Overlooked stories
by Adam B. Kushner
Here is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to you as a journalist: You write or edit what you think is a gem. You gather incredible reporting, spit-polish the prose, showcase stunning videography. And when you publish … crickets.
The reasons vary. Sometimes urgent news crowds out a beautifully crafted feature. The search and social-media algorithms change. Maybe an editor like me writes a dud of a headline.
Each one of my colleagues forged a few labors of love this year that could have gone viral — but didn’t. It’s a normal aspect of newsroom life, an easy trade-off for a career most of us treasure. But, dude? It stinks.
Every year, The Morning dedicates a newsletter to the stories from across the newsroom that deserved more eyes or ears. I hope you take a moment to enjoy some of the terrific journalism below.
Politics and government
-
Under a Red Cross program, Guantánamo Bay prisoners have been sending photos of themselves to their families, smiling and looking serene. They’re now available to the public.
-
Last month, a Syrian official was indicted and charged with torture, ending a yearslong investigation that Western intelligence agencies helped him evade.
Sports
-
“You’ll never find anybody running for health”: In Kenya, where professional running can make the difference between survival and starvation, doping is mainstream.
-
Some former N.F.L. players are leaving the football field to start careers in nursing.
Climate
-
In the heart of the Uinta Mountains in Utah, a team of scientists is re-creating historical pictures to study how much, and how quickly, ecosystems are changing.
-
Follow a group of divers hunting for fossils in the coldest inhabited place on earth.
-
A British writer has reinvented ways to navigate by star. (They’ll point you south.)
Business
-
“Can you print a house?”: A construction technology company in Texas has 3-D printed hundreds of houses in a bid to solve America’s housing crisis.
-
Would you pay nearly $9,000 for a wooden puzzle? Some of these devoted hobbyists would.
Culture
-
Kai Cenat, the boisterous Twitch streamer, has a record 19 million followers who watch him eat, sleep and play video games.
-
Opening a restaurant in New York City is no picnic. The Times followed a rookie owner for a full year to see what it takes.
Animals
-
There is a growing literary canon of memoirs about writers’ relationships with exotic and wild animals.
-
For years, food entrepreneurs have been trying to convince people to feed their pets ground-up bugs and lab-grown meats. Could it be more ethical and sustainable?
Subcultures
-
Joe Nickell was, in his own words, “the world’s only full-time professional paranormal investigator.” He dug into hundreds of mysteries, offering rational explanations for the Loch Ness monster and countless hauntings. He died this year at 80.
-
More women are asking doctors to shrink their waists. Plastic surgeons have been working on a rib-fracturing procedure to make those changes permanent.
TOP NEWS
Protests in Iran spread to universities
People took to the streets of Tehran and other cities this week to vent their frustration over sky-high inflation and the collapse of the national currency. Yesterday, students joined in, and some clashed with security forces, according to videos posted on social media.
Iranian leaders face pressure from the currency collapse and threats of military strikes from Israel and the U.S. over Tehran’s nuclear activities. The government has in the past quashed waves of protests with deadly force and arrests. This time, so far, it seems to be trying a more conciliatory approach.
OTHER NEWS
-
The C.I.A. conducted a drone strike on a port facility in Venezuela last week — the first known American operation inside the country.
-
China ramped up its military exercises near Taiwan by firing long-range rockets into waters around the island.
-
Our reporters documented how Bashar al-Assad and other Syrian officials conspired to hide evidence of torture and deaths of detainees during Syria’s long war.
-
The United Arab Emirates said that it was pulling its troops out of Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike targeted an Emirati shipment.
-
The Eurostar train service connecting Britain to continental Europe faced hours of delays after a major power failure inside the Channel Tunnel.
-
Across Africa, cheap solar energy from Chinese panels is transforming lives and economies.
-
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, died. She was believed to be 80.
MORNING READ
Ube, the bright purple yam from the Philippines, might be the next matcha. The tuber has long been used in jams, ice cream and cakes.
Now, its photogenic hue and subtle flavor are helping to fuel a viral craze. That’s putting pressure on farmers in the Philippines to supply more, even as climate change ravages harvests. Read more.
AROUND THE WORLD
Detty December in Lagos
People around the world are getting ready to greet 2026, but in Lagos, Nigeria, New Year’s Eve is just the end of a monthlong party.
Just after midnight on a recent weekend, a D.J. descended into the deep end of an empty swimming pool. A crowd of beautiful people danced, sucking strawberry mojito ice pops. For the D.J., a rising star known as Yosa, it was only the first gig in a month of long nights.
It’s Detty December, a monthlong fever dream celebrated by locals, Nigerians who work abroad, and the broader Nigerian diaspora. It demands stamina and a healthy bank balance. The origin of the phrase isn’t completely clear, but some say “detty” is a variation on “dirty,” meaning “heavy” or “wild” in local slang.
For I.J.G.B.s (an abbreviation of “I Just Got Back”), Detty December means a month of spending money earned abroad. The calendar is filled with a relentless string of champagne-drenched parties, Afrobeats concerts and huge, kaleidoscopic weddings. “Detty December is back to back to back to back to back!” shouted one rave organizer.
The “Detty December” spirit takes a holy turn on Sundays at megachurches. One congregation, wearing tinsel reindeer horns and gorgeous gowns, watched a high-octane Nativity play reimagined as a political thriller, in which Herod tried to suppress a Jesus-inspired coup — distracted by a love interest played by a Nollywood actress.
That evening, Yosa showed up at different kind of Sunday service: a rave on the grounds of a landmark Lagos hotel, the Federal Palace. Some of Lagos’s top D.J.s played mesmerizing sets to a sinuous, reverent crowd who had paid modest “offerings” to get in.
At 2:30 a.m. Yosa took over. The energy picked up. Afros bobbed. At the back, fresh plantain were thrown on the grill. A new week in Detty December was just getting started. — Ruth Maclean, our West Africa bureau chief.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Move: Here are 10 fitness tips to kick off 2026.
Watch: Our critics say these nine new movies are worth knowing about.
Read: These books will help you keep your New Year’s resolutions.
Travel: Is Puerto Escondido, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, the ultimate sun destination?
RECIPE
Looking to impress at a New Year’s Eve party tonight? Have a go at making Brazil’s national drink: caipirinha. It’s a bright, refreshing cocktail made from cachaça, a sugar cane spirit. The drink is mixed directly in the glass, and the ingredient list is short: lime, sugar, cachaça, ice.
WHERE IS THIS?
Where is this circus school?
TIME TO PLAY
Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.
Thanks for reading. We’re off for New Year’s Day, but we’ll be back on Friday. — Katrin
Adam B. Kushner was our guest writer today.
We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at [email protected].
Katrin Bennhold is the host of The World, the flagship global newsletter of The New York Times.
The post Overlooked Stories appeared first on New York Times.
