At USAID, I Prioritized the Wrong Argument
As Republicans seek to demolish the agency, its defenders should appeal to a higher principle than self-interest.
Why Silicon Valley Lost Its Patriotism
The tech industry was built in partnership with government, and it once pursued innovation as part of a shared national project.
A New Kind of Crisis for American Universities
The ivory tower has been breached.
It’s a Model of Government Efficiency, but DOGE Wants It Gone
Musk is going after an agency that exists to protect consumers.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
Trump Says the Corrupt Part Out Loud
It’s infrastructure week, but for bribery.
DOGE Raises Red Flags for National Security
Elon Musk’s takeover of federal agencies is a counterintelligence crisis.
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 Illegal Drug at Every Corner Store
Nitrous oxide is widely available as long as everyone pretends it’s being used for whipped cream. An industry has arisen to exploit that loophole.
What the Color Blue Reveals About Black Life
Imani Perry’s revelatory new book examines the intersections between the hue and the history of her people.
Afrikaner ‘Refugees’ Only
Trump wants to “promote the resettlement” of white South Africans.
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 Man in the Midnight-Blue Six-Ply Italian-Milled Wool Suit
A perfect suit, made by an expert tailor out of superlative fabric, would do nothing less than transform me.
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.
The Government Waste DOGE Should Be Cutting
The problem that really needs fixing is not the public employees but the private contractors—and Elon Musk is one of them.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
DOGE Is Failing on Its Own Terms
The Trump administration’s cuts to university research grants will make America sicker and poorer in the long run.
Understanding Deafness: Not Everyone Wants to Be 'Fixed'
Hearing people often assume that Deaf people would naturally want to take advantage of any method that could lead them to the hearing world. In reality, that assumption is far from true.
Presidents May Not Unilaterally Dismantle Government Agencies
That’s not how separation of powers works under the U.S. Constitution.
ADHD’s Sobering Life-Expectancy Numbers
The benefits of an early diagnosis are only becoming clearer.