An Awkward Truth About American Work
Direct-selling schemes are considered fringe businesses, but their values have bled into the national economy.
24 Books to Get Lost in This Summer
The Atlantic’s writers and editors have chosen fiction and nonfiction to match all sorts of moods.
When William F. Buckley Jr. Met James Baldwin
In 1965, the two intellectual giants squared off in a debate at Cambridge. It didn’t go quite as Buckley hoped.
First My Mother Died. Then My Home Got Hit by a Tornado.
My street got leveled by 150-mph winds. Why do I feel somehow at ease?
In Defense of Academic Freedom
Three reasons why even wrongheaded or harmful ideas should not be censored
The End of Rule of Law in America
The 47th president seems to wish he were king—and he is willing to destroy what is precious about this country to get what he wants.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
The Congressman Who Saw the Truth About Biden
While many Democrats remained in denial, Mike Quigley perceived something painfully familiar.
‘We’re Definitely Going to Build a Bunker Before We Release AGI’
The true story behind the chaos at OpenAI
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
COVID Shots for Kids Are Over
The FDA’s new approach to boosters could mean that kids will no longer be able to get vaccinated against the disease to begin with.
Time for Scary Movies to Make Us Laugh Again
Final Destination has nailed down a formula that other horror films should learn from.
How to Make Friendships Last Your Whole Life
“Swallow your pride and make the first move,” one reader says.
‘The Worst Internet-Research Ethics Violation I Have Ever Seen’
The most persuasive “people” on a popular subreddit turned out to be a front for a secret AI experiment.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
What AI Thinks It Knows About You
What happens when people can see what assumptions a large language model is making about them?
Why a Dog’s Death Hits So Hard
I loved my mom more than my dog. So why did I cry for him but not for her?
A Defense Against Gaslighting Sociopaths
If you can recognize their signature move, then forewarned is forearmed.
Republicans Still Can’t Say No to Trump
The GOP has mounted little resistance to the president. His “big, beautiful bill” was another test.
America’s Johnson & Johnson Problem
A new book reveals how Big Pharma’s brazen behavior fueled medical mistrust.