U.S.

Radio Atlantic: No Way Out, Part I

Benjamine Spencer has been in prison most of his life for a violent crime he may not have committed. But his guilt or innocence may no longer matter to the justice system.

• Barbara Bradley Hagerty
• February 16, 2018

Why Can’t the U.S. Treat Gun Violence as a Public-Health Problem?

A 1996 bill has had a chilling effect on the CDC’s ability to research firearms.

• Sarah Zhang
• February 15, 2018

American Carnage

“Your child isn’t going to be shot,” Donald Trump vowed. It was a promise he could never have kept—but there’s no evidence he even tried.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• February 15, 2018

Could Amazon Flip a State?

Democrats could gain politically if the company chooses a city in a battleground state for its second North American headquarters.

• Ronald Brownstein
• February 15, 2018

Abraham Lincoln's Secret Visits to Slaves

In the mid-1930s, the Federal Writers’ Project interviewed thousands of former slaves, some of whom claimed the president came to their plantations disguised as a beggar or a peddler, telling them they’d soon be free.

• William R. Black
• February 12, 2018

At Veterans' Homes, Aid-in-Dying Isn't an Option

Facilities in four states claim they’ll risk losing federal funding if they allow assisted suicide.

• JoNel Aleccia
• February 12, 2018

The Truth About Military Parades

Military parades say more about those who order and watch them than those who participate in them.

• Eliot A. Cohen
• February 11, 2018

What Trump-Era Democrats Can Learn From LBJ

Lyndon B. Johnson was an effective policymaker but failed to protect his legacy—much in the same way Obama’s is being toppled today.

• Julian E. Zelizer
• February 10, 2018

Ditching Andrew Jackson for Mary Jackson

An elementary school in Utah will now be named for the first black female engineer at NASA, who was memorialized in Hidden Figures.

• Marina Koren
• February 9, 2018

The Men's Figure-Skating Gold Is Nathan Chen's to Lose

The 18-year-old American is already seen as the greatest athlete in the sport’s history—and he’s competing at his first Olympics in an especially talented field.

• Tracy O'Neill
• February 8, 2018

The Death of Newsweek

The U.S. is losing something as the publication disintegrates—a magazine with guts and heart.

• Jonathan Alter
• February 8, 2018

Military Parades Are a Waste of Time and Money

The troops would be better served doing almost anything else to improve combat effectiveness.

• Andrew Exum
• February 8, 2018

In Trump's First Year, the U.S. Lost Almost 10,000 Solar Jobs

But energy experts say the industry isn’t suffering because of the president’s policies—yet.

• Robinson Meyer
• February 7, 2018

Notre Dame Switches Its Position on Birth-Control Coverage—Again

The university will bar “abortion-inducing drugs” from its insurance plans but begin covering “simple contraceptives,” a move its president calls a “complex decision.”

• Emma Green
• February 7, 2018

A Triumphant First Launch for Elon Musk's Giant Rocket

SpaceX’s 27-engine Falcon Heavy successfully blasted off from Florida with a cherry-red Tesla convertible in tow.

• Marina Koren
• February 6, 2018

An End to Gerrymandering in Ohio?

A bipartisan compromise that just passed the state Senate would require minority-party support for political maps, and would limit the number of communities that could be splintered.

• Vann R. Newkirk II
• February 6, 2018

Volatility Is Scary—but It's Normal

The Dow's recent antics are an extreme resumption of one of markets’ typical features.

• Gillian B. White
• February 6, 2018