The Democrats Show Why They Lost
At a meeting of the DNC, the party seemed to be at pains to demonstrate that it learned nothing from its 2024 defeat.
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.
A Novelist Who Looks Into the Dark
Ali Smith scrambles plotlines, upends characters, and flouts chronology—while telling propulsively readable stories.
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.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
What Christopher Hitchens Understood About the Parthenon
The British Museum should return the ancient treasures to Greece for the sake of art, not nationalism.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
Maha Kumbh Mela: The Largest Gathering in the World
Images from a Hindu festival in India, expected to attract more than 400 million visitors
Purging the Government Could Backfire Spectacularly
Donald Trump might miss the bureaucrats when the next crisis hits.
Dear Therapist: I Was the Other Woman
I know I sound naive, but this wasn’t like a “normal” affair.
The ‘Exciting Business Opportunity’ That Ruined Our Lives
Amway sold my family a life built on delusion.
The Race-Blind College-Admissions Era Is Off to a Weird Start
After the fall of affirmative action, things have not gone the way anyone expected.
America’s First True Dictator
For a playbook on how to capture the state, look at the tenure of Louisiana Governor Huey Long.
My Friend’s Instagram Account Has Taken a Dark Turn
I want to reach out, but I’m not sure how.
The Efficacy of Prayer
“The very question ‘Does prayer work?’ puts us in the wrong frame of mind from the outset.”
World War I in Photos: Technology
Industrialization brought massive changes to warfare during the Great War. Newly-invented killing machines begat novel defense mechanisms, which, in turn spurred the development of even deadlier technologies. Nearly every aspect of what we would consider modern warfare debuted on World War I battlefields.
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.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
The Tasks of an Anti-Trump Coalition
Avoid progressive pieties and rebuild an effective democratic majority
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.