Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union
The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.
Sam Altman Is Losing His Grip on Humanity
You don’t “train a human.”
What the Roberts Court Is Actually Trying to Accomplish
It’s not about Trump.
The Revenge of the Dummymander
Partisan gerrymandering sometimes backfires on the people drawing the maps. Could that happen again in 2026?
America Doesn’t Need a Deal or a War With Iran
Why the rush, when Washington has all the leverage?
Young Men Aren’t the Only Ones Struggling
Women might be having an even harder time.
High-End Construction Really Does Help Everyone
A new rung at the top of the housing ladder permits people lower down to climb up.
The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem
How did the GOP become a haven for slogans and ideas straight out of the Third Reich?
When Revolution Bloomed and Died in Damascus
Nothing prepares you for what it’s really like to live at the extreme.
The Trump Administration Is Ending Aid That It Says Saves Lives
The State Department will let lifesaving projects expire because “there is no strong nexus between the humanitarian response and U.S. national interests,” according to an internal email.
Two Portraits of My Father in a Tree
A poem
Different Views of the Winter Olympics
A collection of creative photographs from this year’s games featuring infrared imaging, vintage cameras, optical filters, digital composites, unusual angles, unexpected subjects, and more
MAGA’s Animal Nationalism
The Trump administration has a special bond with dogs and cats.
Frederick Wiseman Always Made His Point
The late filmmaker captured our essential American institutions—and the people trying to navigate them.
The Protein-Bar Delusion
Americans are eating candy in disguise.
A Blockbuster That Understands Ambition
Culture and entertainment recommendations including The Devil Wears Prada, Agatha Christie novels, and more
The Orality Theory of Everything
The decline of reading and the rise of social media are again transforming what it feels like to be a thinking person.
The Alysa Liu Effect
She proves that an Olympic gold-medalist figure skater can be strong, warm to her competitors, and salty all at the same time.
Winter Olympics Photo of the Day: Cross Jump
Four Olympic skiers race through the air.
What to Expect from Trump’s State of the Union Address
Panelists join to preview the president’s upcoming remarks.
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