What matters, what surprises, and what comes next
Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. → Monday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. Eastern · Clocks returned to standard time overnight.
SOUTH AFRICA · MINING · URBAN LIFE
The city was built by an industry that left an enormous underground footprint. Now its damaged ground has become a dispute over responsibility: illegal miners are visible, but the history beneath them is much harder to reckon with.
Gold built Johannesburg, and abandoned shafts are now destabilizing the city. As illegal miners dig near roads and neighborhoods, the official explanation for sinkholes is often simple: blame the zama zamas. Rachel Savage's reporting asks what that explanation leaves out.
The competing accounts matter. Experts cited in the investigation say the enormous dewatering undertaken by formal mining can also weaken the ground. Former mine owners failed to seal thousands of unsafe openings. And the people digging today may themselves be exploited by armed gangs. Those are different kinds of responsibility—industrial, regulatory and criminal—and collapsing them into a single villain makes the problem seem easier to solve than it is.
The human stakes extend beyond the miners. An animal-rescue charity losing water to mining activity is one revealing example of how a subterranean economy can intrude into ordinary life. Sinkholes and unsafe openings, meanwhile, turn a century of extraction into a present-day question about streets, neighborhoods and public safety.
That makes this more than a story about illegal mining. It is about the afterlife of an industry: who profited when the gold was extracted, who was expected to secure the abandoned workings, and who now lives with the consequences. With local elections approaching, the temptation to identify one immediately visible culprit is politically powerful.
The question worth carrying away: When a city's prosperity depended on changing the ground beneath it, how should responsibility be divided between those who did the original digging, those mining now and the authorities charged with protecting everyone else?
A five-month investigation follows migrant construction workers at enormous data-center projects, documenting an electrocution, crowded housing, alleged wage violations and workplace risks. The real story behind the AI boom is also a construction-site labor story. Companies disputed or addressed allegations; the report includes their responses.
Enrollment in mortuary programs has shifted dramatically toward women. Interviews with three deathcare workers make this a revealing portrait of a profession, the meaning of care and what families actually need from the people who prepare the dead. Discovered through Longreads; the original publisher blocks automated access.
Eco forbade academic conferences about himself for ten years after his death. At the first gathering afterward, an encyclopedic argument breaks out over knowledge, conspiracy, language and AI. Sala’s amused, skeptical field report is a better introduction to Eco’s continuing relevance than a dutiful anniversary tribute.
A walking group takes to Delhi’s green spaces to look for birds and plants, while its members describe the harassment that has kept them from enjoying the outdoors alone. The detail that stays with you: one woman was told to fear a man more than a leopard.
Trying to replace ancient wall units with a mini-split sends a photographer through New York’s zoning rules and a visual tour of improvised condensers. A sharply observed first-person miniature about climate adaptation, bureaucracy and the city’s changing facades.
NEW YORK CITY MARATHON · FIVE BOROUGHS · SUNDAY
The New York City Marathon is marking 50 years since its first five-borough running in 1976. This year's course includes its first adjustment in 15 years: after the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners turn onto East 135th Street and Alexander Avenue, then East 141st Street before returning to Third Avenue and East 138th Street for the Madison Avenue Bridge. The change is designed to lessen the event's impact on the surrounding Bronx neighborhood—a reminder that a citywide spectacle is also a day of major disruption for the streets it passes through.
The professional wheelchair races started at 8 a.m.; elite women at 8:35 and elite men at 9:05. The mass-participation waves run from 9:10 to 11:30 a.m., with finishers arriving in Central Park throughout the day. In New York, ABC7 carries live coverage through 1 p.m.; its app and website have a dedicated finish-line stream into the evening. Race information · Track runners.
BILLS · RAVENS · SUNDAY, 1 P.M. · LOCALLY BROADCAST IN NEW YORK CITY
The stakes and the central matchup. Buffalo (5–1) comes off its bye to face Baltimore (4–3), with Lamar Jackson returning after three missed games. Their last two meetings were decided by three points combined. This is not simply a referendum on Buffalo's patched-up secondary: it is a test of whether Josh Allen can sustain drives against a star-studded defense while Jim Leonhard limits the explosive plays created by Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers. Joe Brady used the bye for self-scouting; the payoff must show up in the offense's sequencing, protection and red-zone execution.
Sunday morning availability watch (11:05 a.m. ET): ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that DJ Moore is expected to play despite his shoulder injury. WROC reporter Thad Brown observed Dalton Kincaid arriving at the stadium around 9 a.m., his usual arrival time when he plays; that is an encouraging sign, not confirmation that he is active. These developments increase the chance that Allen will have both receiving options and that Brady can use his preferred formations. There was no independently verified new morning sighting for Spencer Brown, Dee Alford, Greg Gaines or TJ Parker at this update. Friday's questionable designations remain in effect until the official inactive list, expected around 11:30 a.m. ET; the article does not treat arrival videos or reports of expectations as final clearance.
When Buffalo has the ball. Baltimore has Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. With Spencer Brown unavailable, Tylan Grable is expected to take over at right tackle, as he did when Brown exited against the Rams. The matchup with Trey Hendrickson is about more than one-on-one pass blocking. Hendrickson's pressure can force Grable to set quickly and protect the outside edge, leaving him vulnerable to an inside counter; Grable must also avoid oversetting and giving Allen pressure straight up the middle. Joe Brady can chip Hendrickson with a tight end or back, slide protection toward him, or use quick throws, screens and James Cook runs to slow the rush. But each answer has a cost: keeping a tight end or back in protection reduces Allen's receiving options, while repeated quick-game calls can make Buffalo easier to defend. Watch whether Grable can hold up on obvious passing downs without constant help—and whether Baltimore moves Hendrickson around to prevent Buffalo from planning its protection around one spot. Buffalo needs answers that do not require Allen to escape every third down: early-down James Cook runs, motion to reveal coverage, play-action and quick intermediate throws. If Dalton Kincaid plays, two-tight-end formations can complicate Baltimore's run/pass keys; if Kincaid or receiver DJ Moore is limited, Brady will need a different route distribution and more from Khalil Shakir and the remaining receivers. Baltimore is missing starting right guard Vega Ioane on offense and safety Jaylinn Hawkins on defense; Hawkins's replacement is worth testing with route combinations, but Hamilton's range makes blind deep shots a poor plan.
When Baltimore has the ball. Jackson's return restores the run/pass conflict that makes Henry especially dangerous: defenders cannot crash downhill without accounting for Jackson keeping the ball or extending a pass play. Flowers is Baltimore's leading receiving threat and a major test of Buffalo's underneath leverage. The Bills need disciplined edges, interior penetration and coverage that can survive a second reaction after the play breaks down. Ed Oliver's expected return is therefore more consequential than a simple injury-list note: his ability to disrupt the middle could reduce the need to crowd the box, helping Leonhard preserve help against Flowers. Bradley Chubb is also cleared, strengthening the options for rush and contain. Buffalo should test Baltimore's replacement right guard with interior games without losing rush-lane integrity against Jackson.
Today's secondary lineup is a puzzle, not a straight substitution. With C.J. Gardner-Johnson suspended and Dee Alford questionable, Buffalo signed Te'Cory Couch and elevated safety Geno Stone and corner A.J. Woods. Stone's presence could allow Damar Hamlin to work at nickel rather than remain exclusively at safety alongside Cole Bishop. Rookie Jalon Kilgore is another genuine option: he has learned both safety and nickel, has already played inside this season and brings size and athleticism, though he has also made coverage mistakes. Leonhard could instead use Benford or Hairston in the slot, as he did in the previous game, with Igbinosun outside. Couch and Woods offer different things: Couch has already played cornerback for Buffalo in regular-season games, including snaps in the slot. That on-field experience in Leonhard's defense—not preseason versatility or merely knowing the playbook—is why he is a credible immediate nickel option if Alford cannot go. Woods brings a different profile: a fast corner (4.35-second 40-yard dash) with experience in Denver's organization under Leonhard, but without Couch's Buffalo game experience. Woods offers athletic depth and special-teams possibilities; Couch has already handled actual cornerback assignments for this team. Neither move dictates the opening lineup. The question is which combination can cover Zay Flowers without sacrificing tackling or containment against Lamar Jackson.
The construction test. Buffalo's offseason departures and additions were supposed to create a flexible secondary; this week's injuries and suspension test whether the remaining pieces can interchange effectively. Stone could free Hamlin, Kilgore could take nickel or safety snaps, and the outside corners could rotate inside situationally. Those are alternatives, not confirmed assignments. Elsewhere, Spencer Brown's back is the major protection concern, Kincaid and Moore affect receiving packages, and Ed Oliver's return strengthens the front against Derrick Henry. Watch the inactives and opening defensive groups for the real answer.
Three things to watch: Can Buffalo protect Allen well enough to attack Baltimore's safety replacement? Can Oliver and the front limit Henry while keeping Jackson from escaping? And can Leonhard get through third downs without revealing which defensive back the Ravens should isolate? The answers, rather than the injury report alone, will determine whether Buffalo's roster choices hold up against a contender.
Matchup reporting · Bills status · Ravens status · Secondary transactions
WNBA · CHAMPIONSHIP
Golden State beat Atlanta 68–63 in the WNBA’s first Finals Game 7. Williams scored 30 points, 28 after halftime, and took over the third quarter after a two-point first half. Veronica Burton supplied 10 points and 10 rebounds, while the Valkyries’ defense and late execution finished a comeback from a 30–24 halftime deficit. The second-year expansion club’s first title is a genuine organizational feat, not simply an expansion novelty. The controversial weekday-afternoon Game 6 scheduling deserves its own reported accountability follow-up once ratings or decision-making evidence advances.
NWSL · DECISION DAY · 5 P.M. ESPN
Gotham (58 points) leads San Diego by three heading into the final round. A win or draw at home against Utah clinches the regular-season Shield and the top playoff seed; a defeat leaves the Wave a chance to catch them. Every NWSL match starts at 5 p.m. to prevent score-watching advantages. Gotham’s game is the national ESPN selection, while ESPN2 carries a whiparound. This is a meaningful title race, not a routine women’s-soccer mention.
SYRACUSE FOOTBALL · SIGNATURE UPSET
What it means. Syracuse did more than steal a Halloween thriller. The Orange beat No. 19 SMU 30–27 for their first victory over a ranked team since the November 2024 upset of Miami, their second straight ACC win and a return to .500 at 4–4. It was also their first home ACC victory in nearly 700 days. The JMA Wireless Dome crowd stormed the field after Noah Meyers caught the winning two-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left. For a season that had been drifting, this was a result that materially changes the outlook: bowl eligibility is again plausible, though not assured.
How Syracuse wrested control. The Orange were not the more explosive passing team: SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 351 yards, and the Mustangs gained 421 overall to Syracuse's 338. But Syracuse made SMU pay for negative plays. Four sacks cost the Mustangs 52 yards, with Keyshawn Johnson involved in three; two fumble recoveries changed possession; and the defense held SMU to just 70 net rushing yards. The pass defense still allowed too many chunk gains, so this was not blanket domination. It was situational resistance, particularly near the line of scrimmage and at moments when a single stop mattered most.
The offense's stubborn edge. Syracuse rushed for 138 yards behind Ahmad Miller (56) and Tylik Hill (54), compared with SMU's 70, and converted all four fourth-down attempts despite struggling on third down. That aggression sustained drives against a ranked opponent whose defense entered the game among the country's toughest on third down. Miller's fourth-and-goal touchdown before halftime put Syracuse ahead 20–10; Tripp Woody converted three field goals when other drives stalled. Umari Hatcher supplied six catches for 65 yards and important gains late. The offense was imperfect, but its willingness to keep possessions alive was central to the upset.
The collapse—and the response. Syracuse led 20–17 entering the fourth quarter, then gave up a safety on an intentional-grounding penalty in its own end zone. SMU took advantage, scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion to move ahead 27–20 with 9:04 left. Syracuse could have folded. Instead, the offense went 67 yards for Woody's field goal, and the defense immediately forced a three-and-out, helped by Tunmise Adeleye's sack. That stop returned the ball with 3:36 remaining and made the comeback possible.
The decisive drive. Starting at their own 32 and trailing 27–23, the Orange covered 68 yards in 11 plays. Steve Angeli completed seven passes for 58 yards on the march, finishing with a play-action throw to tight end Meyers from two yards out. Angeli's 21-of-34, 200-yard day also included a 26-yard touchdown run and no interceptions; those contributions matter here because of how they helped Syracuse win, not as an invitation to turn today's story into a medical or career assessment. The defense then secured the result on the final play. Fran Brown's team had answered an opponent's late surge with execution in all three phases.
What survives scrutiny. Syracuse still allowed Jennings to complete 29 passes, was outgained by 83 yards and converted only four third downs. Those are real limitations. But the fourth-down execution, defensive disruption, late stop and composed final possession are equally real—and more instructive than simply calling it an upset. Next Saturday's home game against Clemson offers a chance to turn a defining win into sustained progress. A separate examination of Angeli's health, development and changing form can wait until tomorrow.
The NewsHouse: scene and final drive · Newhouse Sports: field-storming and reaction · Game details and statistics
SABRES · CALIFORNIA SWEEP · THREE STRAIGHT WINS
Why this trip matters. The Sabres completed a three-game California sweep and finished their four-game road trip with seven of eight available points. The sequence was more impressive than the win streak alone: Colten Ellis shut out San Jose 2–0, Buffalo survived a wild 7–6 game in Anaheim, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen helped secure a tighter 3–2 victory in Los Angeles. Different goalies, different game scripts, same result. Buffalo is now 7–4–3, with signs of resilience that were harder to find earlier in the season.
Thompson is driving the offense. Tage Thompson scored twice against the Kings, giving him five goals in two games after his hat trick against Anaheim. His second goal Saturday, a third-period power-play strike at 13:40, broke a 2–2 tie after Los Angeles had erased Buffalo's 2–0 lead. The reunion of Thompson with Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs deserves attention: Benson assisted on both the even-strength Thompson goal and Jack Quinn's opening power-play goal, and his forechecking and puck retrieval help create the possessions that allow Thompson to shoot from dangerous areas. It is an encouraging fit, not yet proof of a permanent solution.
A special-teams change worth measuring. Buffalo scored twice with the man advantage against Los Angeles—Quinn in the first period, Thompson with the winner—and has four power-play goals in its past two games after managing four in the first 12. That is a meaningful short-term turnaround in both production and confidence. Quinn's movement into scoring space, Dahlin's distribution and Thompson's finishing are becoming a more credible threat. The next test is whether the puck movement and chance quality hold up beyond this brief burst, not just whether the shooting percentage stays hot.
The goalie picture is getting more interesting. Luukkonen made 27 saves in Los Angeles, including the work needed to preserve the late lead after the Kings tied the game early in the third. Ellis's earlier performances, especially the San Jose shutout, have strengthened his case for regular work rather than emergency appearances. With Alex Lyon's availability also affecting the rotation, Lindy Ruff has an actual performance-based choice ahead. Three victories by themselves do not establish a new depth chart, but the trip showed Buffalo can get winning goaltending from more than one source.
The caution. Buffalo still surrendered a two-goal lead against the Kings, and Anaheim exposed vulnerabilities in a chaotic six-goal-against night. Those defensive lapses should not disappear from the evaluation. But neither should the response: the Sabres reclaimed the lead in Los Angeles, closed the game out and banked every possible point in California. The question against Ottawa on Wednesday is whether the improving power play, Thompson line and goaltending depth can make this a repeatable standard rather than a memorable road trip.
WGR: road-trip analysis · Power-play and line takeaways · Scoring and highlights
NYCFC · SEASON ENDS
NYCFC drew Montréal 1–1 after Daniel Ríos scored in second-half stoppage time. Andrés Perea had given New York the lead in the 41st minute. Columbus’s win eliminated NYCFC regardless, but the late equalizer crystallized a recurring failure: New York has conceded seven second-half stoppage-time goals this season. A short postmortem is warranted; no more playoff previews.
A deep scene report follows the Afro-Uruguayan drum tradition into synth-pop, post-punk, folk and independent rock. Start with Niña Lobo, Eté y Los Problems or the haunting historical memory in Incluso si es un susurro soviético. This is a map of a musical culture, not an album-shopping recommendation.
A portrait of the playwright-filmmaker’s unusual creative control, handwritten drafting and collaborators as his new film Wild Horse Nine approaches. The worthwhile question: how does an idiosyncratic dramatic voice survive the machinery of film production?
The small looping music device became an unlikely creative tool for ambient composers. An object-history story about design limitations, listening and what musicians can do when technology does less instead of more.
Two thoughtful, melodically rich indie acts on one bill. The appeal is the pairing: Hovvdy’s intimate harmonies with Hutson’s sharp storytelling. Worth an advance look; check the official ticket page for remaining inventory.
Protomartyr’s taut, literate post-punk and J.R.C.G.’s more exploratory approach make this a stronger pairing than a routine touring stop. This is early notice; a brief reminder nearer the date is appropriate if tickets remain.
Two unusually convenient neighborhood events: an Ibero-American guitar program Monday and the Washington Heights Jazz Festival’s La Orquesta Esa Wednesday. Verify current seats and the program on the theater’s ticket calendar. Both fall outside today’s schedule window.
The newly restored Ken Russell film gets additional daytime showings; Charles Burnett’s underseen 1983 feature also returns. Screen Slate identifies these as 4K restorations on DCP, not 35mm. The Devils was covered earlier, so this is a practical advance screening note rather than another review.
In Pátzcuaro and Cuanajo, bakers shape pan de ánimas into human figures to represent loved ones during Día de Muertos. Navarro visits a 93-year-old baker and a family that inscribes her grandmother’s name in dough. A moving piece about culinary memory, artisanship and the people who make a holiday tangible—far more rewarding than a forced Halloween curiosity.
TONIGHT · WEEKEND COOKING · SHRIMP ONLY
A deep, spoon-coating Louisiana gravy over rice, built from butter-and-flour roux, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, scallions, cayenne, thyme and bay leaves. The shrimp go in at the very end, only long enough to cook through; simmering them for the whole sauce would make them tough.
Practical shortcut: Gritzer explicitly permits good chicken stock instead of making shrimp stock, saving roughly 45 minutes of simmering plus prep. Start with less liquid and add only as needed; a peanut-butter-colored roux gives a balanced flavor without the bitterness of a very dark gumbo roux. Keep it shrimp-only—no sausage or chicken in the dish. Recipe and technique →
The linked full recipe includes a separate stock step; the shorter version is an adaptation using the author’s documented stock substitution, not the publisher’s stated total time.
This week’s Longreads bench ranges from Eurovision and Wikipedia to medjool dates, nutrition fads and the unexpectedly complicated man-hug. The editing lesson: a memorable premise is not the same as a cute topic. A strong piece turns a small question into new evidence, people and stakes. Today’s selections were judged against that test, not selected because they share a theme.