The Government Waste DOGE Should Be Cutting
The problem that really needs fixing is not the public employees but the private contractors—and Elon Musk is one of them.
At USAID, I Prioritized the Wrong Argument
As Republicans seek to demolish the agency, its defenders should appeal to a higher principle than self-interest.
The Man in the Midnight-Blue Six-Ply Italian-Milled Wool Suit
A perfect suit, made by an expert tailor out of superlative fabric, would do nothing less than transform me.
Presidents May Not Unilaterally Dismantle Government Agencies
That’s not how separation of powers works under the U.S. Constitution.
The Other Fear of the Founders
America’s early leaders were worried not only about demagogues like Donald Trump, but about the rise of an antidemocratic, wealthy elite that goads such men on.
Trump Says the Corrupt Part Out Loud
It’s infrastructure week, but for bribery.
Afrikaner ‘Refugees’ Only
Trump wants to “promote the resettlement” of white South Africans.
Why No One Can Fix the Broken Licensing System
Scholars and activists haven’t paid enough attention to the role that state boards play in perpetuating both over- and under-regulation.
Is This What Cancel Culture Achieved?
Ye called himself a Nazi. That wasn’t the worst story on social media this weekend.
DOGE Is Failing on Its Own Terms
The Trump administration’s cuts to university research grants will make America sicker and poorer in the long run.
The Outsider Who Captured American Loneliness
The Finnish writer Tove Jansson returned from a U.S. trip with a new perspective on home—and an enduring novel.
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
What Adults Forget About Friendship
Just catching up can feel stale. Playing and wasting time together like kids do is how you make memories.
A New Kind of Crisis for American Universities
The ivory tower has been breached.
The Army of God Comes Out of the Shadows
Tens of millions of American Christians are embracing a charismatic movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which seeks to destroy the secular state.
The Anti-Social Century
Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. It’s changing our personalities, our politics, and even our relationship to reality.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
What Happens When Bird Flu Gets Worse?
Most of Trump’s health picks are uninterested in using most of the tools that can limit the spread of infectious disease.
Your Childhood Home Might Never Stop Haunting You
Many of us feel pulled toward the places where we grew up. But it can be weird when old and new selves collide.
America in 2025
A poem
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