News & Politics
The Complex Business of Vaccine Mandates
Tougher mandates may be necessary—but we shouldn’t ignore the harm that they can cause.
- Letter from Biden’s Washington
The Trump Presidency Is Still an Active Crime Scene
It’s hard to consign the Trump years to the history books when we remain in the middle of the crisis that they sparked.
- Elements
The Mysterious Case of the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory
Did the virus spring from nature or from human error?
The Latest
Joe Biden’s Afghanistan Problem
If the Administration fails to help stabilize the beleaguered country, a withdrawal that appeared politically deft could prove damaging.
The First Taste of Adele’s Divorce Album
A new single, “Easy on Me,” reminds us how Adele has succeeded while resisting almost every force of modern pop music.
William Shatner Reacts to a Real Space Trip as Only He Can
Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” has had a long life in the public relations of space.
The Republicans Running to Support Donald Trump
Don Bolduc, a retired Army general and candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, is one of many political aspirants who believe that the 2020 election was stolen.
Features
Stash-House Stings Carry Real Penalties for Fake Crimes
The undercover operations seem like entrapment, but their targets can receive long sentences—sometimes even harsher than those for genuine crimes.
Seventy-Two Hours Under the Heat Dome
A chronicle of a slow-motion climate disaster that became one of Oregon’s deadliest calamities.
The Shadow Penal System for Struggling Kids
The Christian organization Teen Challenge, made up of more than a thousand centers, claims to reform troubled teens. But is its discipline more like abuse?
Paul McCartney Doesn’t Really Want to Stop the Show
Half a century after the Beatles broke up, he’s still correcting the record—and making new ones.
Video
Surviving the Horror of Residential Schools by Skateboarding
In “Joe Buffalo,” an indigenous skateboarder overcomes addiction and trauma stemming from his years in Canada’s Church-run school system.
Podcasts
Susan Orlean’s Animal Obsession, and an Interview with Merrick Garland
The author of “The Orchid Thief” on her fascination with how we communicate across species. And Jane Mayer asks the Attorney General about prosecuting the January 6th rioters.