Annals of Crime
Did the U.K.’s Most Infamous Family Massacre End in a Wrongful Conviction?
by Heidi Blake

For decades, questions have circled the Whitehouse Farm murders. The British justice system has made it extraordinarily difficult to get definitive answers.

Annals of Celebrity
The Strange Journey of John Lennon’s Stolen Patek Philippe Watch
by Jay Fielden

For decades, Yoko Ono thought that the birthday gift was in her Dakota apartment. But it had been removed and sold—and now awaits a court ruling in Geneva.

Annals of Etiquette
Has Gratuity Culture Reached a Tipping Point?
by Zach Helfand

Paying extra for service has inspired rebellions, swivelling iPads, and irritation from Trotsky and Larry David. Post-pandemic, the practice has entered a new stage.

Annals of Gaming
Can Crosswords Be More Inclusive?
by Natan Last

The puzzles spread from the United States across the globe, but the American crossword today doesn’t always reflect the linguistic changes that immigration brings.

Annals of Law
When Foster Parents Don’t Want to Give Back the Baby

by Eli Hager

In many states, adoption lawyers are pushing a new legal strategy that forces biological parents to compete for custody of their children.

Annals of Higher Education
The End of the English Major
by Nathan Heller

Enrollment in the humanities is in free fall at colleges around the country. What happened?

Annals of Sound
What Should a Nine-Thousand-Pound Electric Vehicle Sound Like?
by John Seabrook

E.V.s are virtually silent, so acoustic designers are creating alerts for them. A symphony—or a cacophony—of car noise could be coming to city streets.

What Happens When an Élite Public School Becomes Open to All?
by Nathan Heller

After the legendarily competitive Lowell High School dropped selective admissions, new challenges—and new opportunities—arose.

The Afghans America Left Behind
by Eliza Griswold

The U.S. promised protection to the locals it relied on during the war. When it withdrew, it abandoned thousands to the Taliban.

How the World’s Foremost Maze-Maker Leads People Astray
by Nicola Twilley

Adrian Fisher has devoted the past four decades to bringing back mazes, long regarded as historical curiosities. He has created more than seven hundred—including one on a skyscraper in Dubai and another that’s now reproduced on Britain’s five-pound note.