The Worst Week

A number of smaller towns are opening up casinos in the hopes of emulating the success of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. As far as economic development goes, this is the worst idea.

• By Jake Blumgart

Even bad basketball programs make the NCAA tournament once a decade just due to sheer randomness and dumb luck. So why have the Northwestern Wildcats never qualified?

• By Jeremy Gordon

Why do some of the greatest basketball players ever struggle with an uncontested shot from just 15 feet away?

• By Sam Riches

Indiana, we love you, but your clocks are way too confusing.

• By Maggie Gram

Plenty of movies have been bad, mediocre, or even good, but only a select few have been called "the worst." What might seem like an ignominious distinction, though, is also its own kind of success.

• By Kevin Lincoln

There are family trees, and there are trees from hell that are filled with snakes. Sometimes, though, they're not all that different.

• By Casey N. Cep

Her given first name was Narcissa, she lost her hair due to mercury treatments, and she did not possess what even the most generous person might call a "good voice." But none of that kept Florence Foster Jenkins from getting on stage and singing her way to Carnegie Hall.

• By Nathan Salsburg

Jen Doll speaks to a bunch of different creative types about what they've all learned from being bad at what they now do well.

• By Jen Doll