The Modern Olympics Invented the Marathon
A 19th-century philologist turned a Greek legend into a sport.
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Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. Where Is Mike Johnson’s Ironclad Oath?
How America treats those who flirt with rebellion
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Tom Williams; Bettmann / Getty. Elon Musk’s Anti-Semitic, Apartheid-Loving Grandfather
The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: David McNew / Getty; Haldeman Papers. Why ‘The Watergate Three’ Are Remembered as a Duo
Doing great journalism requires an infrastructure, including a lot of talented people who don’t get bylines. Barry Sussman—the Watergate journalist named neither “Woodward” nor “Bernstein”—was one.
John Sunderland / The Denver Post / Getty; The Atlantic A Single Person Could Decide the Election
Yet another reason to curse the Electoral College
Getty / The Atlantic Don’t Give Up on Presidential Debates
In a fractured media environment, it’s rare when Americans of all persuasions are watching the same thing.
OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP / Getty The Wikipedia War That Shows How Ugly This Election Will Be
An editing battle over Kamala Harris’s race is a sign of what’s to come.
Getty / Wikipedia / The Atlantic The New Jersey Shooting Suspect Left a Pro-Trump Paper Trail
In a trove of documents published online, Roy Den Hollander directed misogynistic and racist insults at U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas, and expressed support for the president.
Eduardo Munoz / Reuters Sometimes Even Newspapers Need Poetry
The New York Times tapped a polymath poet to celebrate the 1969 moon landing on its front page.
The Doorbell Company That’s Selling Fear
An Amazon-owned firm is hiring editors to push local crime news to its users.
Ring / Amazon / Katie Martin / The Atlantic
