That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose.
Endless wait times and excessive procedural fuss—it’s all part of a tactic called “sludge.”
What Moving Your Body Can Mean
Sometimes it takes a new community or type of exercise to reset your relationship with working out.
Ken Casey: ‘I’m Not Going to Shut Up’
A conversation with the Dropkick Murphys front man about punk, politics, and Donald Trump
The Whole Country Is Starting to Look Like California
Housing prices are rising fast in red and purple states known for being easy places to build. How can that be?
The Non-Exoneration of Diddy
Sean Combs’s acquittal on a racketeering charge doesn’t erase his history as a domestic abuser.
The Ciceronian Secret to Happiness
To feel good, do good.
Nobody Cares If Music Is Real Anymore
“Rubber burns, the map fades away / Chasing the ghosts of yesterday.” Sure, fine.
The Feminine Pursuit of Swoleness
Casey Johnston’s new book, A Physical Education, considers how weight lifting can help you unlearn diet culture.
A Sea Story
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place in 1994. It remains very much in the public eye. On a stormy night on the Baltic Sea, more than 850 people lost their lives when a luxurious ferry sank below the waves. From a mass of material, including official and unofficial reports and survivor testimony, our correspondent has distilled an account of the Estonia’s last moments—part of his continuing coverage for the magazine of anarchy on the high seas.
An AI That Couldn’t Care Less About Humans
The quirky show Murderbot suggests that intelligent machines might be interested in something other than humanity.
The Most Perverse Part of the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
The Republican megabill could be setting America up for the worst energy-affordability crisis since the 1970s.
Why Can’t Americans Sleep?
Insomnia has become a public-health emergency.
Trump Targets Google After Meta and X Payouts
Mark Zuckerberg paid $25 million. Elon Musk followed with $10 million. Now it could be Sundar Pichai’s turn.
A Classic Childhood Pastime Is Fading
Kids on bikes once filled the streets. Not anymore.
The Type of Love That Makes People Happiest
When it comes to lasting romance, passion has nothing on friendship.
No One Loves the Bill (Almost) Every Republican Voted For
But they didn’t want to anger the president.
Ah, Exactly What the Founders Wanted!
“Understandably, after almost 250 years, the legislature is tired of being a coequal branch of government and wants to take a nap.”
Your Summer Project: Watching These Movies
Twelve franchises, genres, and filmographies to dig into
The Invisibility of Older Women
As they age, women experience less public scrutiny—and entertain a wider set of choices about when and how they are seen.
The World Economy Is on the Brink of Epochal Change
Capitalism’s operating system is due for a major upgrade. How that turns out depends on enormously consequential political choices.
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