Putin Lives by a Code Trump Doesn’t Understand
Where Trump sees a deal, Putin sees submission.
The Origin of Hegseth’s Anti-Beard Obsession
The fierce opposition to facial hair is less about policy and more about memory.
Pete Hegseth Is Seriously Testing Trump’s ‘No Scalps’ Rule
Lawmakers are finally waking up to the problems the defense secretary has created.
Trump Campaigned on Affordability. Now He’s Calling the Idea a ‘Con Job.’
His messaging on the cost of living contradicts itself.
‘We Are Looking at a Massive Crisis’
Health-care costs are about to spike in a way that Americans can’t afford.
Atlantic Trivia on the Hittites, Hitchcock, Comics, and More
And did you know that hieroglyphics could be read from left to right or right to left?
Trump’s Security Strategy Is Incoherent Babble
But mixed in with the ranting are three valuable points.
The Vaccine Guardrails Are Gone
RFK Jr.’s allies are in full control of U.S. immunization policy.
Debate Your Favorite Books of the Year
No list can match everyone’s tastes. That’s a good thing.
The Father of Rhythm Guitarists
The late Steve Cropper laid a template for generations of rock-and-roll guitarists.
When Chatbots Break Our Minds
How big a problem is “AI psychosis”?
Colorful Stars of All Ages
Day 5 of the 2025 Space Telescope Advent Calendar
Is MAGA Becoming Pro-War?
Debate over Venezuela is dividing the Republican Party.
The Trump Lawyer Scandal Is About Something Much Deeper Than Legal Technicalities
The saga is emblematic of Trump’s most dangerous and self-serving tendencies.
No NFL Game Has Ever Ended in a Score of 36–23
A scoreboard mystery
What if Our Ancestors Didn’t Feel Anything Like We Do?
The historians who want to know how our ancestors experienced love, anger, fear, and sorrow
Top 25 News Photos of 2025
Powerful images from the past 12 months
How to Read the Epstein Files Like an Expert
Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown has some tips for what to look for when they emerge.
Pete Hegseth’s Weak Excuses
His evasive responses to Signalgate are shameful nonsense.
The Strange Disappearance of an Anti-AI Activist
Sam Kirchner wants to save the world from artificial superintelligence. He’s been missing for two weeks.
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