The New Yorker
Love Machines
Stories about human-robot relationships push our buttons, Jennifer Wilson writes. Two new novels, “Annie Bot” and “Loneliness & Company,” reflect anxieties about A.I. coming for our hearts as well as for our jobs.
Above the Fold
Essential reading for today.
The War Games of Israel and Iran
While Netanyahu and the Islamic Republic exchange ballistic “messages,” the question of Palestine demands the moral and strategic courage of actual statesmen.
East Palestine, After the Crash
More than a year after a train derailment and chemical fire in Ohio that made international news, residents contend with lingering sickness, uncertainty, and a desire to just move on.
When a Pro-Free-Speech Dean Shuts Down a Student Protest
An online argument erupted after a video of a law professor grabbing a microphone from a student went viral. But the debate has obscured some fairly basic truths.
The Tortured Poetry of Taylor Swift’s New Album
“The Tortured Poets Department” has moments of tenderness. But it suffers from being too long and too familiar.
What Is Noise?
Sometimes we embrace it, sometimes we hate it—and everything depends on who is making it.
Get Real
Video-game engines designed to mimic the mechanics of the real world are now being used in movies, architecture, and military exercises. How did software like Unreal Engine become the invisible infrastructure of our world?
The Political Scene
Did Mike Johnson Just Get Religion on Ukraine?
The Speaker’s sudden willingness to bring foreign-aid bills to the House floor risks his Speakership—and Trump’s wrath.
Will Biden’s Pro-Labor Feats Matter in November?
The President is winning over union leaders, but not necessarily rank-and-file voters.
Donald Trump’s Trial of the Century
Manhattan prosecutors have argued that the Stormy Daniels case is about much more than hush money. And legal experts believe that a conviction is likely.
The Supreme Court Asks What Enron Has to Do with January 6th and Trump
The former President notwithstanding, the government’s position in Fischer v. United States is unsettling.
The Highest Tree House in the Amazon
In 2023, conservationists and carpenters converged on Peru to build luxury accommodations in the rain-forest canopy.
The Catastrophe in Gaza
Is This Israel’s Forever War?
Foreign-policy analysts whose careers were shaped by the war on terror see troubling parallels.
How Gaza’s Largest Mental-Health Organization Works Through War
Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei on providing counselling services to Palestinian children.
The Children Who Lost Limbs in Gaza
More than a thousand children who were injured in the war are now amputees. What do their futures hold?
My Family’s Daily Struggle to Find Food in Gaza
In my homeland, where we used to cook and celebrate together, my relatives are eating animal feed to keep from starving.
How to Die in Good Health
The average American celebrates just one healthy birthday after the age of sixty-five. Peter Attia argues that it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Critics
How to Both-Sides a “Civil War”
In his new film, Alex Garland seems to be using our dire politics as buzzy I.P. while tap-dancing around conversations that might get him in trouble.
Ralph Fiennes Sidles His Way Into Power as Macbeth
A hit British production of Shakespeare’s ever-timely tragedy arrives in D.C.
Anni Albers Transformed Weaving, Then Left It Behind
Her textiles are quiet revelations, but even her later prints show how restraint can generate ravishing beauty.
The Rediscovery of a Depression-Era Masterpiece
A new restoration of Frank Borzage’s “Man’s Castle,” starring Loretta Young and Spencer Tracy, showcases the visionary Hollywood director’s lusty yet spiritual artistry.
Trump’s America, Seen Through the Eyes of Russell Banks
In his last book, “American Spirits,” Banks took stories from the news about rural, working-class life and turned them into fables of national despair.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Relatable Superstardom on the Guts Tour
The pop star appears to revel in pleasure—even when she knows that whatever it is she’s thirsting after will probably get her into trouble.
What We’re Reading This Week
A collection of piquant essays on our predilection for minimalism; a striking début novel that touches on the welfare system; a memoir that charts the investigation of a mother’s murder across a quarter century; and more.
Goings On
Recommendations from our writers on what to read, eat, watch, listen to, and more.
It’s Taylor Swift Day, Again
An appraisal upon the release of the highly anticipated album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and our senior editor Tyler Foggatt’s picks for Swift’s most quietly devastating tracks.
A Classic Book Recalls When Preachers Were Rock Stars
A new reissue of Robert Shaplen’s entertaining account of the Henry Ward Beecher adultery trial harks back to a time in America that seems both incomprehensible and familiar, Louis Menand writes.
“The Sympathizer” Has an Identity Crisis
Inkoo Kang reviews HBO’s adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel—a genre-bending TV series that’s part espionage thriller, part war drama, and part Hollywood satire.
Mexican-ish Fine Dining, with Detours
In the Lower East Side, Helen Rosner visits Corima, which offers attention-grabbing tortillas, Japanese flourishes, and an ambitious tasting menu that hasn’t quite found its stride.
The Internet’s New Favorite Philosopher
Byung-Chul Han, in treatises such as “The Burnout Society” and his latest, “The Crisis of Narration,” diagnoses the frenetic aimlessness of the digital age.
Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation
People may fervently espouse symbolic beliefs, cognitive scientists say, but they don’t treat them the same as factual beliefs. It’s worth keeping track of the difference.
Ideas
Are Flying Cars Finally Here?
They have long been a symbol of a future that never came. Now a variety of companies are building them—or something close.
So You Think You’ve Been Gaslit
“Gaslighting” has evolved from a niche clinical concept to a casual diagnosis. Or maybe you’re just imagining it.
The Slouching Epidemic
Since the early twentieth century, poor posture has been linked to poverty, bad health, and civilizational decadence. But does the real problem lie elsewhere?
“The Smallest Power”
In Andy Sarjahani’s animated short, an Iranian woman finds power—and a new love of her nation—in protest.
Puzzles & Games
Take a break and play.
In Case You Missed It
The Talk of the Town
That they were “not young,” though described by observers as “amazingly youthful,” must have been a strong component of their attraction to each other.Continue reading »
Shouts & Murmurs
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