The Atlantic

May 17, 2026

The Deeper Lessons of an Edgy ‘SNL’ Tradition

Colin Jost and Michael Che’s “Weekend Update” joke swap is a celebration of friendship, bad taste, and the importance of context.

The Atlantic

May 17, 2026

David Brooks: Something Is Going Right at Universities

There’s a ton of good stuff happening on campus these days, if you’re only willing to see it.

The Atlantic

May 17, 2026

A Poem by Jill Bialosky: ‘Sonnet for the Tendered Garden’

A poem

The Atlantic

May 17, 2026

Why Barney Frank Came Out Against the Far Left

In his final act, the liberal stalwart wants to save his party from ideologues.

The Atlantic

May 17, 2026

Titus Kaphar Reimagines George Washington’s Portrait

A new exhibition makes the Founding Father seem like anything but a saint. That’s a good thing.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

Trump’s Visit to China

Panelists joined to discuss what the summit in Beijing may mean for the U.S. and China.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

How to Read Like a Child Again

These stories can restore a sense of wonder adults quietly lose.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

The Venice Biennale and the Art Lover’s Dilemma

The festival is excessive, at times preposterous. But it can still yield moments of profundity.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

They Don’t Make Celebrities Like Michael Jackson Anymore

The success of Michael suggests that audiences are nostalgic for a universal kind of fame that’s rare today.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

American Women, Please Learn From What I Went Through

Some 21,000 of you will be diagnosed this year with ovarian cancer. Here’s what I wish I had known.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

Homework Is Starting to Look a Lot Like Candy Crush

Education games are taking over American classrooms.

The Atlantic

May 16, 2026

The Lame-Duck Superpower

Xi Jinping merely humored Trump, waiting for his time—and America’s—to pass.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

The Protein Shortage Is Coming

Making all that whey is complicated.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Stephen Miller’s New Recusals

The top White House adviser has stepped back from AI, space, and the Paramount merger.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Trump’s Latest Gaffes Could Hurt the GOP

The president won’t face voters again, but Republican midterm candidates will have to deal with the consequences of his latest comments.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Are You Enjoying Your Girl Rights Yet?

They’re like regular rights, just skimpier.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Trump’s Tribute Mission to China

The balance of power is tipping away from Washington.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

What’s the AI Endgame?

Chris Hayes on anxiety, automation, and how to emotionally survive the AI boom

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

The Most Surprising Part of Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’

On ‘The Late Show,’ Stephen Colbert has balanced earnestness with pointed gags.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Commencement Speeches Are Supposed to Be Boring

The graduation speech is a ritual act, not an expressive one.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Photos of the Week: Tractor Race, Rocket Festival, Drone Evacuation

A mass accordion performance in Slovenia, a tea harvest in China, the start of the Eurovision Song Contest week in Austria, a brush fire in...

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Smithsonian Presidents Exhibit Reopens With Low-Key Trump Impeachment Mention

The National Portrait Gallery reopened its presidents exhibit—but kept some details low-key.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

A Perfume With a Whiff of MAGA

Brittany Aldean’s Vada perfume codes conservative because she herself does.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Spencer Pratt Is the Factory-Reset Option for L.A.

For anyone not living here, it’s nearly impossible to comprehend what has become of the place.

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

Atlantic Trivia, May 15, 2026: Modern and Ancient Art

Investigating a spate of tomb raids in the 1970s, the Associated Press reported that “99 percent of all lootings go undiscovered” in what co...

The Atlantic

May 15, 2026

The Last Stop in the Deportation Pipeline

At the airport in La Lima, Honduras, planeloads of migrants arrive every day—many without their children.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Coming War on Local Black Political Power

The VRA’s demise could result in a hollowing out of Black political representation and influence, not only in Washington and in state capita...

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

Too Much Is Happening Too Fast

The AI boom is meant to overwhelm you.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

Donald Trump’s Inflationary Agenda

He was elected to tackle one problem. Instead, he’s made it worse.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

MAGA Is Winning Its War Against American Elections

The universe of people pressing debunked theories is so broad that it’s a feature of the system.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Jokes That AI Will Never Get

On “The Comeback” and “Hacks,” AI can’t replicate the hard, human work of being funny.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Origins of Alcohol as a Muse

The complicated relationship that plagued some literary savants

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

Hawaii vs. Citizens United

State lawmakers want to change the terms of personhood for corporations.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

Trump's Hippocratic China Summit

The major goal of Trump and Xi’s meeting is to do no harm.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Gerrymandering Wars

Election maps post-Callais

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

A Very Pretentious Form of Propaganda

The United States tried to swerve away from politics at this year’s Biennale and ended up saying nothing at all.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Environmental Movement Needs to Touch Grass

Yes, literally

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

Atlantic Trivia, May 14, 2026: Around Europe

The rectory of Milan’s Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie is the site of what world-famous work of the Renaissance?

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The 2026 Summer Reading Guide

The Atlantic’s writers and editors have chosen fiction and nonfiction to match all sorts of moods.

The Atlantic

May 14, 2026

The Men Who Don’t Want Women to Vote

Or work. Or have opinions.

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

The Murky Ethics of Sean Duffy’s New Reality Show

Who’s paying for The Great American Road Trip?

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

Photos: The Global Cost of the Iran War

The continuing crisis in Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz have exacted a heavy cost worldwide. In addition to the ste...

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

An Urgent Question for Anyone Who Uses Social Media

What should we do when confronted with posts from family influencers?

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

Can America's Trains Handle the World Cup?

In some cases, for a very high price

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

What Happens if the U.S. Defaults?

Lloyd Blankfein on the growing U.S. debt, polarization, the state of the economy, and what a United States default would look like. Plus: Tr...

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

The Senator Who Embraced MAHA and Lost MAGA

Bill Cassidy made a bad gamble on RFK Jr.

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

The Trump Counterterrorism Strategy Is a Dangerous Joke

The policy is unfocused, run by amateurs, and concerned more with the president’s many grievances than the security of the United States.

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

The AI Backlash Could Get Very Ugly

Imagine what happens if jobs actually start disappearing.

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

Why Won’t the Democrats Jettison Racial Preferences?

How to persuade skeptical voters to take a fresh look at the party

The Atlantic

May 13, 2026

The Secrets of the Sarcophagus Dealer

A family’s 50-year rise through the international antiquities trade is a tale of entrepreneurial genius—and of theft, deception, and betraya...