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.
Why Rich People Don’t Cover Their Windows
An unexpected status symbol has become a fixture of high-end homes.
A Writer Who Slows Down the Speed-Reader
Culture and entertainment musts from Ashley Parker
Welcome to the Mafia Presidency
That’s a nice business you’ve got there.
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 AI Birthday Letter That Blew Me Away
Google is ushering in an era of custom chatbots.
Your Sweaters Are Garbage
The quality of knitwear has cratered. Even expensive sweaters have lost their hefty, lush glory.
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?
Ken Casey: ‘I’m Not Going to Shut Up’
A conversation with the Dropkick Murphys front man about punk, politics, and Donald Trump
What Trump—And the U.S.—Can’t Understand About Air Strikes
American leaders refuse to learn from allies and overestimate the benefits of showy tactical attacks.
Trump World’s Wizard of Oz Problem
Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon don’t speak for Trump or his base. So why do people think they do?
Hurricane Science Was Great While It Lasted
The U.S. is hacking away at support for state-of-the-art forecasting.
The Ciceronian Secret to Happiness
To feel good, do good.
Why China Isn’t a Bigger Player in the Middle East
Iran and Israel came to blows, and Beijing mostly ducked.
They Didn’t Have to Do This
By passing Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, congressional Republicans have talked themselves into an incomprehensibly reckless plan.
Lamentations
A short story
Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think
Here’s how to make the most of it.
The Non-Exoneration of Diddy
Sean Combs’s acquittal on a racketeering charge doesn’t erase his history as a domestic abuser.
The Nobel Prize Winner Who Thinks We Have the Universe All Wrong
Cosmologists are fighting over everything.
What Moving Your Body Can Mean
Sometimes it takes a new community or type of exercise to reset your relationship with working out.
/media/img/mt/2025/07/2025_06_25_Gdrive_mpg_1/original.gif)