The true crime podcast genre reached the point of parody this year, with Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building depicting obsessive listeners who bungle their way through an ill-advised amateur murder investigation. As demand for the genre continues to boom, it seems like every day brings a new “investigation” promising …
Read More »Richard Carpenter Still Thinks the Carpenters' Seventies Hits Are Underrated
In the summer of 1974, the Carpenters sat down with Rolling Stone writer Tom Nolan at Hollywood’s Au Petit Café for a cover story. Richard and Karen Carpenter, who had spent the past four years scoring massive soft-rock hits like “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just …
Read More »Dior's Entire Next Men's Collection Is a Travis Scott Collab – Now It's a Business Nightmare
When fashion giant Dior decided to make its entire upcoming spring/summer menswear collection a collaboration with Travis Scott, co-branded with his Cactus Jack label, the company thought it was entering into an invaluable partnership with a youth-culture titan. But in the wake of the fatal tragedy at Scott’s Astroworld festival, …
Read More »'Plastic and Lies': Murder Charges Expose Vast Underground Butt-Injection Operation
I n 2016, newlyweds Marco and Karissa moved to Los Angeles, seeking sunny skies and the chance for a happy life together. The couple had just gone through a miscarriage, and Marco hoped the pleasant climate would help Karissa’s depression. “She was very weather dependent,” he says. “She needed always …
Read More »How Denis Villeneuve Became the Master of the 'Dune'-iverse and Saved the Movies
O n an island in Venice, about a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland and several million light years away from the arid desert planet of Arrakis, there’s a small garden overlooking the water. It’s a green oasis located within a sprawling hotel complex that covers the entire area, complete …
Read More »Kevin McCarthy's Extreme MAGA Makeover
T he two men stand shoulder to shoulder, posing for the camera almost like father and son. On the left is former President Donald Trump, flashing that money grin, the light glinting off his golden-yellow tie. On the right is the Republican congressman who, more than any other, has hitched …
Read More »Stevie Nicks Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Her Solo Debut: 'Bella Donna Was a Dream'
Stevie Nicks celebrated the 40th anniversary of her solo debut Bella Donnawith a note to fans. As with most of Nicks’ online posts, the words derive from her journal. “Bella Donna was a dream,” she wrote. “I chose Lori Perry, Nicks, and Sharon Celani as my army to go on …
Read More »How Travis Barker Became Gen-Z's Pop-Punk Whisperer
This piece originally appeared as part of Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List, in the July/August issue of the magazine. When Jaden Hossler, the TikTok heartthrob now recording moody rock songs as Jxdn, was born, the future founder of his record label was busy making Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. …
Read More »The Climate Debates: Can America Break Its Natural Gas Addiction?
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. More and more people have come to understand the urgency of the climate crisis in recent years, and Americans have elected a president in Joe Biden who has pledged to make addressing …
Read More »At a Pivotal Moment in Afghanistan, Journalists Are Being Killed in Record Numbers
On March 4th, 2021 a member of the Helmand shura council was shot by unknown gunmen in the street, part of a gathering wave of targeted killings that have terrorized Afghanistan. “Abdullah,” a veteran Afghan journalist based in Kabul who was covering the story for a major U.S. newspaper, would …
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