Lauren Kirchner

Bath Salts, Zombies, and Crossbows: An Update

psmag.com — It's been about a year since the dangerous new synthetic drug, packaged and disguised as "bath salts," entered America's mainstream consciousness. Last summer the drug was blamed for a series of bizarre, violent, and seemingly random attacks of cannibalism; it felt, for a few weeks there, like the beginning of a zombie apocalypse.

Gagged by Big Ag

motherjones.com — Horrific abuse. Rampant contamination. And the crime is...exposing it? Shawn Lyons was dead to rights-and he knew it. More than a month had passed since People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had released a video of savage mistreatment at the MowMar Farms hog confinement facility where he worked as an entry-level herdsman in the breeding room.

Meet Margaret Fuller, proto-Sheryl Sandberg

management.fortune.cnn.com — A lesser known book published the day after Lean In tells the story of a pioneering feminist who shared many of Sandberg's messages and methods. By Lauren Kirchner FORTUNE -- By now, most of us are familiar with (and perhaps tired of) Facebook ( FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg's best-seller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, and its exhortation that women be more active, confident, and vocal in their careers.

Meet Margaret Fuller, proto-Sheryl Sandberg

management.fortune.cnn.com — A lesser known book published the day after Lean In tells the story of a pioneering feminist who shared many of Sandberg's messages and methods. By Lauren Kirchner FORTUNE -- By now, most of us are familiar with (and perhaps tired of) Facebook ( FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg's best-seller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, and its exhortation that women be more active, confident, and vocal in their careers.

Seeking Exposé on School Security, Students Get a Lesson in the Law

nytimes.com — Out for a scoop, a pair of student journalists on Long Island wanted to compare their high school's security measures with those of a rival school down the road. Physical security at their school, West Islip High School, was spotty, the budding reporters believed: The main entrance was effectively wide-open; the back doors had locks, but students could prop them open with sticks or stones; surveillance cameras were antiquated; and guards?

Treating Mental Illness Prevents Crime and Saves Us Money

psmag.com — How much are we willing to pay, as a society, toward preventing crime and easing the burdens on our prison systems? How much are we willing to pay to provide help to people struggling with serious mental illness, the kind of illness that makes it hard for them to cope with daily life?