Spanning 15-months, 156 concerts and 14 countries, the 15-month Born in the USA. tour played to more than 5.3 million people in arenas and stadiums in which not a single ticket went unsold. With a combined gross of $80 million – or 250 million quid when adjusted for inflation – this most profitable of travelling circuses was the Eras Tour of its time. (Winwood, The Telegraph)
Read MoreWatching “Dancing for the Devil,” I realized that this is why a series can be a more effective way to tell a cult narrative. There’s breathing room, space to explore the difficult journey away from the manipulation and toward a totally new life. (Wilkinson, The New York Times)
Read MoreInstagram makes it easy for strangers to find photos of children, and its algorithm is built to identify users’ interests and push similar content. Investigations by The Wall Street Journal and outside researchers have found that, upon recognizing that an account might be sexually interested in children, Instagram’s algorithm recommends child accounts for the user to follow, as well as sexual content related to both children and adults. (Blunt, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreIn her 2022 documentary, “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” she opened up about seeking treatment at a psychiatric facility after canceling a world tour in 2016. At the time, she said she needed help dealing with anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by lupus — but she later revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. (Kaufman, Los Angeles Times)
Read MoreThe City Council in Norfolk, Virginia, repealed a 45-year-old ban this week on “the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other compensation.” Soothsaying, it turned out, had been a first-degree misdemeanor and carried up to a year in jail. (Finley, AP News)
Read MoreIn one chaotic week, the anti-abortion movement showed how major players are pulling in various directions and struggling to find a clear path forward two years after their victory of overturning Roe v. Wade. (Dias, The New York Times)
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