The Tariffs Were Never Real
Donald Trump does not appear eager to follow through on one of his biggest campaign promises.
The ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly’ of the United States Government
Elon Musk’s bureaucratic coup is under way.
Trump and Musk Are Destroying the Basics of a Healthy Democracy
An apolitical bureaucracy run by public servants who respect the law is one of the greatest achievements a society can attain—and these two men have no respect for it.
Are We Thinking About Gun Violence All Wrong?
The unexpected origins of gun crime
Dear Therapist: I Was the Other Woman
I know I sound naive, but this wasn’t like a “normal” affair.
America’s ‘Marriage Material’ Shortage
Adults are significantly less likely to be married or to live with a partner than they used to be.
A Sea Story
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place two decades ago. 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.
The Dictatorship of the Engineer
The right claims to loathe technocracy—but it has empowered Elon Musk to remake the government.
The ‘Exciting Business Opportunity’ That Ruined Our Lives
Amway sold my family a life built on delusion.
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
What’s Up With All the Sex Parties?
“What we do, you can’t do onstage at Lincoln Center.”
Trump Advisers Stopped Musk From Hiring a Noncitizen at DOGE
The world’s richest man still relies on the president for his authority.
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.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
Seventy Miles in Hell
The Darién Gap was once considered impassable. Now hundreds of thousands of migrants are risking treacherous terrain, violence, hunger, and disease to travel through the jungle to the United States.
Dear Therapist: My Family Hates My Mother
She picks fights, doesn’t listen to others, and makes everyone uncomfortable. Nobody wants to invite her to events—and I feel awful about it.
The Army of God Comes Out of the Shadows
Tens of millions of American Christians are embracing a charismatic movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation, which seeks to destroy the secular state.
The Efficacy of Prayer
“The very question ‘Does prayer work?’ puts us in the wrong frame of mind from the outset.”
The Constitutional Crisis Is Here
If Congress won’t stop Donald Trump and Elon Musk from arrogating its power over federal spending, who will?
Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad
Americans who most reap the benefits of marriage are the same class who get to declare monogamy passé and boring.