Ideas

Salman Rushdie and the Cult of Offense

This is what happens when you debase free expression in the name of free expression.

How the Rosary Became an Extremist Symbol

The AR-15 is a sacred object among Christian nationalists. Now “radical-traditional” Catholics are bringing a sacrament of their own to the movement.

Generation Z Doesn’t Remember When America Worked

Young Americans face a dire economy—and steep odds against political change.

Dead to Rights

What did the state of Alabama do to Joe Nathan James in the three hours before his execution?

To Support Salman Rushdie, Just Read Him

The author would like to be known for more than the Satanic Verses controversy. We can do something about that.

Asking Gay Men to Be Careful Isn’t Homophobia

Public-health officials don’t need to tiptoe around how monkeypox is currently being transmitted.

Trump’s Scandals Are Never Done

And they seem to always get worse.

All Because Salman Rushdie Wrote a Book

Just as the mind recoils at the sight of a single book burned, the spilled blood of an author inspires revulsion.

Not Even the President Can Declassify Nuclear Secrets

Fan letters and snapshots are one matter, and launch codes are another—and here the details of classification might decide just how much trouble Trump is in.

Liz Cheney, the Republican From the State of Reality

She isn’t really fighting to keep her seat in Congress. She’s fighting Donald Trump.

It’s Not Just Long COVID

Society has been underestimating the long-term consequences of viruses, bacterial infections, and parasites for ages.

Now They’re Calling for Violence

Trump loyalists have reacted to the search of the ex-president’s Mar-a-Lago residence with unhinged fury.

Trump Will Release the Warrant

When it’s good for Trump, and not before

Why Serena Williams’s Retirement Is Different

Her name is synonymous with tennis itself.

‘The Opposite of a Raid’

A former federal prosecutor explains what might have gone into the search warrant executed at Mar-a-Lago.

How California Exported Its Worst Problem to Texas

The pandemic was supposed to ease high housing prices in coastal superstar cities. Instead, it spread them nationwide.

The Other Ukrainian Army

Imperiled by Russian invaders, private citizens are stepping forward to do what Ukraine’s government cannot.

Lessons From a Lonely, Trump-Defiant Republican

Seeking reelection? It won’t be easy.

The Bad and Good News About Trump’s Violent Supporters

The FBI search at Mar-a-Lago prompts sincere talk of violence. But some threats remain mere threats.

Conservatives Believe Trump Is Above the Law

Republicans’ reflexive insistence that the Mar-a-Lago raid is politically motivated is unmoored from the available evidence.