Paula Cooper was 15 when she murdered 77-year-old Ruth Pelke in her Indiana home, and was sentenced to death. But a campaign for her life came from an unexpected quarter. By Alex Mar. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: The noisy dispute over the meaning of populism is more than just an academic squabble – it’s a crucial argument about what we expect from democracy. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

He first became prime minister in 1996, and has been pushing the country further right ever since. Most agree his political days are numbered – but the approach he established will prove very difficult to shift. By Joshua Leifer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

What started out as a small protest escalated into a decade-long struggle between the council and hundreds of ordinary people who decided to take radical action to save their city’s trees. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: Two killings in Paris, one year apart, have inflamed the bitter French debate over antisemitism, race and religion. By James McAuley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As a victim of one of the NHS’s worst failures, I campaigned for years for an investigation into what led to so many people becoming infected with deadly viruses. Finally we got an inquiry – but did we get answers?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Once the site of legendary parties, the Intercontinental in Kabul is still a potent symbol of who rules Afghanistan – and what its future might hold. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

To celebrate the launch of the new Guardian Long Read magazine this week, join the Long Read editor David Wolf in discussion with regular contributors Sophie Elmhirst and Samanth Subramanian • The Guardian Long Read magazine is available to order now. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From Brazil to Egypt, Turkey to Hong Kong, the 2010s saw a series of huge public uprisings. Yet many of them led to the opposite of what they asked for. I spoke to 200 participants across 12 countries to find out why. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

There were so many warnings it would fail. How did it get this far?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod