American Realignment
The country is sliding from an era of politics forged by social connections at the neighborhood level to one where cultural and ideological polarization dominates.
The Talented Mr. Vance
J. D. Vance could have brought the country’s conflicting strands together. Instead, he took a divisive path to the peak of power.
The Era of Thrash
The American economy has been in chaos longer than you think.
The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk
The Tesla innovator becomes the latest government employee to lose his job.
How to Disappear
Inside the world of extreme-privacy consultants, who, for the right fee, will make you and your personal information very hard to find
The Mother Who Never Stopped Believing Her Son Was Still There
For decades, Eve Baer remained convinced that her son, unresponsive after a severe brain injury, was still conscious. Science eventually proved her right.
What Are People Still Doing on X?
Imagine if your favorite neighborhood bar turned into a Nazi hangout.
The Largest Upward Transfer of Wealth in American History
House Republicans voted to advance a bill that would offer lavish tax cuts for the rich while slashing benefits for the poor.
What the Show of the Summer Knows About Intimacy
The new Netflix miniseries Sirens has beachy vibes but a dark heart.
My Shipwreck Story
On my first time out as a commercial fisherman, my boat sank, my captain died, and I was left adrift and alone in the Pacific.
The Debt Is About to Matter Again
When interest rates outpace growth, very bad things can happen.
RFK Jr.’s Worst Nightmare
The candy convention was a celebration of everything that the health secretary believes is wrong with our food.
Parents Are Sacrificing Their Social Lives on the Altar of Intensive Parenting
Inequality has seemingly caused many American parents to jettison friendships and activities in order to invest more resources in their kids.
The Pedestrians Who Abetted a Hawk’s Deadly Attack
A zoologist observed a Cooper’s hawk using a crosswalk signal as a cue to ambush its prey.
Project 2025’s Architects Are Close to Achieving a Major Goal
A new Supreme Court ruling shows how the American right has gone from fearing big government to embracing it.
‘I Run the Country and the World’
Donald Trump believes he’s invincible. But the cracks are beginning to show.
The Unbearable Weight of Mission: Impossible
What started as the adventures of a brilliant spy morphed into the mythology of an exemplary human being.
The Debate That American Conservationists Should Be Having
What if the U.S. protected ecosystems directly?
An Awkward Truth About American Work
Direct-selling schemes are considered fringe businesses, but their values have bled into the national economy.
The Congressman Who Saw the Truth About Biden
While many Democrats remained in denial, Mike Quigley perceived something painfully familiar.
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