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Charles Bethea head shot - The New Yorker

Charles Bethea

Charles Bethea has been contributing to The New Yorker since 2008 and became a staff writer in 2018. He has published more than fifty Talk of the Town pieces, often on political subjects, including the creator of barackobama@gmail.com, the gymnastics career of Roy Moore, and a sculptor obsessed with Donald Trump. In addition to politics, Bethea covers crime, local media, and the American South. He received a 2021 Mirror Award for his reporting on the loss of local news in Jones County, North Carolina.

Previously, Bethea was an editor at Outside magazine and a writer-at-large for Atlanta. His work has also appeared in Grantland, The New Republic, the Wall Street Journal, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Wired. He lives in Atlanta.

Fani Willis Survives the Effort to Disqualify Her

A judge ruled that the Fulton County D.A. can stay on the case against Trump, as long as her special prosecutor steps aside, but noted that “an odor of mendacity remains.”

The Terrifying A.I. Scam That Uses Your Loved One’s Voice

A Brooklyn couple got a call from relatives who were being held ransom. Their voices—like many others these days—had been cloned.

The Tangled Fates of Fani Willis and Her Biggest Case

Will the Fulton County D.A.’s “clandestine” relationship derail her effort to prosecute Trump?

What Do We Owe a Prison Informant?

A man in Georgia says he risked his life for years and was abandoned. But there are very few rules protecting those who provide law enforcement with information.

Watching Rudy Giuliani Self-Destruct at a Defamation Trial in Washington

A jury decided that Giuliani owes two election workers whom he defamed nearly a hundred and fifty million dollars. Even his lawyer suggested he “hasn’t been so great lately.”

The Death of a Relic Hunter

Bill Erquitt was an unforgettable character among Georgia’s many Civil War enthusiasts. After he died, his secrets came to light.

Robert Menendez’s Golden Pipes

The Senator, who’s been indicted for bribery, may have a fallback option if Congress boots him: singing, though not like the Feds may be envisioning.

Why Did Sidney Powell Plead Guilty?

The former attorney for Donald Trump was one of nineteen people indicted in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

A Stay at Lin Wood’s MAGA-Friendly Bed-and-Breakfast

After the 2020 election, Trump’s former lawyer opened an inn frequented by conservatives. Mike Flynn was so disruptive during his stay that he has been banned.

In Georgia Judge, Has Trump Finally Met His Audience-Thrilling Match?

Scott McAfee, the cello-playing, What-A-Man-pageant-winning judge presiding over the only televised Trump trial, wants to avoid becoming “the next Judge Ito.”

How a Man in Prison Stole Millions from Billionaires

With smuggled cell phones and a handful of accomplices, Arthur Lee Cofield, Jr., took money from large bank accounts and bought houses, cars, clothes, and gold.

Waiting for Trump at the Fulton County Jail

A contingent of supporters and a swarm of media have descended on the spot where the former President will soon be booked on RICO charges.

A Witness’s Strange Day at the Trump Grand Jury in Georgia

The journalist George Chidi saw a Georgia Republican walk into a conference room and became a significant witness in a potentially historic prosecution.

Can “Cop City” Be Stopped at the Ballot Box?

The fight over a massive police-training complex, set to be built outside Atlanta, has lasted more than two years. Now many people hope the proposal will be put to a vote.

Georgia’s Broad Racketeering Law May Now Ensnare Donald Trump

Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, often relies on Georgia’s capacious RICO statute—though critics say that she has stretched it past the law’s intent.

On the Run with Trump’s “Billion-Dollar Lawyer”

What does the former President have in common with Gucci Mane, Cardi B, and Waka Flocka? They’ve all had Drew Findling, an Atlanta trial lawyer, on retainer.

The Most Belligerent Flack on Capitol Hill

Nick Dyer, the deputy chief of staff to Marjorie Taylor Greene, has built a career as a political aide out of what one observer calls “pure, non-strategic contempt.”

How Slutty Vegan Puts the Party in Plant-Based Food

Pinky Cole’s Atlanta-based burger chain is valued at a hundred million dollars. Can racy branding take vegan food mainstream?

Jimmy Carter’s Rock-and-Roll Legacy

The former President has a surprisingly long list of musician friends, some of whom, in the past days and weeks, have been reflecting on the time they’ve had with him.

Why Some Florida Schools Are Removing Books from Their Libraries

“If I weren’t living through it, I wouldn’t believe it’s happening,” one parent, who has worked as a substitute teacher, said.

Fani Willis Survives the Effort to Disqualify Her

A judge ruled that the Fulton County D.A. can stay on the case against Trump, as long as her special prosecutor steps aside, but noted that “an odor of mendacity remains.”

The Terrifying A.I. Scam That Uses Your Loved One’s Voice

A Brooklyn couple got a call from relatives who were being held ransom. Their voices—like many others these days—had been cloned.

The Tangled Fates of Fani Willis and Her Biggest Case

Will the Fulton County D.A.’s “clandestine” relationship derail her effort to prosecute Trump?

What Do We Owe a Prison Informant?

A man in Georgia says he risked his life for years and was abandoned. But there are very few rules protecting those who provide law enforcement with information.

Watching Rudy Giuliani Self-Destruct at a Defamation Trial in Washington

A jury decided that Giuliani owes two election workers whom he defamed nearly a hundred and fifty million dollars. Even his lawyer suggested he “hasn’t been so great lately.”

The Death of a Relic Hunter

Bill Erquitt was an unforgettable character among Georgia’s many Civil War enthusiasts. After he died, his secrets came to light.

Robert Menendez’s Golden Pipes

The Senator, who’s been indicted for bribery, may have a fallback option if Congress boots him: singing, though not like the Feds may be envisioning.

Why Did Sidney Powell Plead Guilty?

The former attorney for Donald Trump was one of nineteen people indicted in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

A Stay at Lin Wood’s MAGA-Friendly Bed-and-Breakfast

After the 2020 election, Trump’s former lawyer opened an inn frequented by conservatives. Mike Flynn was so disruptive during his stay that he has been banned.

In Georgia Judge, Has Trump Finally Met His Audience-Thrilling Match?

Scott McAfee, the cello-playing, What-A-Man-pageant-winning judge presiding over the only televised Trump trial, wants to avoid becoming “the next Judge Ito.”

How a Man in Prison Stole Millions from Billionaires

With smuggled cell phones and a handful of accomplices, Arthur Lee Cofield, Jr., took money from large bank accounts and bought houses, cars, clothes, and gold.

Waiting for Trump at the Fulton County Jail

A contingent of supporters and a swarm of media have descended on the spot where the former President will soon be booked on RICO charges.

A Witness’s Strange Day at the Trump Grand Jury in Georgia

The journalist George Chidi saw a Georgia Republican walk into a conference room and became a significant witness in a potentially historic prosecution.

Can “Cop City” Be Stopped at the Ballot Box?

The fight over a massive police-training complex, set to be built outside Atlanta, has lasted more than two years. Now many people hope the proposal will be put to a vote.

Georgia’s Broad Racketeering Law May Now Ensnare Donald Trump

Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, often relies on Georgia’s capacious RICO statute—though critics say that she has stretched it past the law’s intent.

On the Run with Trump’s “Billion-Dollar Lawyer”

What does the former President have in common with Gucci Mane, Cardi B, and Waka Flocka? They’ve all had Drew Findling, an Atlanta trial lawyer, on retainer.

The Most Belligerent Flack on Capitol Hill

Nick Dyer, the deputy chief of staff to Marjorie Taylor Greene, has built a career as a political aide out of what one observer calls “pure, non-strategic contempt.”

How Slutty Vegan Puts the Party in Plant-Based Food

Pinky Cole’s Atlanta-based burger chain is valued at a hundred million dollars. Can racy branding take vegan food mainstream?

Jimmy Carter’s Rock-and-Roll Legacy

The former President has a surprisingly long list of musician friends, some of whom, in the past days and weeks, have been reflecting on the time they’ve had with him.

Why Some Florida Schools Are Removing Books from Their Libraries

“If I weren’t living through it, I wouldn’t believe it’s happening,” one parent, who has worked as a substitute teacher, said.