This is an episode from our archives. Even before the divisive presidential election, family estrangement was on the rise. Now, as holiday gatherings approach, many people are grappling with difficult family dynamics. Psychologist Joshua Coleman, the auth...

With the release of her James Beard Award–winning cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat catapulted to international fame. But amid big life changes and loss in the years that followed, she struggled to redefine her connection to cooking. With her s...

Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has spent the past two decades on the front lines of many of the world’s defining conflicts and humanitarian crises — from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, and Russia’s inv...

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income nations — and, according to the CDC, more than 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. In her new book, Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America, journalist Ir...

Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has become one of the most influential figures shaping Trump’s second term. He’s the main driver of efforts to weaken federal agencies and push through sweeping government layoffs. In a r...

Zohran Mamdani is leading New York City’s mayoral race by double digits. But not long ago, the democratic socialist was a relatively unknown state assemblyman. New Yorker staff writer Eric Lach recently profiled Mamdani, tracing his unique biography to his...

Sports betting has exploded in the U.S.: The Supreme Court gave states the power to legalize it in 2018, and, by the end of this year, it will be allowed in 39 states and Washington, D.C. In his book Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, a...

The rise of the Make America Healthy Again movement reflects a larger trend: declining trust in public-health institutions in the U.S. In response, the creators of a new podcast, Why Should I Trust You?, bring MAHA supporters and health experts together in...

In just a few years, U.S. school districts have gone from blocking AI tools to welcoming them into classrooms. In a recent story for Bloomberg Businessweek, contributing writer Vauhini Vara reports on how these tools are being used — and what they mean for...

Earlier this month, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University. The public response has amplified political divisions, leaving many people feeling anxious about the state of the country. Sean Westwood, dir...

The Constitution has been amended 27 times, but the last meaningful change was over half a century ago. In her new book, We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution, historian Jill Lepore argues that the near impossibility of amendment in recent deca...

When Christine was 9, her mother began having delusions that upended their family’s life. Her mother was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, but treatments had no effect. Nearly two decades later, after she started medication for cancer, her psychosis...

Hundreds of thousands of Americans seek help for opioid addiction each year, but too often, they’re met with a rehab system that fails them. Many programs operate with little oversight, prioritizing profit over care, while proven medications remain out of ...

This is an episode from our archives. Reality shows — like Survivor, The Bachelor, and Love Is Blind — are some of the most-watched TV series in the U.S. But how much “reality” is actually being shown? In her book Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV,...

When Sudan’s civil war broke out in 2023, two military factions violently dismantled the country’s infrastructure, causing devastation for civilians. Now millions face famine, sexual violence, and mass displacement as international aid has dwindled after U...

“No tax on tips” is a provision in President Trump’s new tax-and-spending bill that promises a tax break for tipped workers. But nearly 40% of these workers don’t earn enough to pay federal income tax and won’t directly benefit from the policy. In his late...

The immigration landscape in the U.S. has shifted dramatically since President Trump began his second term. ICE raids and arrests have surged — including among migrants without criminal records — leaving detention facilities overflowing and families in cri...

Maternity homes are resurging in the post-Roe era. These facilities are meant to provide temporary housing and other services to pregnant people in need. But many are rooted in restrictive Christian ideology — and some former residents say they were coerce...

Public support for the death penalty has been slowly declining in America. But under President Trump, executions have spiked. In her recent piece, “Inside America’s Death Chambers,” Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig describes witnessing five executio...

New York Times critic Amanda Hess has spent years writing about the internet, technology, and culture. But when she became pregnant, and then a new parent, she was surprised by how much tech infiltrated — and tried to optimize — every aspect of her life. I...