What Is AI Distillation?
And what does it mean if DeepSeek did it?
The Great Political Sort Is Happening at the Office
Social workers are Democrats. Real-estate brokers are Republicans. What does your job say about your politics?
The New Authoritarianism
This isn’t single-party rule, but it’s not democracy either.
A Sea Story
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place two decades ago. It remains very much in the public eye. On a stormy night on the Baltic Sea, more than 850 people lost their lives when a luxurious ferry sank below the waves. From a mass of material, including official and unofficial reports and survivor testimony, our correspondent has distilled an account of the Estonia’s last moments—part of his continuing coverage for the magazine of anarchy on the high seas.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
The Paradox of Music Discovery, the Spotify Way
A new book explores the company’s commitment to shaping what its users hear.
How Trump Lost His Trade War
When the U.S. breaks its treaties, only China wins.
Confessions of a Republican Exile
A longtime conservative, alienated by Trumpism, tries to come to terms with life on the moderate edge of the Democratic Party.
What Trump Is Getting From Eric Adams
The mayor bent the knee, and his reward has arrived.
Trump Signals He Might Ignore the Courts
Yesterday, the president said that no judge “should be allowed” to rule against the changes his administration is making.
The Cruel Attack on USAID
Trump’s assault on the aid agency poses a haunting question.
What Is Hims Actually Selling?
The lifestyle-med company built a business on male anxieties. Now it’s betting on a new message: grievance.
Dear Therapist: I Was the Other Woman
I know I sound naive, but this wasn’t like a “normal” affair.
Why So Many People Are Unhappy in Retirement
Too often, we imagine life to be like the hero’s journey, and leave out its crucial last step: letting go.
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.
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.
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.
It’s Time to Worry About DOGE’s AI Plans
Welcome to the end of the human civil servant.
What Adults Forget About Friendship
Just catching up can feel stale. Playing and wasting time together like kids do is how you make memories.
The Government’s Computing Experts Say They Are Terrified
Four IT professionals lay out just how destructive Elon Musk’s incursion into the U.S. government could be.
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