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The Right Has a Bluesky Problem

The X exodus is weakening a way for conservatives to speak to the masses.

Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid

It’s not just a phase.

The Fairy Tale We’ve Been Retelling for 125 Years

Every generation has an Oz story, but one retelling best captures what makes L. Frank Baum’s world sing.

Donald Trump’s Most Dangerous Cabinet Pick

Pete Hegseth considers himself to be at war with basically everybody to Trump’s left, and it is by no means clear that he means war metaphorically.

Another Theory of the Trump Movement

Who else but Sigmund Freud to help explain?

A Ridiculous, Perfect Way to Make Friends

Group fitness classes aren’t just about exercise.

Trump’s Most Misunderstood Policy Proposal

Economists aren’t telling the whole truth about tariffs.

Gladiator II Is More Than Just a Spectacle

Ridley Scott’s ancient-Roman epic manages to find some beauty amid the savagery.

The Atlantic Gift Guide

The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.

The Saruman Trap

When power is corrupt, there is no way to escape its toxic influence.

The New England Journal of Medicine combed through 100 years of history to produce a single, awesome graph.

How America Got Mean

In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.

Best of How To: Spend Time on What You Value

How to make the most of your downtime

There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI

Dialogue from these movies and TV shows has been used by companies such as Apple and Anthropic to train AI systems.

What Pete Hegseth’s Nomination Is Really About

Revenge on the military is just the start of it.

Climate Diplomacy’s $300 Billion Failure

Climate negotiations at COP29 ended in a deal that mostly showed how far the world is from facing climate change’s real dangers.

Winners of the 2024 International Landscape Photographer of the Year

Some of the top and winning images from this year’s landscape-photography competition

Democracy Is Not Over

Americans who care about democracy have every right to feel appalled and frightened. But then they have work to do.

The People Who Quit Dating

Being single can be hard—but the search for love may be harder.

The Trump-Trumpist Divide

The incoming president wants to do things his voters have not embraced.