reality as embodied by his father's quest for a rare brick. As Hallberg recounts vivid memories of searching for Silas Lucas bricks, he explores themes of creativity, family, and the blurred lines between reality and imagination.

My father was in this sense a trickster nonpareil. His problem, as a man and as a writer, was that he lost track of which realm he meant to end up in. Rather than moving through fiction as fluidly as if it were the world (finishing another book, say) he moved through the world as if it were his own fiction, leaping from private excitement to private excitement, oblivious to whatever real-life damage his fantasias might cause.

Escape from the meat grinder: the making of a Russian deserter

The Economist • 11 Oct 2024 • ~6750 words • Archive Link

Arkady Ostrovsky delves into the harrowing experiences of two Russian deserters who sought to escape the chaos of war. From the brutal front lines of Bakhmut to their eventual flight from Russia, their stories reveal not just personal struggles but also the broader ramifications of a military system increasingly marked by disillusionment and desperation.

Stepan was unlucky that his last name starts with an A: “They probably just picked up a bunch of files that were close to the top.” A member of the local military commissariat delivered his mobilisation papers to his front door. The foreman from the plant accompanied her, shook Stepan’s hand and said, “It’s just the way things go.” Stepan was now a mobik – a derogatory word used to describe the hundreds of thousands of Russian men used as cannon fodder.