How to Rename a Place
A little-known federal body gives official approval to what appears on maps. Now it is caught in the middle of the country’s upheaval over racism and language.
Features
The Anti-vaccine Right Brought Human Sacrifice to America
Since last summer, the conservative campaign against vaccination has claimed thousands of lives for no ethically justifiable purpose.
Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important Elements on Earth
The clean-energy revolution is unleashing a rush on cobalt, reviving old mines—and old questions—in a remote forest.
This Is No Way to Be Human
We now occupy a nearly natureless world.
How Britain Falls Apart
A road trip through the ancient past and shaky future of the (dis)United Kingdom
How Venezuela Became One Big Casino
In the midst of the country’s economic collapse, casinos—and the dollar—are king again.
How Bad Are Plastics, Really?
They’re harmful to health, environment, and human rights—and now poised to dominate this century as an unchecked cause of climate change.
How I Demolished My Life
A home-improvement story
How Issa Rae Built the World of Insecure
The show’s behind-the-scenes collaborations were as important to its success as the bonds portrayed on-screen.
Modern America’s Most Successful Secessionist Movement
In rural Oregon, voters fed up with their state’s leftward turn have embraced a simple and outlandish idea: What if we were just Idaho?