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William Finnegan head shot - The New Yorker

William Finnegan

William Finnegan has been a contributor to The New Yorker since 1984 and a staff writer since 1987. Reporting from Africa, Central America, South America, Europe, the Balkans, Mexico, and Australia, as well as from the United States, he has twice received the John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Magazine Journalism and twice been a National Magazine Award finalist. His article “Deep East Texas” won the 1994 Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement in the Field of Media; his article “The Unwanted” the Sidney Hillman Prize for Magazine Reporting. His report from Sudan, “The Invisible War,” won a Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club, and he received the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism for “Leasing the Rain.” His article “The Countertraffickers” won the Overseas Press Club’s Madeline Dane Ross Award for International Reporting, and his report from Mexico, “Silver or Lead,” won the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Spiers Benjamin Award. Finnegan is the author of five books: “Crossing the Line,” which was selected by the Times Book Review as one of the ten best nonfiction books of the year;  “Dateline Soweto”;  “A  Complicated War”; “Cold New World: Growing Up in a Harder Country,” which was a finalist for the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism; and “Barbarian Days,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2016.

Child Labor Is on the Rise

State legislatures across the country are making it easier to hire minors in low-paid and dangerous jobs.

The Fight Over Penn Station and Madison Square Garden

How the effort to renovate midtown Manhattan’s transit hub has been stalled by money, politics, and disputes about the public good.

Kai Lenny Surfs the Unsurfable

The big-wave surfer tackles some of the most fearsome swells on the planet. On the surface, it looks like he’s just having fun.

What It Takes to Climb the World’s Most Forbidding Cliffs

After decades of dominance, Tommy Caldwell is still seeking new ascents.

Can Horse Racing Survive?

In a time of changing sensitivities, an ancient sport struggles to justify itself.

Law Enforcement and the Problem of White Supremacy

Police chiefs have tended to dismiss the political activities of their officers as their First Amendment right to express themselves.

How Police Unions Fight Reform

Activists insist that police departments must change. For half a century, New York City’s P.B.A. has successfully resisted such demands.

Andy Byford’s Last Day with New York’s Transit System

After only two years on the job, the man brought in to revamp the city’s mass-transit system is bowing out, apparently owing to conflicts with Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Can Beto Bounce Back?

O’Rourke’s Senate campaign created huge enthusiasm, but he has faltered as a Presidential candidate. He’s trying to revive his campaign by meeting every voter he can.

Kelly Slater’s Shock Wave

The best surfer in history made a machine that creates perfect conditions on demand. Will his invention democratize surfing or despoil it?

Can Andy Byford Save the Subways?

The new president of the New York City Transit Authority wants to make the trains (and buses) run on time. It won’t be easy.

Can Cyril Ramaphosa Revive the South African Dream?

Nelson Mandela’s first choice as a successor is the country’s best hope for curbing the corruption fostered by Jacob Zuma.

Is Ending DACA the Worst Decision Trump Has Made?

In terms of immediate human suffering, yes.

Taking Down Terrorists in Court

Zainab Ahmad has prosecuted thirteen international terrorist suspects for the American government. She hasn’t lost yet.

Child Labor Is on the Rise

State legislatures across the country are making it easier to hire minors in low-paid and dangerous jobs.

The Fight Over Penn Station and Madison Square Garden

How the effort to renovate midtown Manhattan’s transit hub has been stalled by money, politics, and disputes about the public good.

Kai Lenny Surfs the Unsurfable

The big-wave surfer tackles some of the most fearsome swells on the planet. On the surface, it looks like he’s just having fun.

What It Takes to Climb the World’s Most Forbidding Cliffs

After decades of dominance, Tommy Caldwell is still seeking new ascents.

Can Horse Racing Survive?

In a time of changing sensitivities, an ancient sport struggles to justify itself.

Law Enforcement and the Problem of White Supremacy

Police chiefs have tended to dismiss the political activities of their officers as their First Amendment right to express themselves.

How Police Unions Fight Reform

Activists insist that police departments must change. For half a century, New York City’s P.B.A. has successfully resisted such demands.

Andy Byford’s Last Day with New York’s Transit System

After only two years on the job, the man brought in to revamp the city’s mass-transit system is bowing out, apparently owing to conflicts with Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Can Beto Bounce Back?

O’Rourke’s Senate campaign created huge enthusiasm, but he has faltered as a Presidential candidate. He’s trying to revive his campaign by meeting every voter he can.

Kelly Slater’s Shock Wave

The best surfer in history made a machine that creates perfect conditions on demand. Will his invention democratize surfing or despoil it?

Can Andy Byford Save the Subways?

The new president of the New York City Transit Authority wants to make the trains (and buses) run on time. It won’t be easy.

Can Cyril Ramaphosa Revive the South African Dream?

Nelson Mandela’s first choice as a successor is the country’s best hope for curbing the corruption fostered by Jacob Zuma.

Is Ending DACA the Worst Decision Trump Has Made?

In terms of immediate human suffering, yes.

Taking Down Terrorists in Court

Zainab Ahmad has prosecuted thirteen international terrorist suspects for the American government. She hasn’t lost yet.