Amanda Smith is a freelance journalist and writer. She reports on culture, society, human interest and technology. Her stories hold a mirror to society, reflecting both its malaise and its beauty.

Jocelyn Peters, a beloved third grade teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, was shot to death in her sleep. The crime scene held an ...

We can rarely see what people are up to when they think nobody is watching them. Yet, some professions have that luxury. Take high-rise window cleaners, for example: they can inadvertently snoop into ...