October 2009

Andrew Sullivan asks George W. Bush to apologize for authorizing torture; Mark Bowden says TV journalism is the work of political hitmen—not journalists; Robert D. Kaplan praises Al-Jazeera; Christopher Hitchens decries the smug satire of liberal humorists; Megan McArdle on why Goldman always wins; and much more.

Features

The Story Behind the Story

Much of the news you see on TV is the work of political hit men—not journalists. And it’s only getting worse.

Why I Love Al Jazeera

The Arab TV channel is visually stunning, exudes hustle, and covers the globe like no one else. Just beware of its insidious despotism.

The Moguls’ New Clothes

Don’t blame the Internet for the dismal performance of big media companies. Blame inept executives.

The California Experiment

The state may be a budgetary disaster, but its energy policies are a blueprint for national innovation.

Dear President Bush,

An open letter to the one man who can repair the moral damage caused by torture

Dispatches

The Doctor’s War

Civilians face harsh choices at Army field hospitals.

Sing to the Lord a New Song

Among the young believers at the new Christian-rock hot spot.

Village Dreamers

Two Americans try to save a Chinese town from kitsch.
Slideshow: James Fallows visits the Lindens in Xizhou

Mourning in Chicago

A funeral home’s business is growing, for all the wrong reasons.

Go North, Young Man!

Becoming a Canadian has its advantages.

Sugar and Spice

Reinventing old-fashioned candy, naturally

A Hundred Miles on the Erie Canal

Cruising across upstate New York, at five miles per hour
Slideshow: Rachel Dickinson narrates a photo tour of the Erie Canal

The Green Case for Cities

Forget the solar panels and the rain barrels—if you want to save energy, leave the suburbs.

Books

Life In (and After) Our Great Recession

What histories of the Depression era tell us about middle-class families in crisis, then and now

Cheap Laughs

The smug satire of liberal humorists debases our comedy—and our national conversation.

Cover to Cover

A. S. Byatt's latest; fear and loathing of the future; God is still dead; and more

Columns

Why Goldman Always Wins

What do investment bankers, wedding planners, funeral directors, and movie-trailer voice-over artists have in common? High fees for high-stakes, once-in-a-lifetime deals.

Brit Wit

The comic invasion of Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand
Video: James Parker contrasts Russell Brand's lanky sensuality with Ricky Gervais's dumpy materialism


Video

Miami: The Next Big Start-Up City?

How the city became a center for innovation

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A Brief History of Romantic Comedies

From The Atlantic's Chris Orr

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Life in 'the New Arctic'

A moving portrait of a fading landscape

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The Rise of New York City

A fascinating look at Manhattan in the 1940s

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'I Thought It Was Really Funny, but No One Else Did'

A day with New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator

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New Yorkers: The Winemaker

Make your own wine ... in New York City

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What Is Methane Hydrate?

"Flaming ice" is a vast natural energy source

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NASA's Time-Lapse of the Sun

Now with epic dubstep music

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A Video Letter From the Editor

Highlights from the May 2013 issue

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Shaken Not Tuned: Cocktail Experiments

Can a tuning fork improve a cocktail?

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The Rise of Environmentalism

Tracking 50 years, from the Love Canal disaster to Greenpeace

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Is He Cheating? A 1950s Guide

'That little blonde secretary from the office?’

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New Yorkers: Vintage Vacuum-Tube Amps

Risking electric shock to restore old amplifiers

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The DIY Piano-Bicycle

Everybody needs a hobby

Writers

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