America Is Now Counting on You, Pete Hegseth
My advice for the incoming secretary of defense
How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days
He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.
The Walmart Effect
New research suggests that the company makes the communities it operates in poorer—even taking into account its famous low prices.
Evangelicals Made a Bad Trade
Hitching the evangelical wagon to Donald Trump has meant unhitching it from the life and teachings of Jesus.
The Chaos in Higher Ed Is Only Getting Started
Grant reviews have been suspended at the NIH. This could be an omen.
The January 6er Who Left Trumpism
Not every Capitol rioter was a card-carrying seditionist; some have regrets, and a few are even refusing a pardon. Jason Riddle is one.
How America Claimed a Breathtaking Fortune at the Bottom of the Ocean
It made itself bigger.
My Last Trial
I’ve been fighting this charge for half my life.
Starbucks’ Most Beloved Offering Is Disappearing
It’s the end of free bathrooms—and of a particular fantasy.
Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?
The sound of gentrification is silence.
Blind Partisanship Does Not Actually Help Trump
The president is surrounding himself with people who may be television-ready but are not prepared to lead the country.
The Myth of a Loneliness Epidemic
Americans may not actually feel more desolate than they did in the past.
A Christ-Lite Sermon
Nothing is more Christian than protecting vulnerable immigrants. Why couldn’t Bishop Mariann Budde just say that?
You’re Being Alienated From Your Own Attention
Every single aspect of human life is being reoriented around the pursuit of attention.
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.
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
MAGA Is Starting to Crack
Now that Trump is president again, the right’s moment of unity is over.
There Is No Resistance
The response to the January 6 pardons shows that the president faces no effective constraints from within his party.
The Anti-Social Century
Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. It’s changing our personalities, our politics, and even our relationship to reality.