Today is a very special Wednesday, because it is my sister’s birthday. Everyone give a shout out to my sister! One of the most incredible, strongest people I know.

Meanwhile, I thought I’d share a few bits of longform journalism I found recently. I think these are worth the time it takes to read! Shoutout to the Longform reddit for posting great collections.

One is an article I shared earlier this week, an in-depth bit of investigative reporting on Abdul Razir, an American ally in the war in Afghanistan whose brutal tactics may have driven many to the Taliban.

Meanwhile, Reuters published an investigation into Novo Nordisk’s promotion of weight loss drugs. It found they spent over $25 million promoting the drug to influential doctors who specialize in obesity, finding at least 57 doctors accepted over $100,000 each from the company.

On a similar wavelength, the Smithsonian Magazine wrote about Lulu Hunt Peters, the scientist who championed the trend of counting calories. The piece tracks the evolution of the idea of the calorie and how it became intertwined with conversations about diet and weight.

Over at ProPublica, a look into the infighting in the Michigan Republican Party. A sobering look at the anti-democracy advocates versus more traditional Republican politicians.

In the New Yorker, a look at diagnosing psychological disorders, the challenges that those diagnoses bring, and potential alternatives.

And for an international bent, how about this article in Afar in which the reporter investigates a project in Sicily that sells homes in underpopulated towns for 1 Euro in hopes of revitalizing dying areas?

Also wanted to shout out an article that His Noodly Appendage linked yesterday, in which The Guardian reports on Israel’s efforts to thwart the work of the International Criminal Court.

Discuss this and anything else politics-related today! And be kind and thoughtful. Cheers.