The Walmart Effect
New research suggests that the company makes the communities it operates in poorer—even taking into account its famous low prices.
A Novel That Performs an Incomplete Resurrection
Lily Tuck’s attempt to bring to life a victim of the Holocaust turns her into a prosecutor, not a novelist.
Doomed to Be a Tradwife
Can a marriage ever truly be equal?
Elon Has Appointed Himself King of the World
After helping Trump win the election, the world’s richest man is turning his attention to Europe.
The Intellectual Rationalization for Annexing Greenland
Donald Trump’s defenders have little choice but to cast his trolling as a clever geopolitical stratagem.
A Palestinian American Sex and the City
Betty Shamieh’s debut novel is a rebellious rom-com.
Altadena After the Fire
The pain of one of the last middle-class towns in Los Angeles
Watch—And Rewatch—This 215-Minute Film
The Brutalist’s ambitious gamble with the audience mostly pays off.
Climate Models Can’t Explain What’s Happening to Earth
Global warming is moving faster than the best models can keep a handle on.
Is Anyone Shocked by Babygirl?
Don’t look to Nicole Kidman for a frank accounting of what sexual domination looks like.
Bird Flu Is a National Embarrassment
America should have more aggressively intervened almost a year ago.
Parents Are Gaming Their Kids’ Credit Scores
Because of course they are.
You’re Going to Die. That’s a Good Thing.
If you can accept your mortality, you will feel more alive.
Invisible Habits Are Driving Your Life
The science of habits reveals that they can be hidden to us and unresponsive to our desires.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
The Internet Is Worse Than a Brainwashing Machine
A rationale is always just a scroll or a click away.
The Unfightable Fire
The many fires burning around Los Angeles are pressing the limits of firefighting.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
Why Poor American Kids Are So Likely to Become Poor Adults
Most scholarship on the subject focuses on conditions during childhood. But government support during adulthood plays the biggest role.
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.