The Pope’s Most Revealing Choice So Far
By choosing the name Leo XIV, the pope has indicated that he won’t merely be progressive or conservative.
Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Donald Trump
A conversation with the president about executive power, Signalgate, and 24-karat gold
Canadian Ambassador: My Countrymen Are Angry and Frustrated With the U.S.
Kirsten Hillman talks Trump, trade, and the fraught future of the U.S.-Canada relationship.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
A Totally Unnecessary Way to Stress Parents Out
The tyranny of school spirit days
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
A Defense Against Gaslighting Sociopaths
If you can recognize their signature move, then forewarned is forearmed.
The Actual Math Behind DOGE’s Cuts
If you thought Elon Musk was really trying to cut costs, you weren’t in on the joke.
The Republicans’ Budget Makes No Sense
Congress is trying to preserve the illusion of revenue while cutting taxes.
Tyre Nichols and the End of Police Reform
If a savage beating, captured on camera, cannot produce a murder conviction, the chances of fixing the police-brutality problem are very bleak.
Trump Travels to the Middle East
What to expect from the president’s first major foreign trip of his second term
The Bliss of a Quieter Ego
We live in a world of noisy narcissism, but you can escape the cacophony—and be happier.
Photos of the Week: Mud Race, Met Gala, New Pope
Artistic swimming in Ontario, a bun-scrambling competition in Hong Kong, the Devils and Congos Festival in Panama, and much more
What It Costs to Get the Life You Want
The kind of freedom that Mavis Gallant’s characters seek can still be out of reach.
Why Kids Aren’t Falling in Love With Reading
Hint: It’s not just the screens.
The Oddball British Comedy Show I Thought I’d Hate (And Learned to Love)
The cult favorite Taskmaster has a nonsensical premise that slowly bowled me over.
Why Dad’s Side of the Family Tends to Miss Out
Many people have stronger bonds with their maternal relatives. Why?
Why We Long for the Most Difficult Days of Parenthood
Older parents are always telling parents of young children to cherish every second; it will be gone in a flash. But it’s very difficult advice to follow in the thick of it.
Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?
An emerging critical consensus argues that we’ve entered a cultural dark age. I’m not so sure.
The Brands Are Very Sorry About Your Trauma
Why so many companies are inviting people to opt out of Mother’s Day emails
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