The New Yorker
What Is Noise?
Sometimes we embrace it, sometimes we hate it—and everything depends on who is making it. With a universal definition hovering out of reach, the discourse concerning noise often starts with the personal, Alex Ross writes.
Above the Fold
Essential reading for today.
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 Fate of Israel’s Hostages After Iran’s Rocket Attack
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu oversees an increasingly fraught regional confrontation, the families of Hamas captives work to free their loved ones.
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.
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.
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 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.
The Political Scene
Trump’s Busy Court Calendar
The first criminal trial of a former President starts this week. After all the legal posturing, the action will finally get real—that’s the theory, anyway.
Israel’s Momentous Decision
After Iran’s dramatic but largely ineffective attack, Benjamin Netanyahu’s response will have tremendous consequences.
The Abortion Crisis That Trump Created
The post-Roe paradox is that every crazy court decision, every extremist vote by a Republican-controlled state legislature, may help the Democrats politically, while having terrible consequences in the meantime for the real people affected.
An End to the “Vibecession”?
The Labor Department shows the economy powering ahead, with historic job growth. Yet many voters’ perceptions remain negative.
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.
Inside Israel’s Bombing Campaign in Gaza
The Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham on his investigations of the I.D.F.’s use of A.I.-backed targeting systems and the dire cost to Palestinian civilians.
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
“The Sympathizer” Has an Identity Crisis
The HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel is part espionage thriller, part war drama, and part Hollywood satire—wild genre shifts that come at the expense of its protagonist’s interiority.
“Civil War” Presents a Striking but Muddled State of Disunion
Kirsten Dunst plays a war photographer in the trenches of Alex Garland’s speculative dystopian thriller.
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.
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.
The Unseen Sides of Francesca Woodman
A new show at the Gagosian Gallery showcases the photographer’s tragically abbreviated career, including a never-before-exhibited masterpiece.
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.
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An Accident in Space
In April of 1970, an explosion on the Apollo 13 spacecraft put the mission and its crew in jeopardy. Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr., reported on how Apollo 13 got lost in space—then made it back to Earth.
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?
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.
Puzzles & Games
Take a break and play.
In Case You Missed It
“The Smallest Power”
In Andy Sarjahani’s animated short, an Iranian woman finds power—and a new love of her nation—in protest.
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 »
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