What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind
Grief, conspiracy theories, and one family’s search for meaning in the two decades since 9/11
The Magic Mountain Saved My Life
When I was young and adrift, Thomas Mann’s novel gave me a sense of purpose. Today, its vision is startlingly relevant.
The Democrats’ Senate Nightmare Is Only Beginning
If the party doesn’t figure out how to compete in more states, perpetual GOP dominance is all but assured.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
Trump Signals That He’s Serious About Mass Deportation
These are not the staff picks of someone who doesn’t mean what he says.
How Can I Find More Satisfaction in Work?
My job consumes and torments me. There has to be a better way.
Democracy Is Not Over
Americans who care about democracy have every right to feel appalled and frightened. But then they have work to do.
The Queer Author Who Spoke the Plain Truth
Dorothy Allison, the Bastard Out of Carolina author who died last week, modeled the power of honesty in her writing and her life.
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.
There Really Is a Deep State
It’s nothing like what Donald Trump says it is.
The Democrats Need an Honest Conversation on Gender Identity
The party went into an election with policies it couldn’t defend—or even explain.
The Exhibit That Will Change How You See Impressionism
The National Gallery’s “Paris 1874” explores the movement’s dark origins.
To Find Alien Intelligence, Start With the Mountains
The key to complex life might be hiding miles below our feet.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
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 Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
X Is a White-Supremacist Site
Elon Musk has made one of Twitter’s most glaring problems into a core feature on X.
A ‘Crazy’ Idea for Treating Autoimmune Diseases Might Actually Work
Lupus has long been considered incurable—but a series of breakthroughs are fueling hope.
Why People Itch, and How to Stop It
Scientists are discovering lots of little itch switches.
Trump Won. Now What?
The United States is about to become a different kind of country.