The Morning: The rebirth of local journalism

Plus, the U.N., Rudy Giuliani and tea.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 22, 2023 By David Leonhardt and Lyna Bentahar Good morning. We're covering the rebirth of local journalism — as well as the U.N., Rudy Giuliani and tea. A cheese parade in Concord, Mass. Brian Snyder/Reuters Paying for itself Many of this country's biggest problems are devilishly hard to solve. The decline of local news may be different. That decline is certainly a problem. Hundreds of newspapers have closed in recent years, leaving many communities without any source of local news. Academic research has found that voter turnout tends to fall, and corruption and political polarization tend to rise, when people have no way to follow local events. But replacing yesterday's newspapers with 21st century digital news publications may be more feasible than it once seemed. That's the argument that Steven Waldman — a longtime journalist who now runs Rebuild Local News, an advocacy group — made in a recent essay in The Atlantic. "Unlike other seemingly intractable problems, the demise of local news wouldn't cost very much money to reverse," Waldman wrote. Most journalists don't make a lot of money, he noted. Most communities don't need hundreds of journalists to cover them. And local journalism often more than pays for itself in tax dollars saved. Waldman pointed to examples of costly corruption in California and Utah that exposés helped halt. That said, there is still the question of where the money for local journalism will come from — which brings me to the subject of today's newsletter. The Morning has an annual tradition of highlighting great Times journalism from the past year. Today, we're expanding that tradition to cover local journalism too. We asked editors at dozens of publications — both for-profit and nonprofit — to tell us about some of their best 2023 work. Below, you'll find a selection of 25 stories, and we have posted a longer list online. We hope you find this work as delightful as we did. We also hope you'll consider supporting a local news organization in your community through a subscription or donation. Find one whose work you admire, and then help them do their work strengthening your community. A growing number of these publications are thriving. "It took a generation for the American news industry to unravel, and it will take a generation to fully rebuild it," Sarabeth Berman, C.E.O. of the American Journalism Project, which funds nonprofit newsrooms, said in a recent speech. "But real progress is underway." Journalism to savor In the Hunter Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, idle freight trains blocked a main road, sometimes for more than 30 hours. — Capital B News In Colorado, a libertarian "food freedom" movement has re-energized a long battle over unpasteurized milk. — The Colorado Sun A city manager used political muscle and a community's trust to remake DuBois, Pa., while granting himself raises, engaging in conflicts of interest, and allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. — Spotlight PA In booming Charlotte, N.C., one developer started naming streets and buildings after "Seinfeld" references. — The Charlotte Ledger The reporters Justin Hicks, left, and Jess Clark followed a school bus route. Justin Hicks/LPM After a busing debacle in Jefferson County, Ky., caused school closures, two reporters followed one school bus trying to complete an impossible route. — Louisville Public Media A Bible at a retirement facility piqued an Indianola bookseller's curiosity, sending her on a journey to learn how a 318-year-old Scottish family Bible ended up in central Iowa. — The Indianola Independent Advocate Black Californians in the 1800s took extraordinary measures to escape slavery and make California a place of belonging. — Shasta Scout A 10-year-old and his father were exploring a Rhode Island bike path when they found a species of mushroom that had never before been recorded in the state. — ecoRI News City officials in Atlanta have made multiple false claims about their "environmental stewardship" of its public safety training center, dubbed "Cop City." — The Xylom Some of Memphis's best barbecue is served at a gun range, forcing some eaters to choose between their palates and politics. — The Food Section The federal government's installation of lights in one stretch of southern Arizona, meant to help border agents, is threatening to spoil the night sky of a nearby biosphere reserve. — Arizona Luminaria An investigative report of wage theft in New York State uncovered rampant abuse in the horse racing industry, with repeat offenders owing workers over $4.4 million. — Documented Prisoners in China's central Hunan Province were paid pennies to make work gloves bearing the brand of Milwaukee Tool, a company with a nearly 100-year history in Wisconsin. — Wisconsin Watch An investigation into Chicago's rat management found a short-staffed bureau ill equipped to handle complaints or conduct inspections. — Block Club Chicago Texas's pinball festival reinvigorates the game, bringing both new faces to the hobby and highlighting classics that have endured for decades. — Collin-Denton Spotlighter A Berkeley High junior became the youngest person to swim Hawaii's 28-mile Moloka'i Channel, and the youngest woman to swim the 20-mile Catalina Channel. — Berkeleyside The beloved cheese parade in Concord, Mass. — with a 400-pound crucolo from Italy that arrives in a horse-drawn wagon as people dance and scramble for samples — may never recover from Covid. — The Concord Bridge The Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland has its own cheese parade: The annual arrival of a 350-pound wheel of crucolo is met with prayers, dancing and fanfare. — The Oaklandside Bob Lewis, who's 95, loved his job at Washington Elementary School in Westfield, N.J. When he was fired, the community rallied. — TAPinto Westfield LaTonya Moore with her daughter's urn. Sebastián Hidalgo for City Bureau A two-year investigation revealed how the Chicago police often delay and mishandle missing-persons cases — and how poor data is making the problem harder to solve. — City Bureau and the Invisible Institute In Lebanon, Pa., the orthodontists Rob and Lindsay Wertz bought Wertz Candies — no relation — continuing its nearly century-old legacy. — Lebtown Nevada beavers, considered a nuisance for decades, now seem to be key to restoring the state's damaged wetlands. — The Nevada Independent Dogs and stoops play a big part in the life of Jersey City, which helps explain how a stoop-sitting Staffordshire Terrier named Matilda has had such a big impact on the community. — Jersey City Times The Old Orchard Beach Lawn Mower Drill Team nostalgically marched in its last parade. — Saco Bay News Baton Rouge police delayed, denied and dismissed complaints without telling the citizens who made them. — Verite News Supporters, and some critics, agree Montana's director of public health and human services is whip-smart and politically astute. How he wants to overhaul Montana's broken behavioral health system is less clear. — Montana Free Press We've collected many more examples of great local journalism. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Israel has repeatedly dropped 2,000-pound bombs in areas of Gaza it designated safe for civilians, a Times analysis found. The U.S. said it was ready to back a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for more aid to Gaza. The timing of a vote was unclear. "I left him behind": A girl who was a hostage says she will not be able to enjoy her freedom until she is reunited with her father, who is still captive. Domestic Politics Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy a day after a judge ordered him to start paying the $148 million he owes to two former Georgia election workers he defamed. Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat frustrated by the left's stance on both immigration and Israel, said he no longer identified with the "progressive" label. A 2019 message from Hunter Biden alluded to giving his father half his salary. The back story is unflattering but does not support Republican assertions of corruption. Foreign Policy The U.S. and China restored communications between their two militaries. The Biden administration plans to ease its ban on some weapons sales to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom negotiates a U.S.-backed peace accord with the Houthis, a militia in Yemen. The U.S. has granted political asylum to the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist whom Saudi operatives killed in 2018. Other Big Stories In Prague. Michal Cizek/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A gunman opened fire at a university in the Czech Republic, killing 14 people. He later shot himself. The company that operates Pornhub admitted that it had profited for years from content that depicted sex trafficking victims. A 10-year-old Black boy in Mississippi was arrested after urinating behind his mom's car while he waited for her. Opinions The United States should support Myanmar's rebels, whose success is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific, Ye Myo Hein and Lucas Myers write. Israel's bombing of Gaza is reminiscent of wars that have failed before, Suzy Hansen writes. The Holiday Sale on Cooking ends soon. Subscribe today. Less mess, less stress. A Cooking subscription brings you easy recipes plus step-by-step guides, videos, photos and more. Subscribe and save 50% on your first year of Cooking. MORNING READS Volcano tourism. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Avoid the lava, please: Iceland asked people to stay away from an erupting volcano. "Barbie" and girl dinners: What this year's internet trends can teach us about the American economy. Modern Love: His relationship with his grandmother went from polite predictability to deep kinship. Lives Lived: Robert Solow won the 1987 Nobel Prize in economics for his theory that technological advances have been the primary drivers of U.S. economic growth. He died at 99. SPORTS Signing: Yoshinobu Yamamoto agreed to a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers — the highest total ever guaranteed to a pitcher. A bad run: The Pistons fell to the Jazz for their 25th straight loss, one shy of tying the N.B.A. single-season record. N.F.L.: The Rams beat the Saints on "Thursday Night Football," lifting the Rams' playoff chances. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Teatime in Brooklyn. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Lift a pinky: In a decidedly uncivil time, when people argue with strangers on social media and wear sweats on the plane, afternoon tea is making a comeback. Elaborate tea service is now the attraction at more than a dozen venues in New York and Los Angeles. Patrons are drawn to the drinks — and the opportunity to disconnect. "We make you turn your phones off," Mary Fry, who opened a tea house in Southern California, said. "You cannot be watching the Dodger game and having tea." More on culture A former assistant to Vin Diesel, the action star, filed a sexual battery lawsuit against the actor. Stephen Colbert joked about Colorado's barring Donald Trump from its Republican primary ballot. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Make a batch of no-yeast cinnamon rolls that come together in under an hour. Buy these gifts for families on your list. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was vitriolic. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David and Lyna Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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