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How long can the impulsive, reactive president show restraint?

Moises Saman / Magnum
A Silver Lining in Afghanistan
Five years after the U.S. withdrawal, al-Qaeda remains weak and the Taliban has become an unexpected partner.
Tricia Bacon and Daniel Byman
Illustration by Stephanie Jones
What Do Sex and Gender Even Mean Now?
The history of a semantic mess––and a way out of it
Conor Friedersdorf
Debrocke / ClassicStock / DreamMedia / Getty
Are Men to Blame for the Birth-Rate Collapse?
Whether dads do their fair share of the housework appears to have no effect on fertility.
Marc Novicoff
Illustration by Alisa Gao / The Atlantic. Source: Tsurukamedesign / Getty.
Shopping Is Impossible
It’s never been more exhausting to buy stuff.
Rachel Sugar

Photograph by Haruka Sakaguchi for The Atlantic. Source: Courtesy of the Dowdell family.
The Man Who Refused to Sit on the Sidelines
Kevin Dowdell, a lieutenant in an elite FDNY rescue unit, taught his sons to take action. When he disappeared on 9/11, they went to Ground Zero to search for him.
Sally Jenkins
Ander Gillenea / AFP / Getty
Photos: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2026
In Western Europe, millions of people looked into the sky, hoping to witness today’s total solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow swept over them, briefly turning day into night.
Alan Taylor
Chip Somodevilla / Getty
Trump Doubles Down
The president has spent the past week re-litigating old conflicts.
Will Gottsegen
Carl De Keyzer / Magnum
A Deeply Layered Novel About Masculinity
Chang-rae Lee’s new novel examines a young man’s attempt to be tough—and its far-reaching consequences.
Lily Meyer

Cover story

The insufferable hypocrisy of elite academia

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The Gravitational Pull of Supervising Kids All the Time
When so many people think hovering is what good parents do, how do you stop? (From 2023)
Stephanie H. Murray
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The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school. (From 2024)
Rose Horowitch
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Sportspeak
“They have statistics. .315 is a good statistic. 1.74 is a good statistic.” (From 1979)
Penny Pinkham
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Decoration Day
A poem (From 1882)
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Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty
radio atlantic•Episode 203
Never Trump, Still a Republican
Why Jeff Flake still believes the spell over his party will break
Adam Harris
Matt Doyle
the david frum show•Episode 71
Was Herbert Hoover America’s Most Misunderstood President?
Margaret Hoover on Herbert Hoover’s life, presidency, and legacy, and the renovation of his presidential library. Plus: Trump’s dropped Reflecting Pool indictment and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré.
David Frum
by The Atlantic
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How Social Media Makes Our Lives Smaller
In the posting era, there’s room only for redemption and improvement narratives.
Charlie Warzel
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Gallo Images / Alamy.
how to touch grass•Episode 3
How the ‘Body Positivity’ Movement Died
A few years ago, there was a push for acceptance of different body types. Now? Not so much.
Julie Beck and Natalie Brennan
LIMITED SERIES
Autocracy in America
There are authoritarian tactics already at work in the United States. To root them out, you have to know where to look.
Anne Applebaum