How Fake People Became Real Influencers
AI avatars are redefining influence and trust online.
Trump Is Wishcasting Victory in Iran
The president went from threatening that “a whole civilization will die” to claiming a “total and complete victory.” What does the already shaky cease-fire mean as he tries to steer his way out of the war?
What It Means to Be American
Fareed Zakaria and David Frum on whether they regret becoming American citizens. Plus: how 18 years of economic turmoil ushered in a new populist era, and a discussion of Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino.
Is AI Going to Turn Us All Into Middle Managers?
What AI is actually doing to the workforce
The Manosphere Feels Betrayed
The Epstein files, Alex Pretti, now Iran?
Watching War From the Strait of Hormuz
Graeme Wood on what he saw at the Strait of Hormuz and the lockdown of oil in the Persian Gulf. Plus: Trump’s war-information blackout and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense at 250 years old.
What Is Twitter’s Legacy, 20 Years Later?
An early Twitter exec reckons with the monster he helped create.
Meet the New ICE
Same as the old ICE?
The Far-Right Algorithm: Anti-Churchill, Anti-West
The historian Andrew Roberts on why many right-wing podcasters now believe that the wrong side won the Second World War, and the rise of algorithmically driven pseudo-historians. Plus: Trump is looking for an off-ramp from his war in Iran, and Gore Vidal’s novel Burr.
How AI Is Reshaping the Battlefield
Anthropic, the Pentagon, and the question of AI use in the military
Trump Is Kicking the Economy While It’s Down
How the war with Iran could lead to a recession
Why Britain Is Saying No to Trump’s Iran War
Alastair Campbell on the end of the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship.” Plus: Why Democrats in Congress cannot ignore their duty, and The Director, by Daniel Kehlmann.
Why Is It So Hard to Make a Good Weather App?
We asked the Dark Sky guy what it takes to get the forecast right.
‘If You Win One Penny, You’re in the Top 2 Percent of Bettors’
McKay Coppins on his experiment with sports gambling—and why it’s a losing game for nearly everyone
Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?
Beto O’Rourke on the Texas Democratic Senate primary and what it means for a key race in the 2026 midterms. Plus: chaos at DHS and Samuel Fleischacker on Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.
Did Netflix Ruin Movies?
The art (and anxiety) of the streaming era
A War Begun on Instinct
The president is trusting his gut, not Congress.
Trump’s War With Iran and a New Danger at Home
Tom Nichols on Donald Trump’s war with Iran, forgotten lessons from the Iraq War, and fears about the intentions of America’s leaders. Plus: Why Trump’s wartime powers could be extremely dangerous for American freedoms.
After Khamenei, What Now?
Iranians want democracy. Trump wants a brief conflict. Neither seems likely.
What Do the People Building AI Believe?
Inside San Francisco’s AI subculture