“Three Feet From God: An Oral History of Nirvana ‘Unplugged,’” The Ringer
Twenty-five years ago, Nirvana sat down for MTV’s Unplugged. They played a collection of 14 sparse songs — almost half of them covers, and none of them among their big hits — that would become one of the most widely regarded live albums of all time. In this oral history, The Ringer looks at the story behind the show, which, set among black candles and stargazer lilies, took on a funereal tone in the minds of fans after frontman Kurt Cobain’s death not long after. — Greta Kaul, data reporter
“A Hog Waste Agreement Lacked Teeth, and Some North Carolinians Say They’re Left to Suffer,” Pro Publica/Raleigh News & Observer
Many North Carolina hog farmers still store hog waste in open pits, even though they are at risk of overflowing and mixing with floodwaters during storms, Pro Publica reports. After Hurricane Floyd in 1999, officials and private companies promised to find alternatives to the hazardous lagoons, but they have done little to move away from the system. — Walker Orenstein, environment and workforce reporter
“Digging Deep Into Local News, A Rural Oregon Newspaper Is Thriving,” Oregon Public Radio
I like this story by Oregon Public Radio because it’s the opposite of what we too often hear about news in rural America — how newspapers are laying off staff, and residents are losing trust in journalists altogether. Instead, in the small town of Vale, Oregon, a small newsroom is winning prestigious awards and the respect of an audience that overwhelmingly supports Donald Trump, journalists’ most voluble critic. A former investigative reporter at The Oregonian, Les Zaitz is the editor and publisher behind much of the newsroom’s success. “Zaitz has earned his reader’s trust with his devotion to bedrock principles of journalism. He acknowledges it also helps that he’s one of them. His hands are thick from bucking hay and fixing barbed wire fences on his ranch about a hundred miles outside of Vale,” the piece says. — Jessica Lee, local government reporter
“A Brand New Interview with David Foster Wallace,” Electric Literature
The other day, Electric Literature posted this interview from 18 years ago that had previously never been published in English and is now in a new book. It’s a long read, but fascinating in the ways he deals with questions, especially about the internet, that many people are only now starting to realize need to be asked. — Jonathan Stegall, user experience engineer
