Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics
Arguably no American journalist wielded as much influence as Walter Lippmann did in the 20th century. But what did he do with that power?
Oct 15, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Gerald Howard
Why Did UChicago Destroy the Humanities? Why Did UChicago Destroy the Humanities?
The answer is simple: to spend untold sums on useless buildings by starchitects.
Oct 15, 2025 / Column / Kate Wagner
How the Capitalism of the 1980s Created Donald Trump’s Theory of the State How the Capitalism of the 1980s Created Donald Trump’s Theory of the State
The proliferation of privately held companies during the Reagan years laid the foundations for Trump’s approach to government.
Oct 14, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Kim Phillips-Fein
The Triumphs and Travails of American Marxism The Triumphs and Travails of American Marxism
Karl Marx never visited the United States, but he and his ideas left an imprint nonetheless.
Oct 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Robin Blackburn
The Sad Spectacle of American Comedians Selling Out in Saudi Arabia The Sad Spectacle of American Comedians Selling Out in Saudi Arabia
It turns out that edgy free-speech warriors will scuttle their principles for a check from a brutal autocratic regime.
Oct 2, 2025 / Ben Schwartz
How Germany Silenced Its Artists to Support Israel How Germany Silenced Its Artists to Support Israel
As Israel intensified its genocide in Gaza, Germany ramped up its long-simmering war on dissent, silencing Palestine solidarity while bolstering its own far right.
Sep 30, 2025 / Feature / Nikki Columbus
The Trump Regime Intensifies Its War on Activism—but Dissent Is Always Possible The Trump Regime Intensifies Its War on Activism—but Dissent Is Always Possible
The president is presiding over suppression unseen in the US for decades.
Sep 29, 2025 / Katrina vanden Heuvel
How Should We Remember the Art of Ben Shahn? How Should We Remember the Art of Ben Shahn?
Caught between his political and aesthetic commitments, the painter, photographer, and illustrator has suffered the fate of misapprehension.
Sep 29, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Pujan Karambeigi
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Wild American Epic Paul Thomas Anderson’s Wild American Epic
One Battle After Another, a sensational adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel, captures the manic energies of a country on the brink.
Sep 25, 2025 / Books & the Arts / John Semley
How the Kimmel Controversy Echoes Disney’s Dirty China Deal How the Kimmel Controversy Echoes Disney’s Dirty China Deal
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner berated the company’s capitulation before authoritarian MAGA threats, but in many ways, he set the example.
Sep 24, 2025 / Ben Schwartz