Taylor Swift Is a Perfect Example of How Publishing Is Changing
Swift is a symptom, not a cause, of the weakening bonds between celebrities and publishing houses.
A Good Country’s Bad Choice
And what I got wrong about the 2024 election
The Trump-Trumpist Divide
The incoming president wants to do things his voters have not embraced.
Three Ways to Become a Deeper Thinker
You don’t have to become a Buddhist monk to realize the value of contemplating hard questions without clear answers.
The AI War Was Never Just About AI
Tech giants such as Google and Meta need something more than compelling chatbots to win.
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.
Gladiator II Is More Than Just a Spectacle
Ridley Scott’s ancient-Roman epic manages to find some beauty amid the savagery.
The ‘Democracy’ Gap
Almost all Americans say they support democracy—but they have very different ideas about what the word means.
The Leak Scandal Roiling Israel
Netanyahu’s spokesperson stands accused of revealing secrets for political gain.
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
What Pete Hegseth’s Nomination Is Really About
Revenge on the military is just the start of it.
Trump’s Most Misunderstood Policy Proposal
Economists aren’t telling the whole truth about tariffs.
How One Woman Became the Scapegoat for America’s Reading Crisis
Lucy Calkins was an education superstar. Now she’s cast as the reason a generation of students struggles to read. Can she reclaim her good name?
The Supreme Court Has Itself to Blame for Texas Defying Its Orders
Greg Abbott is taking a stand to protect his state’s right to let children die in the Rio Grande, and four justices of the Supreme Court are encouraging him to do so.
How I Demolished My Life
A home-improvement story
Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula
It’s probably leaching chemicals into your cooking oil.
What the Men of the Internet Are Trying to Prove
Jake Paul is an emblem of a generation starving for purpose while gorging on spectacle.
Trump: ‘I Need the Kind of Generals That Hitler Had’
The Republican nominee’s preoccupation with dictators, and his disdain for the American military, is deepening.
The Saruman Trap
When power is corrupt, there is no way to escape its toxic influence.