The Atlantic 10
The books that made us think the most this year
RFK Jr. Is a Bellwether
Kennedy embodies several trends across politics, science, and society, which require careful attention to understand how America is changing
America’s Lonely Future
What happens when the nation takes a zero-sum approach to the world?
Behind the Brain Rot
Oxford’s controversial Word of the Year captures how chronically online life has become.
South Korea’s Warning for Washington
Even botched plots to seize power damage democratic institutions and norms.
Trumpists Don’t Seem to Mind Claims of Sexual Assault
Anything is forgivable as long as it comes from people they like.
Since the Election, I Fear Men
How do I get over this anxiety?
Day 3 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar
Ripples from a galactic merger
RFK Jr. Is in the Wrong Agency
He could be a great agriculture secretary.
The Next Abortion Battlefront
Plane tickets and gas money will shape the future of abortion in the United States.
Why Syria Matters to the Kremlin
It is not just a military outpost. It is a cornerstone of Russia’s claim to great-power status.
The Slow, Quiet Demise of American Romance
Long before calls for a 4B-style sex strike, men and women in the United States were already giving up on dating.
Musk and Ramaswamy Are Making a Big Mistake
They want to blame the bureaucrats, but they’re going to need those very same bureaucrats if they want to get anything done.
Misogyny Comes Roaring Back
Donald Trump will return to Washington flanked by an entourage intent on imposing its archaic vision of gender politics on the nation.
The Evidence on Policing and Crime
Revisiting the need for police, four years after international Black Lives Matter protests
The Hunter Biden Pardon Is a Strategic Mistake
The blunder will haunt Democrats during the next Trump administration.
Day 2 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar
Inside a stellar nursery
The Fall of Aleppo Was Oddly Familiar
Syria, like Iraq, allowed itself to become a tool of Iran, and therefore never developed a competent state.
America Stopped Cooking With Tallow for a Reason
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s view on fats is about bucking convention, not promoting health.
How to End the War in Gaza
The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah holds lessons for both Israel and the United States.