9/11: 25 years later
A look at one of America’s most trying days, by the numbers By Ben OlsonReader Staff Of all the numbers that mean something to the United States, perhaps 9/11 is the one that leaves us...
Category: Dark History
Snake oil and miracle grapefruits
Diet fads through the ages By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff Humanity is, on the whole, a vain species, concerned with beauty standards and status throughout its history. We have also become accustomed to quick fixes,...
Dark History: Murders rock the Priest River Italian community
By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff The July 23 edition of the Reader republished a Northern Idaho News story from June 25, 1912, announcing the arrest of Joseph Caprai for the murder of one Charles Falcone,...
Mad about Science: Tuberculosis
By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff Editor’s note: Regular “Mad About Science” columnist Brenden Bobby is on a well-deserved vacation. He’ll be back next week. Tuberculosis is a disease that, to most, feels historic. It was...
Mark Fuhrman dies at 74
By Ben OlsonReader Staff Former Los Angeles Police Detective and longtime resident of Sandpoint and Spokane, Mark Fuhrman, died May 12 in Kootenai County. He was 74 years old. In 1996, Fuhrman was convicted...
My bloody valentine
By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff At this time of year, the world is abuzz with thoughts of love. Young and old couples turn their minds to chocolates and romantic dinners, and schoolchildren cut out paper...
Man’s best monster
A history of werewolves By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff Werewolves have been a vehicle for cultural fears since time immemorial, and, unlike most monsters, they have no single origin. Almost every culture in the world...
Theory of Unknown Origin: Vaccines and autism
By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. recently visited Idaho to promote his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. Gov. Brad Little welcomed him, declaring August “Keep Idaho...
Hoisted by their own dotard
By Ben OlsonReader Staff In Act 3 of Hamlet, the titular character has been acting mad to throw off suspicion that he knows his uncle Claudius murdered his father and married his mother. Claudius...
Mad about Science: Water in the age of sail
By Brenden BobbyReader Columnist Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has solidified an image of the Golden Age of Piracy in the public’s eye: swashbuckling pirates fighting for plunder amid feats of derring-do while...
