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May 22, 2025

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Trump’s Latest Meltdown

Attacking the pope was only part of the president’s disturbing night on Truth Social.

Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration

Is the president’s son-in-law carrying out the public’s business or pursuing his own private interests?

SpaceX Is Basically a Huge Meme Stock

The company may be losing money, but it will soon be the most expensive big stock in the market.

How to Guess If Your Job Will Exist in Five Years

Ask yourself: Are you coal, or are you a horse?

A Word for Our Troubled Times

Too many people are living fragmented lives.

5 stories // week 15

Did Trump Just Threaten to Use Nuclear Weapons in Iran?

If such an order comes to pass, the military can and must refuse.

Trump Looks Frantic

So much bluster signifying nothing

Hitler’s Edifice Complex

He was obsessed with adding an expensive new wing to the Reich chancellery, part of his grandiose architectural ambitions for the nation’s capital.

Savannah Guthrie and the Hard Truth About True Crime

Everyone wants a happy outcome. But sometimes, the greatest relief is any ending at all.

The Mind-Body Question

Are we all material—tissues and veins—or is there some nonmaterial substance, some essence, that transcends the corporeal form?

5 stories // week 14

No Good Way Out

Trump has options to end the war with Iran, but they all come with serious liabilities.

The Manosphere Turns on Trump

How many times can a coalition crack before it shatters?

National Security

Building Tanks While the Ukrainians Master Drones

Ukrainian drones have made artillery and armored vehicles look obsolete. Why is the world still buying them?

Nick Fuentes’s Strategy Is Working

Viral clips of the far-right white supremacist are growing his audience.

The Surprising Reason for the New Homophobia

Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats.

5 stories // week 13

National Security

Trump’s Eye Is Already on Cuba

“Regime change is lined up,” awaiting the president’s signal, according to one administration official.

Joe Kent’s Secret

If Trump can never be wrong, then he can only be wronged.

Are They Still Your Friends if You Never See Them?

The friendship crisis of American men

Canceled by Hinge

People are being banned from dating apps without knowing why.

How to Make Better Decisions

Some people look to bold, visionary leaders. Others value technocratic expertise. But there’s a third alternative.

5 stories // week 12

Everyone but Trump Understands What He’s Done

Allied leaders know that any positive gesture they make will count for nothing.

A Possible Upside to the Iran War

Perhaps inadvertently, Trump is revealing the limits of China’s Axis of Autocracy.

National Security

How Much Pain Is Trump Really Willing to Endure?

The outcome of the war in Iran may come down to just how much risk he can take.

The Cure for Snoring

A journey into my larynx

If You Hate Dubai

Dubai has welcomed residents from practically everywhere on Earth, and its openness stands in defiant contrast with Iran.

5 stories // week 11

The Humiliation of J. D. Vance

Trump’s war with Iran shows that, within the administration, the vice president’s opinions matter less and less.

I Recognize the Look on Liam Ramos’s Face

The 5-year-old was briefly held at Dilley, where families are sent after ICE roundups.

The Left Shouldn’t Demonize Homeowners

Zohran Mamdani’s DSA allies malign homeownership. But in New York City, it has changed lives and transformed neighborhoods.

How Did I Become So Averse to Hype?

The Pitt, Severance, Sinners, you name it: For some reason, the more popular something is, the more likely I am to resist it.

A Dating-App Nightmare

Millions of Americans connect online, but do they know who is receiving their messages?

5 stories // week 10

National Security

‘I Have Agreed to Talk’

Trump tells The Atlantic that Iranian leaders want to resume negotiations.

Hubris Without Idealism

Donald Trump has embraced a warped version of the neoconservatism he once derided.

The ‘Crazy’ Plot to Release the Epstein Files

How an unlikely duo of lawmakers partnered with victims to try to hold the powerful accountable

Pete Buttigieg in the Wilderness

He has a beard, a splitting maul, and a house in Michigan. Is that enough to convince America that he’s a man of the people?

In Defense of Effeminate Boys

If anyone had suggested that I might really be a girl, I don’t know how I would have responded.

5 stories // week 9

National Security

The End of Diplomacy

The once-bustling corridors of the State Department are tomblike as ambassadors scrape for information.

President Trump’s State-of-the-Union Variety Show

Were you not entertained?

The Orality Theory of Everything

The decline of reading and the rise of social media are again transforming what it feels like to be a thinking person.

The Meme From 2016 That Explains 2026

The more turbulent the times, the more tempting it is to [gesture around at everything].

Pressure Is Not Just in Your Head

As Olympic athletes know well, stress has actual physical properties.

5 stories // week 8

The Disappointment of Young Trump Voters

Americans under 30 swung to the right in 2024, but they’re not getting what they voted for.

National Security

Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Volodymyr Zelensky

A conversation with the Ukrainian president about where peace talks go from here

National Security

Why Europe Is Talking About Nukes

Declining confidence in America means deepening discussions of collective European deterrence.

First Jobs Matter More Than We Think

They could help us solve society’s biggest problems.

This Is How a Child Dies of Measles

When your family becomes a data point in an outbreak

5 stories // week 7

What Everyone Assumes About Jeffrey Epstein

The theory that Epstein was blackmailing his rich contacts was always based on speculation.

Let Trump Keep Building Monuments to Himself

The president’s penchant for gilded statues and self-glorification might at least help clarify the nature of his leadership.

A Foreign Policy Worse Than Regime Change

The world is threatened by the president’s self-absorption and incoherence.

Stop Meeting Students Where They Are

What I learned when I finally started assigning the hard reading again.

Smart Homes Are Terrible

You shouldn’t need a tech tour and app to turn the lights on.

5 stories // week 6

MAGA’s War on Empathy

This crisis in Minneapolis reveals a deep moral rot at the heart of Trump’s movement.

National Security

Pete Hegseth Delights in Violence

His first year at the Pentagon has been marked by uncomplicated celebrations of death.

Trump Is Doubling Down on All the Wrong Things

Republicans are worried about the midterm elections, but the president doesn’t seem to be.

A Social-Media Ban Really Could Do a Lot of Good

Australia’s experiment is the first of its kind, but the evidence from alcohol, drug, and other bans is promising.

The AI Companies Trying to Make Grief Obsolete

You can buy an AI version of your lost loved one. But should you?

5 stories // week 5

Yes, It’s Fascism

Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny.

What Should Americans Do Now?

We need a mass movement for basic decency.

Welcome to the American Winter

In the frozen streets of Minneapolis, something profound is happening.

Tom Stoppard’s Secret—And Mine

Like the playwright, I grew up knowing nothing about my family’s connection to the Holocaust.

The Upside of Professional Rejection

There’s a better way to approach no’s in your work life.

5 stories // week 4

How to Tell If Your President Is a Dictator

A year into Donald Trump’s second term, labeling his governing style remains an elusive goal.

The Unspeakable, Enabled

This year will decide whether the hatred of women becomes the norm.

Trump Exhaustion Syndrome

Americans can’t seem to keep up.

My Students Write Their Papers Backwards

My job is to help them move beyond their assumptions, in literature and everything else.

The Podcast ‘Productivity’ Trap

Maybe don’t fill every available silence with people talking.

5 stories // week 3

Trump Is Risking a Global Catastrophe

His irrational fixation on Greenland could lead to widespread conflict.

Americans Are Afraid of Authority

But a government that works is one that lets people use their judgment.

From ‘I’m Not Mad at You’ to Deadly Shots in Seconds

Frazzled agents, quick triggers, and a motor-powered protest movement are creating a uniquely dangerous moment on U.S. streets.

The Wrath of Stephen Miller

The man who turns President Trump’s most incendiary impulses into policy

A New Understanding of Human Beings’ Most Basic Desire

The philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s latest book looks beyond happiness as the goal of a well-lived life.

5 stories // week 2

National Security

Trump Threatens Venezuela’s New Leader With a Fate Worse Than Maduro’s

The president told The Atlantic that Delcy Rodríguez needs to comply with U.S. wishes—or else.

Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing

The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system.

The Front-Runner

California’s Gavin Newsom would rather be wrong than weak.

Trump’s Retro Imperialism

The president holds some misguided views about wealth, power, and natural resources.

The People Who Marry Chatbots

A growing community is building a life with large language models.

5 stories // week 1

The Other Way the ‘Super Woke’ Left Discriminates

Race and gender aren’t the only categories that determine who gets special treatment.

Trump Is Suddenly Looking a Lot Smaller

The president is no longer dominating his party or the country in the way he once did.

What I Lost When I Gave Up My Catholicism

Can the Church bring back the formerly faithful?

The Santa Presidency

Trump is trying to fix the economy—by handing out cash.

Get Ready to Start Hearing About Aileen Cannon Again

The Florida-based judge is likely to once again play a central role in politics in the new year.

5 stories // week 52

Circles of Epstein Hell

Though association with the man is certainly worthy of scrutiny, not everyone in his network is guilty of participation in his abusive sexual enterprise—or necessarily guilty at all.

National Security

There’s a 92 Percent Chance Trump Is Making It Up

When riffing, the president exhibits an unusual tell.

How Warren Buffett Did It

The most successful investor of all time is retiring. Here’s what made him an American role model.

Americans Can’t Believe How Rich They Are

The misguided temptation to exaggerate poverty

What I Wish I’d Known When I Was Younger

The three reasons old people are happier that work for any age

5 stories // week 51

The Longest Suicide Note in American History

The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy targets liberal democracy itself.

The Populist Revolt Against Cognitive Elites

The problem with fixating on inequality, oligarchy, and other abstractions

Trump’s Affordability Weave

The president can’t seem to stay focused on the issue that voters care about most.

The Entry-Level Hiring Process Is Breaking Down

Grade inflation and the rise of AI are making it impossible for employers to evaluate recent graduates.

How to Be Happy Like Thomas Aquinas

Modern social science finds that the 13th-century theologian’s recipe for “imperfect happiness” turns out to be perfect.

5 stories // week 50

Trump Is Making the Same Mistake as Biden

Downplaying voters’ economic pain will backfire.

ChatGPT’s Self-Serving Optimism

OpenAI’s new guidelines ask its chatbot to celebrate “innovation,” contradicting its stated goal of objectivity—and raising questions about what objectivity even means.

Make Culture Weird Again

Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.

What Explains Trump’s Aggression Toward Venezuela? Who Knows.

To better understand why the president is inexplicably going after Venezuela, one must study the behavior of small children.

James Patterson’s Maxims for a Happy Life

Here’s what I learned about creativity and contentment from the celebrated author.

5 stories // week 49

The Bubble-Wrapped President

Trump surrounds himself with those who flatter him in places where he is comfortable.

What History’s Fallen Societies Have in Common

A new book argues that civilizations built on centralized wealth and power contain the seeds of their own destruction.

Trump’s Eye-Popping Postelection Windfall

Even though his campaign ended a year ago, the president hasn’t stopped fundraising.

The Movies Got Small, and So Did We

Going to the movies with my dad

The Right Attitude to Gratitude

Being thankful is the ultimate win-win: If the person being thanked feels happy, the person doing the thanking feels happier still.

5 stories // week 48

President Piggy

This is what consequence-free misogyny looks like.

The Conservative Movement’s Intellectual Collapse

Trump is both a product and a cause of the decline in intellectual standards on the right.

The Ghislaine Maxwell Emails

Extra toilet paper is just one of the privileges the former Epstein associate is enjoying in prison.

(Some) MAGA Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

What does it mean to be female and conservative in 2025?

To Get Happier, Make Yourself Smaller

Self-esteem is overrated. The better path to enlightenment is through contemplating one’s insignificance.

5 stories // week 47

Why Trump Gets Away With It

The institutional checks that got the country through Watergate are far weaker now.

Something Feels Different About the Economy

Human brains were not meant to think about trillions of dollars.

Political Parties Have Disconnected From the Public

Across the democratic world, the postwar era’s dominant parties face a populist insurgency.

We’re Thinking About Young Adulthood All Wrong

Twenty-somethings aren’t delayed or doomed.

An Evening Ritual to Realize a Happier Life

The right preparation for a good night’s sleep is valuable for not only your physical health but your mental well-being too.

5 stories // week 46

America Is Great When America Is Good

Those who believe in liberty and dignity must never give in to the forces arrayed against the things we hold dearest.

The Mafia Presidency

Trump is saying, essentially, If you don’t want to get hurt, you’ll do what I say.

No, Women Aren’t the Problem

America is rapidly becoming the manosphere, but sure, let’s go after the “feminization” of culture.

The President’s Most Annoying Buddy

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick remains in his position, despite a series of blunders.

Three Rules for a Lasting Happy Marriage

To keep the flame alive, put love at the center of your life.

5 stories // week 45

A Confederacy of Toddlers

The Trump administration is a regime of troubled children.

The Solution to the Third-Term Threat

Republican leaders need to speak up now, loudly and clearly, against any schemes to put Donald Trump back into the White House yet again.

The Validation Machines

Humanity thrives on friction—so why are the tools of the future built to make everything seem so easy?

Mamdani Is the Foil Trump Wants

Prepare to hear a lot about New York’s new mayor.

The Lonely New Vices of American Life

Booze is down and weed is up, and that’s doing something to us as a country.

5 stories // week 44

The Government Is Closed. The President Is MIA.

Trump has been busy with everything but the government shutdown.

The Age of De-Skilling

Will AI stretch our minds—or stunt them?

Bridesmaid Inflation

Why are we making those we love most suffer for our weddings?

J. B. Pritzker’s Dark Visions

Twenty-seven minutes with the latest governor Donald Trump wants arrested

China Is Building the Future

The United States can learn from its technological success.

5 stories // week 43

Steve Bannon and the Murderers and Hitmen Who Became His ‘Besties’

What the man who has Trump’s ear learned in prison

Resistance Is Cringe—But It’s Also Effective

Dismissing the movement as embarrassing pap ignores what has made it so powerful.

National Security

Pete Hegseth is bringing his fundamentalist interpretation of Christianity into the Pentagon.

The Great Ghosting Paradox

Is there a social phenomenon that’s as infuriating—and as commonplace?

Feeling Desolate? There Is a Cure for That.

Everyone sooner or later faces a dark night of the soul. Don’t hide from yours; learn from it.

5 stories // week 42

Retribution Is Here

The president’s threats of revenge are no longer bluster.

The Emptiness of Attacking Critics for Their Hypocrisy

It’s hard to defend crackdowns on free speech. It’s easier to simply claim everyone’s doing it.

The Lesson of 1929

Debt is the almost singular through line behind every major financial crisis.

Can Gen Z Get Rid of Its iPhones?

My dumbphone does what an app could never do.

The Happiness of Choosing to Walk Alone

Going along with an untruth for fear of disagreeing with others is a form of self-betrayal that will make you miserable.

Ein Gespräch mit "The Atlantic"

Chefredakteur Jeffrey Goldberg und Autor George Packer von "The Atlantic" im Gespräch mit Daniel Benjamin, Präsident der American Academy in Berlin sowie Chefredakteur Wolfgang Krach und Autor Andrian Kreye von der "Süddeutschen Zeitung". Am 03.11.2025 im Residenztheater in München, die Teilnahme ist kostenlos.

5 stories // week 41

The Race to Save America’s Democracy

Trump’s administration may seem chaotic, but Americans should not take the integrity of next year’s elections for granted.

Trump’s Campaign of Vengeance Is Already Backfiring

As the president knows too well, efforts to censor or convict foes can often make them more popular.

Trump Is Successfully Bullying Netanyahu

The more the president puts the prime minister in his place, the more likely it is that the Gaza war will end.

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl

MAGA isn’t going to like this halftime show.

The Mind-Altering Effect of a Good Workout Routine

Few things lift your mood more than going to the gym. Exercise your body, and your mind will thank you.

5 stories // week 40

America’s Zombie Democracy

Its trappings remain, but authoritarianism and AI are hollowing out our humanity.

The Era of Step-on-a-Rake Capitalism

Trumponomics isn’t about economics. It’s about creating pain and demanding tribute.

Trump’s Grand Plan for a Government Shutdown

The Trump administration might use a shutdown to finish the job that DOGE started.

How to Think, Not What to Think

College is not just about transmitting knowledge—it’s also about learning and practicing the skills that connect us to one another.

If I Work Harder, Will You Love Me?

The tragedy of workaholism is the false belief that you can trade toil for affection. Knowing that is the first step to recovery.

5 stories // week 39

Trump Might Be Losing His Race Against Time

The president is gambling that he can consolidate authority before the public turns too sharply against him.

A Government of All the Podcasters

The right-wing podcast-industrial complex is establishing new norms and taboos—and expanding the White House’s power.

Why Trump Changed His Mind on Ukraine

And why he still might change it again

The Running Mate Kamala Harris Didn’t Dare Choose

“I love Pete,” she writes in her new book. But picking a gay man would have been too risky.

Have You Considered Not Polluting the Water?

The tech industry will do anything to solve our loneliness epidemic except stop causing it in the first place.

5 stories // week 38

What Charlie Kirk Told Me About His Legacy

He didn’t just want to win elections. He wanted to win a generation.

What If This Is a Turning Point?

Charlie Kirk’s closest allies will help determine whether the next few weeks bring confrontation, de-escalation, or something in between.

Strawberries in Winter

Most Americans do not want civil war. Anyone who is declaring it should stop.

Democrats Are Still Debating Joe Biden’s Decision to Run

In her new memoir, Kamala Harris takes on the issue that has haunted Democrats for more than a year.

Six Ways to Start Early and Lift Your Mood

Try my protocol for a happy start to the day and see what works for your own well-being.

5 stories // week 37

Fear of Losing the Midterms Is Driving Trump’s Decisions

The specter of investigations and impeachment has fueled many of the president’s most dramatic actions.

The Epstein Letter Is Real, and It’s Bad

The president’s initial strategy of denying that the document exists leaves him with few options now that it has been made public.

The Abundance Delusion

I mean, what even is a Democrat at this point?

The Job Market Is Hell

Young people are using ChatGPT to write their applications; HR is using AI to read them; no one is getting hired.

How to Turn Anxiety Into Adventure

The secret is to turn your feeling of dread into the excitement of opportunity.

5 stories // week 36

The Anti-Trump Strategy That’s Actually Working

Lawsuits, lawsuits, and more lawsuits

How Trump Gets His Way

He commits to actions beyond the outermost limits of executive power, then confronts the courts with a risk of chaos if the limits are enforced.

The MAGA Influencers Rehabilitating Hitler

A growing constituency on the right wants America to unlearn the lessons of World War II.

What We Lose by Distorting the Mission of the National Guard

A compact that has defined the National Guard’s legitimacy for generations is being shattered.

The Marriage Effect

A common narrative has it that commitment and motherhood make women unhappy. New data suggest the opposite is true.

5 stories // week 35

Trump Is Sending a Terrifyingly Clear Message

The president is going after his enemies and undermining the American system.

What Trump Doesn’t Understand About ‘America First’

It’s time for Europe and the United States to accept how different they actually are.

The Virtue of Integrity

The only way out of our wreckage is to rewrite the cultural script, to make excellence in character admired again.

The Defiant Conventionality of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Swifties love seeing him take pride in her success.

Five Baha’i Lessons for a Happier Life

This 19th-century Persian religion has deep, humanistic teachings we can all benefit from.

5 stories // week 34

Trump Keeps Defending Russia

The president sees the Ukraine war through Kremlin-tinted glasses.

Europe’s Free-Speech Problem

Republicans are right to criticize Europe for attacking free expression, even if that makes them hypocritical.

Trump Is a Degrowther

What else do you call a strategy designed to raise prices and lower productivity?

Don’t Believe What AI Told You I Said

The chatbots are lying about me.

The Rise of ‘Cute Debt’

Female shoppers are being pushed toward buy-now-pay-later services.

5 stories // week 33

Trump’s Unforgivable Sin

Voters have proved willing to tolerate corruption, but there’s one thing they won’t ignore.

Vladimir Putin Could Be Laying a Trap

Donald Trump badly wants a deal to end the war in Ukraine. What is he willing to give up?

This Is the News From TikTok

When young adults use the social-media outlet to keep up with current events, what kind of information are they getting?

Donald Trump Doesn’t Really Care About Crime

His plans for Washington, D.C., are a warning to us all.

Resist the Snark and Be Happy

Being courteous can be challenging in these fractious times, but politeness is much better for your well-being.

5 stories // week 32

Emil Bove Is a Sign of the Times

He has demonstrated that total sycophancy to the president can be a fantastic career move.

Explaining away even the most horrific acts of violence by saying some people are just wicked is understandable—but it won’t help us build a safer society.

The Pro-Israel Right Is Shifting the Definition of Anti-Semitism

Building a coalition united by total indifference to Palestinian human rights requires teaming up with people who lack a certain moral refinement when it comes to the Jews.

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones

Children who were raised on screens need more freedom out in the real world.

How to Know You’re Not a Phony

Impostor syndrome can certainly harm your happiness. Here are three ways to get over it.

5 stories // week 31

Trump Is Making Socialism Great Again

Capitalism needs better advocates.

The FBI’s Leaders ‘Have No Idea What They’re Doing’

A casualty of Trump’s purge speaks out.

The Pentagon Against the Think Tanks

Pete Hegseth finds a new enemy.

What Schwarzenegger Knows About George Washington

The former California governor is the latest to recognize that the most remarkable thing about the first president was not how he exercised power, but how he yielded it.

Lunch With Virginia Woolf

On finally reading A Room of One’s Own

5 stories // week 30

What a Democrat Could Do With Trump’s Power

America is entering an age of retributive governing cycles.

This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built

The country is witnessing the creation of an all-powerful institution, and one man is responsible.

Trump’s Campaign to Crush the Media

The president has launched a frontal assault on the journalism business. So far, he’s winning.

That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose.

Endless wait times and excessive procedural fuss—it’s all part of a tactic called “sludge.”

How to Be More Charismatic, but Not Too Much More

It turns out that being charming has a happy mean.

5 stories // week 29

Flattery, Firmness, and Flourishes

World leaders and diplomats quietly swap strategies for managing Trump.

America Has Never Seen Corruption Like This

Trump’s Qatari jet was just the beginning.

Why Trump Can’t Make the Epstein Story Go Away

His brainwashing powers are finite.

To Be Happier, Stop Resisting Change

The Zen of archery is all about learning how to let go.

Pamela Anderson Forever

Alert the incels! The rest of us love her, and we will always love her.

5 stories // week 28

The U.S. Is Switching Sides

Donald Trump is giving Vladimir Putin every incentive to keep killing Ukrainians.

How to build a life

The Ciceronian Secret to Happiness

To feel good, do good.

Welcome to the Mafia Presidency

That’s a nice business you’ve got there.

Why Do So Many People Think That Trump Is Good?

The work of the moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre helps illuminate some central questions of our time.

How Much Worse Is This Going to Get?

Political violence poses an existential threat to our nation and our freedoms—but it’s not too late.

5 stories // week 27

The Red State Where Republicans Aren’t Afraid of Trump

Some of the last remaining GOP holdouts hail from the same state.

What a ‘Spiral of Silence’ Can Do to a Democracy

Protests show people they are not alone in caring about an issue.

The Conservative Attack on Empathy

Sometimes emotions are the voice of one’s conscience, and shouldn’t be ignored.

How to Build a Life

The Ultimate Career Advice: Make Your Work Your Calling

Three ways to find purpose and meaning in a job

The Birth-Rate Crisis Isn’t as Bad as You’ve Heard—It’s Worse

Humanity is set to start shrinking several decades ahead of schedule.

5 stories // week 26

Sinwar’s March of Folly

Seldom has any action backfired so spectacularly as Hamas’s October 7 attack.

Trump Got This One Right

The president has made many poor decisions, but in striking Iran, he acted where his predecessors had failed.

The Vatican Knows an ‘Industrial Revolution’ When It Sees One

To update Catholic teaching for the age of AI, Pope Leo should revisit the 19th century.

The Body-Positivity Movement Is Over

Liv Schmidt and the rise of SkinnyTok.

The True Impact of Trump’s Strike on Iran

The president insists Iran’s nuclear facilities were “totally obliterated.” Not everyone is so sure.

5 stories // week 25

The Tyrant Test

A leader who uses military force to suppress his political opposition ought to lose the right to govern.

Israel’s Bold, Risky Attack

The Israeli campaign may be necessary, but preventive wars carry great moral and practical risks.

Inside the Democratic Rupture That Undermined Kamala Harris’s Presidential Hopes

In the weeks before Election Day, it seemed like the candidate had two campaigns.

The Three Dramatic Consequences of Israel’s Attack on Iran

Great battles, won or lost, change the entire course of events.

Another Side of Modern Fatherhood

We hear a lot about how men are struggling, toxic, or both. Dr. Becky begs to differ.

5 stories // week 24

Trump Is Using the National Guard as Bait

Don’t give him the pretext he wants.

Where Is Barack Obama?

The “audacity of hope” presidency has given way to the fierce lethargy of semi-retirement.

Inside the Trump-Musk Breakup

The president tried to give his billionaire benefactor a dignified exit. It didn’t work.

Hitler Used a Bogus Crisis of ‘Public Order’ to Make Himself Dictator

Using disorder he had helped manufacture, the chancellor seized control of Bavaria.

The Beauty That Moral Courage Creates

A lovely paradox of doing good in the world is that it does you good too.

5 stories // week 23

The Trump Presidency’s World-Historical Heist

He is taking self-enrichment to a scale never seen before in America.

The Secret History of Trump’s Private Cellphone

“Who’s calling?” the president asks as he answers call after call from numbers he doesn’t know.

Strategizing With Ghosts

Memories of the past shape the choices of nations in the present.

The Key to Critical Self-Awareness

The ancient-Greek commandment Know thyself turns out to be a great modern way to become happier, more empathetic, and more successful.

The No. 1 Rule for Understanding Trump

A lot happens under this administration, but a lot un-happens, too.

5 stories // week 22

The Decline and Fall of Elon Musk

The Tesla innovator becomes the latest government employee to lose his job.

How to disappear

Inside the world of extreme-privacy consultants, who, for the right fee, will make you and your personal information very hard to find

The New Dark Age

The Trump administration has launched an attack on knowledge itself.

The Bliss of a Quieter Ego

We live in a world of noisy narcissism, but you can escape the cacophony—and be happier.

The Coming Democratic Civil War

A seemingly wonky debate about the “abundance agenda” is really about power.

5 stories // week 21

„I Run the Country and the World“

Donald Trump believes he’s invincible. But the cracks are beginning to show.

Read The Atlantic’s Interview With Donald Trump

A conversation with the president about executive power, Signalgate, and 24-karat gold

Is the AfD Too Extreme for Democracy?

Germany’s far-right party hates immigration, and some of its leaders have a disturbing tendency to say things that sound Nazi-curious.

The Talented Mr. Vance

J. D. Vance could have brought the country’s conflicting strands together. Instead, he took a divisive path to the peak of power.

Why Are Young People Everywhere So Unhappy?

Here’s the answer to that—and what we can do about it.

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