The Sense That Most Defines a Culture
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue shows how colonization shapes a country’s culinary landscape.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
Donald Trump Gets Away With It
Jack Smith is dropping the charges against the president-elect for his assault on the fundamentals of American democracy.
Everyone Agrees Americans Aren’t Healthy
The Biden administration tried to address the country’s health problems, with only modest success.
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.
What the Broligarchs Want From Trump
Tremendous power is flowing to tech and finance magnates.
The Trump-Trumpist Divide
The incoming president wants to do things his voters have not embraced.
A Good Country’s Bad Choice
And what I got wrong about the 2024 election
All Airlines Are Now the Same
Southwest’s open-seating policy will be sorely missed.
The Right Has a Bluesky Problem
The X exodus is weakening a way for conservatives to speak to the masses.
Flying Is Weird Right Now
Is flying less safe? Or are we just paying closer attention?
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.
Elon Musk’s Anti-Semitic, Apartheid-Loving Grandfather
The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker.
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.
The Saruman Trap
When power is corrupt, there is no way to escape its toxic influence.
DNA Tests Are Uncovering the True Prevalence of Incest
People are discovering the truth about their biological parents with DNA—and learning that incest is far more common than many think.
The ‘Democracy’ Gap
Almost all Americans say they support democracy—but they have very different ideas about what the word means.
Best of How To: Spend Time on What You Value
How to make the most of your downtime
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?
I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is
What’s happening in America today is something darker than a misinformation crisis.
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