The Myth of the “Independent Creator”
Much like the economy at large, the platforms like Substack operate on superstar economics, favoring big players over independent creators.
Government
admin The Exiles Who Sold Trump’s Wars
Iranian and Venezuelan émigré networks made the case for U.S. intervention. Then President Trump cut them loose.
The Power of Vote at Home
Voter turnout under California’s vote-at-home system was off-the-charts. That’s a far more important story than waiting a week for results.
Trump’s Dangerous Litmus Test for NIH Grants
A new OMB proposal stipulates that every federal research grant adhere to administration ideology, mixing science with political preference.
Are the Elderly Holding America Back?
Samuel Moyn’s Gerontocracy in America treats old age as the central crisis of modern politics. The framing obscures more than…
Remember When We Used to Take World War III Seriously?
In the 1980s, serious people feared World War III. Today, our slouch toward World War III is being orchestrated by…
The Return of the Native
Nicholas Lemann’s family history illuminates what it means to be Jewish in America and explains how we choose our identities.
A Liberal Without the Elitism: Robert Coles, RIP
I studied with the late Harvard professor Robert Coles, who had a nuanced understanding of class and race in America.
The Roberts Court’s Gutting of the Voting Rights Act Nears Completion
Louisiana v. Callais and now Allen v. Milligan have laid bare the court’s fundamental misinterpretation of the Voting Rights Act.
Trump Escalates War on Science
The Trump administration, having already made cuts to research on topics it disfavors, now wants scientists to submit to political…