Behind the stories

What really happened, and how it became satire

A shooting, and a panel that blamed the target

On July 13, 2024, a gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump was wounded in the ear, one attendee was…

By The Smattering DeskMedia

A dress code that lasted a week

In September 2023, the Senate stopped enforcing its formal dress code, a change widely linked to Sen. John Fetterman’s hoodies and shorts. After a…

By The Smattering DeskCapitol

More guns, to prove there are too many

The story responds to the long national argument about gun ownership, and to advocacy groups that keep searching for a message that finally…

By The Smattering DeskCulture

A fabric with a complicated history

The story has no single news hook. It answers a recurring online pattern: campaigns that ask people to feel guilty about everyday objects while…

By The Smattering DeskCulture

A poll that told the owner to leave

On December 18, 2022, Elon Musk asked Twitter users in a poll whether he should step down as head of the company. About 57 percent voted…

By The Smattering DeskTech

A prisoner swap, plus a points system

On December 8, 2022, the United States traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for basketball player Brittney Griner. Paul Whelan, a former Marine…

By The Smattering DeskCapitol

A werewolf, a vampire and a runoff

At a rally in November 2022, Senate candidate Herschel Walker told supporters about a movie in which a werewolf could beat a vampire. On December 6,…

By The Smattering DeskCampaign trail

Apologizing fast, to be wrong again

The story answers a familiar media pattern: confident explanations of a breaking event posted before any facts exist, then quietly…