The New Yorker
Master of Make-Believe
Zach Horwitz appeared to be thriving in Hollywood, with a young family, movie roles alongside famous actors, and a booming investment business. Then the F.B.I. showed up. Evan Osnos reports.
Above the Fold
Essential reading for today.
Ukraine Faces a Crucial Moment in the War
Two years after Russia launched its invasion, the fighting is shifting in its favor.
Vermont Moves to Hold Fossil-Fuel Companies Liable for Climate-Change Damage
A new constituency is willing to stand up to Big Oil (and Gas and Coal): state government.
The Texas School District That Provided the Blueprint for an Attack on Public Education
When conservative activists began waging battle against diversity plans, some had a much bigger target in mind.
Saying Farewell to Rafael Nadal
The tennis champion, who is likely in his last year on the tour, brought an unusually considerate—and hugely endearing—ferocity to the game.
Aasif Mandvi Contains Multitudes
The actor and comedian on his “Daily Show” breakthrough, writing the roles he wanted to see, and playing a new kind of character in “Evil.”
Why Liberals Struggle to Defend Liberalism
We may be months away from the greatest crisis the liberal state has known since the Civil War. How come it’s so hard to say what we’re defending?
The Political Scene
In the Bronx, Donald Trump Goes to His Hateful, Happy Place
“Like it or not, this is a rally,” the former President said, seemingly a little embarrassed by the unremarkable size of the crowd.
Is the Biden Campaign Running on False Hope?
Most polls show Trump leading in swing states, but a Democratic Party strategist believes the President’s chances are better than surveys suggest.
What Raisi’s Death Means for the Future of Iran
For a country facing deep challenges, and with an aging Supreme Leader, the President’s demise has spawned an existential question.
Nothing That Trump Says Will Stop Republicans from Voting for Him
On Nikki Haley’s announcement that she’s backing her party’s “unhinged” nominee.
All the Films in Competition at Cannes, Ranked from Best to Worst
The twenty-two films that premièred in the 2024 festival’s main program offered much to savor and revile.
The Critics
The Journalist Biography in an Age of Crisis
A memoir by Nicholas Kristof and a biography of Barbara Walters invoke halcyon days in the news business. What can we learn from their lives?
Chatsworth, Revisited
“Picturing Childhood” highlights the private, familial side of a storied estate.
An Egyptian Photographer’s Portraits of a Changing Sinai
Rehab Eldalil’s images of the Jebeleya tribe portray the land and its inhabitants as intimates.
A Road Warrior’s Driving Lessons in the Thrilling “Furiosa”
George Miller’s latest addition to the “Mad Max” franchise plunges into the backstory of the action hero introduced by Charlize Theron.
The Fashionista Modernism of Yuja Wang
The star pianist uses her glamour to lead audiences out of their comfort zones.
Garth Risk Hallberg Takes On the Life-and-Times Novel
The author’s last project was determined to capture the social fabric of an era; in his latest, he shrinks his frame.
What We’re Reading This Week
A professor’s consideration of liberalism and anxiety, sprinkled with pop-culture references; a portrait connecting Charles Darwin and Emily Dickinson through their enchantment with nature; a biography that merges literary obsession and detective work; and more.
Ideas
Is Reality TV Abusive?
Contestants are barely paid, and the experience can be harrowing. Former cast members of “Love Is Blind” are speaking out—and calling for solidarity.
The Right to Lobster
How Indigenous fishermen are defending their rights—and gaining profits—in North America’s most lucrative fishery.
Can You Read a Book in a Quarter of an Hour?
Phone apps now offer to boil down entire books into micro-synopses. What they leave out is revealing.
Faux ScarJo and the Descent of the A.I. Vultures
OpenAI’s snafu over its “Her”-like voice assistant might be funny if it didn’t portend a larger crisis in the integrity of digital information.
The Secrets of Suspense
We love churning apprehension in fiction; we hate it in life. But understanding the most fundamental technique of storytelling can teach us something about being alive.
Not Your Childhood Library
An ambitious experiment in Minneapolis is changing the way librarians work with their homeless patrons and challenging how we share public space.
Puzzles & Games
Take a break and play.
