Illustration: Kelsey Niziolek

Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery

One of Amazon’s smallest and most popular products has a surprisingly large footprint

I heard the “pop!” from my living room as a brand-new pack of Amazon batteries spontaneously exploded on the kitchen counter, oozing a gritty black substance in fits and spurts. The small, unassuming item is one of Amazon’s…