fern • 24th September 2026

The most disgusting influencer campaign of 2026

This is the story of how journalists uncovered a secretive social media campaign designed to lure young Americans to the Polymarket prediction market platform

Roots • 6th August 2026

The Sphere had a lot of haters. They were wrong + The $125 million marketing man (who plays baseball too)

Two more articles for fern's Roots newsletter

The World from PRX • 4th August 2026

WorldPride revelers say they won't give in to fear

Amsterdam’s Drag Olympics is in full swing. It’s one event at WorldPride, taking place in the shadow of a deadly attack that rocked Europe’s LGBTQ+ community

Roots • 29th June 2026

Why there is (almost) no Wendy’s in Europe + This ancient life form is a biological mystery

Two articles for fern's inaugural email newsletter. Features a large burger I ate in Oxford

BBC Travel • 28th June 2026

Why 'Asia's cleanest village' bans tourists on Sundays

Tourism transformed Mawlynnong's fortunes. But after decades of welcoming visitors, residents decided one day a week should belong to themselves

BBC Travel • 8th May 2026

Here's what it's like to ride India's sleek new sleeper train

The first sleeper in India's semi-high-speed Vande Bharat fleet is drawing crowds, selfies and intense curiosity – but what is it actually like on board?

The World from PRX • 5th May 2026

Why 'Asia's cleanest village' bans tourists on Sundays

Mawlynnong, a village of 600 people in far northeast India, has captured the nation’s imagination

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 28th April 2026

Bagpipes In The Mountains: Gaida (And Guns) In Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s kaba gaida bagpipe style is low in tone, moody, spacey, almost gothic, and linked to rural life in the country for thousands of years. Now new generations of Bulgarian bagpipers head deep into the Rhodope Mountains each year for a bagpipe festival

The World from PRX • 20th April 2026

India’s new generation sleeper train leaves the station

Vande Bharat trains can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour and have reduced travel times on routes across India. Although some people say they’re a break from the romantic and nostalgic versions of older Indian trains, many are embracing the modern versions with excitement. Now, the first sleeper train in the fleet is proving particularly popular

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 14th April 2026

A Sloth’s Journey: Building Bridges In Costa Rica

Sloths are getting injured and killed due to tourism infrastructure development in Costa Rica. A group of conservationists is taking action by shimmying up massive trees and putting up rope bridges for the sloths

The World from PRX • 8th April 2026

Mechanical elephants replace real ones for ceremonies in South India

Elephants have been important for Hindu rituals for centuries, but in response to campaigns by animal rights activists artists in India are now creating mechanical elephants as replacements

The World from PRX • 1st April 2026

In India, whimsical cars are public health intervention

In the Indian city of Hyderabad, an inventor named Kanyaboyin Sudhakar Yadav creates vehicles in the shape of everyday objects. At Sudha Cars Museum you can see burger cars, a basketball car, even a huge toilet car. These quirky creations have earned Yadav fans across the world, but Yadav isn’t just having fun; he’s also trying to promote public health

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 31st March 2026

The Bulls Of San José: Costa Rica’s Amateur Bullfighters

Every year around Christmas, massive bulls and “Improvisers” descend on bullrings around San José. I spent Christmas with the amateur bull-botherers of San José, and some of the people determined to end their booze-fuelled fun

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 17th March 2026

The Mayan Train: A Month On Mexico’s Controversial Tren Maya Route

Mexico’s new Tren Maya takes tourists around the Yucatán Peninsula. It’s also displaced Indigenous locals, destroyed sacred sites and caused environmental carnage. I spent a month traveling around the railway route to see how the massive project has affected life near the tracks

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 3rd March 2026

The Copper Canyon train: 11 days on Mexico’s Chepe Express route

Northwest Mexico’s Chepe train route is one of the wildest, most ruggedly-beautiful railway journeys in the world

The World from PRX • 24th February 2026

Volunteers fill the gap after Berlin drops pigeon control plan

Berlin city’s animal welfare budget was cut by 96 percent, with volunteers now stepping up to fill some of the bird welfare gap. Reporter Jamie Fullerton joined a pigeon activist to throw some grain around the German capital

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 17th February 2026

The Tequila Express: Mexico’s famous tipple train is back

The Tequila Express runs from the city of Guadalajara to the town of Tequila in Mexico’s Jalisco state, and is loaded with bars and booze. The train spent nine years off the tracks, but recently returned

The World from PRX • 16th February 2026

The Americas' last prison island has become a tourist bioreserve

Islas Marías was known as “Mexico’s Alcatraz” and was the Americas’ last island prison until the penal colony closed in 2019. Now, Mexico’s navy, which runs the island, is allowing tourists to visit on restricted weekend tours

The World from PRX • 9th February 2026

Albania embarks on a controversial film restoration project

A new project in Albania aims to restore and digitise decades-old films. Some view it as preserving history, while others argue that projects like these could help legitimise the country’s authoritarian past

Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast • 3rd February 2026

Hell Becoming Paradise: Visiting Islas Marías, Mexico’s prison island

Islas Marías' penal colony was home to some of Mexico’s most feared criminals, but was shuttered in 2019 following reports of terrible conditions. In 2022 Mexico’s navy began allowing tourists to visit the archipelago