Trees? Not in My Backyard.
A story about three trees, an angry “community,” and power in Washington, D.C.
Killer Apps
Is social media making America’s murder surge worse?
Trump Is Acting Like He’s Cornered
The former president’s response to the latest indictment suggests a man rattled in a way he seldom has been before.
The Three Attacks on Intellectual Freedom
PEN struggles to reconcile its commitment to social justice with its commitment to free speech.
The Burden of Proof Is on the Language Police
Claims that specific terms hurt people should be evaluated in a rigorous way—not based only on hunches.
Here Comes the Second Year of AI College
Universities still aren’t sure whether to embrace the technology or ban it.
The Weaponization of Loneliness
To defend America against those who would exploit our social disconnection, we need to rebuild our communities.
College Football’s Power Brokers Are Destroying It
What colleges’ relentless drive for more television revenue is doing to the sport
Why the Populist Right Hates Universities
American conservatives are taking cues from Hungary’s Viktor Orbán because elite education is a convenient enemy for authoritarian populists.
What Barbie Understands About Mother-Daughter Relationships
I’m a child psychiatrist. Here’s what Barbie got right.
What the Best Places in America Have in Common
And what they reveal about alleviating poverty across the country
A Strike Scripted by Netflix
The writers are trying to roll back changes that the streaming service already made a new normal.
What Happens When a Carnival Barker Writes Intellectual History
Christopher Rufo doesn’t understand that radicals and nutjobs make universities great.
The UCLA Students Who Live in Their Cars
The widespread, poorly understood phenomenon of vehicular homelessness
Jimi Barber Died a Forgiven Man
A man’s sincere jailhouse conversion met the indifference of the capital-punishment system.
To Get Happier, Choose to Read This Column
Even if you don’t quite believe you have free will, you’re better off acting as if you do.
How Bronze Age Pervert Charmed the Far Right
An internet personality who espouses fascism, racism, and bodybuilding has won influential converts.
How the Recession Doomers Got the U.S. Economy So Wrong
One year ago, experts were certain that America was headed for a recession. But the 2023 economy is historically strong. What happened?
The Real Weaponization of the Department of Justice
Jack Smith’s indictment shows that the abuse of government Republicans have been seeking was there all along.
They Are Still With Him
Conservative elites lack the courage and will to use their influence to oppose Trump, and that is why he remains a force in American politics.