Leah Libresco
FiveThirtyEight
Washington, DC, United States
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Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Leah:
Relax, You Probably Call Your Mom Enough
It doesn’t take sophisticated statistics to prove that you should call your mom on Mother’s Day this Sunday, but do mothers get their due the rest of the year? To find out, I commissioned a SurveyMonkey Audience poll to see how many moms feel like chopped liver. → Read More
When Does Praying In Public Make Others Uncomfortable?
Over the course of a few weeks in August, France’s coastal towns banned burkinis at the beach, considered a ban on nuns’ habits for the sake of consistency, and… → Read More
Trump Is Driving Catholic Voters Toward Clinton
Donald Trump has held onto the support of evangelical Christians even as he has screwed up the name of a book of the Bible, said he doesn’t feel he needs forgiveness for anything, and struggled to … → Read More
The Mass Shootings Fix
Australia and Great Britain made extensive changes in gun policy in response to mass shootings two decades ago, and there has only been one mass shooting in eit… → Read More
The Sun Is Always Shining In Modern Christian Pop
Contemporary Christian pop music might be taking Psalm 100’s command to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” a little too far. Jamie Grace’s “Beautiful Day” was … → Read More
D.C.’s Metro Catches Fire More Than Four Times A Week
Is it hot on this subway platform, or is it just the fire on the tracks? The Washington, D.C., subway system is a mess — chronic delays, malfunctioning air conditioning and, earlier this year… → Read More
400 Years After Shakespeare’s Death, He’s Still Required Reading (Even For Econ Majors)
William Shakespeare is commonly believed to have died 400 years ago Saturday, but, as he promised in Sonnet 18, his works have lived on “So long as men can brea… → Read More
400 Years After Shakespeare’s Death, He’s Still Required Reading (Even For Econ Majors)
William Shakespeare is commonly believed to have died 400 years ago Saturday, but, as he promised in Sonnet 18, his works have lived on “So long as men can brea… → Read More
Trump’s Call To Punish Women Who Have Abortions Is Way Outside The Mainstream
Donald Trump careened between polar-opposite positions on abortion Wednesday, demonstrating in the space of about 180 minutes the hazards of speaking off the cuff on a sensitive subject. First, spe… → Read More
Attacks On Transportation Targets Like Those In Brussels Have Become Rarer
Three explosions struck Brussels on Tuesday morning — two in the city’s international airport and one in a subway station. Dozens were killed and more were injured. The brutality of the bombi… → Read More
Donald Trump’s Sweeping Statements On Islam Are In Line With GOP Opinions
“I think Islam hates us.” That’s the sweeping statement Donald Trump made Wednesday, after CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked him whether the religion is at war with the West. “There’s a tremendous hatred… → Read More
Here’s How Americans Spend Their Working, Relaxing and Parenting Time
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday released the 2014 results from the American Time Use Survey. The survey offers the most detailed, up-to-date portrai… → Read More
At Least 29 People Still Don’t Know Who Won The Super Bowl
It’s been more than two weeks since the Super Bowl, and there are still at least 29 people who don’t know who won. Those 29 are the recorded survivors of the Last Man challenge, a war-of-attrition,… → Read More
The Pope Is Way More Popular Than Donald Trump
Donald Trump took a break from threatening to sue rival candidates on Thursday and appears to be trying to start a holy war with Pope Francis instead. Trump may not care about any resulting eternal… → Read More
Your Valentine Is More Interested In Dinner And A Card Than Anything Else
I was once so worried about what kind of Valentine’s Day gift a girl should give a boy that I persuaded a florist to wrap a packet of beef jerky next to a singl… → Read More
The Cheapskate’s Guide To Buying Flowers For Valentine’s Day
If you head out to buy roses on Feb. 14, you may find that your heart skips a beat, you have butterflies in your stomach and you feel liable to swoon. Not out of a rush of romantic feelings, but out of shock as you spot the price tag on your bouquet. On Valentine’s Day, roses are up to twice as expensive as on any other day. → Read More
The ‘Charlie Brown Christmas Special’ Dancers You Most Want To Party With
It’s a debate as old as time -- or, at least as old as 1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” Of the many revelers throwing down sick moves to “Linus & Lucy” by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, who would you most like to party with? → Read More
All The Ways Christmas Tries To Kill You
🎶 Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at your nose Lumbago pains that will make you perspire And lacerations on your toes 🎶 Each year, people … → Read More
Mainline Protestant Churches Are Warmer To Potential Members If They’re White
Christians are called to welcome the stranger in their midst, but, according to a new academic study, some churches are much more likely to reply to an email from a potential new member with a whit… → Read More
Sex Supplements Send 617 People To The ER Each Year
When customers get an undisclosed prescription drug in an over-the-counter supplement, they aren’t getting a bargain, and they may be getting a far more dangerous chemical cocktail than they’d expe… → Read More