U.S.

Tracking Cougars to Figure Out Where to Build a Bridge

Stephanie Keith, a photographer with Reuters, recently joined members of the Olympic Cougar Project as they tracked a wild cougar named Lilu.

The Next Disaster Coming to the Great Plains

Acute scarcity drives the search for water underground. But the West’s major aquifers are in trouble, too.

Biden Won Big With a Bad Hand

Relative to its strength in Congress, the Biden administration has proved outstandingly successful.

How Do Democrats Recover From This?

Here are five ways in which they could salvage their election chances.

Trump’s Big Border Wall Is Now a Pile of Rusting Steel

Worth at least a quarter billion dollars, the steel bollards are a relic of the Trump era.

What Joe Manchin’s ‘No’ Means for Biden’s Agenda

Build Back Better looks dead. Can Democrats rebuild it?

The Aftermath of the Devastating Tornado Outbreak in Kentucky

Late on December 11, a tornado outbreak struck several states in the Midwest, hitting parts of western Kentucky especially hard.

Are We Doomed?

To head off the next insurrection, we’ll need to practice envisioning the worst.

If Democrats Can Lose in Virginia, They Can Lose Almost Anywhere

Led by a candidate who neither repudiated nor embraced Trump, the GOP sweeps to victory.

The Massive Progressive Dark-Money Group You’ve Never Heard Of

Over the past half decade, Democrats have quietly pulled ahead of Republicans in untraceable political spending. One group helped make it happen.

The Simplest Fix to America’s Rent Problem

The country’s voucher-focused help for American renters is mired in red tape, and many landlords opt out. Would cash work better?

Kyrsten Sinema Isn’t Hitting the Panic Button

The senator from Arizona doesn’t seem rattled by progressives’ threats to primary her—and it’s not clear she should be.

The New Question Haunting Adoption

At a glance, America’s shortage of adoptable babies may seem like a problem. But is adoption meant to provide babies for families, or families for babies?

The Hypocrisy of the Anti-vax Patriot

Stopping the spread of COVID-19 is a great way to help U.S. military families.

The Abortion Backup Plan No One Is Talking About

Even in states with the strictest abortion laws, pregnant people have a safe, inexpensive option to terminate their pregnancies. But few know about it.

The House of Representatives Is Failing American Democracy

By fleeing to the political extremes, a co-equal House of Congress is abdicating its lawmaking power.

What Slack Does for Women

For years, women have had to control their voice, posture, and demeanor in the workplace. With Slack, we don’t have to worry about any of that.

Views From (and of) Summit at One Vanderbilt

The mirrored-room observation deck atop one of New York City’s newest skyscrapers

Is There Another Reason Biden Likes Boosters?

Scientists can’t agree on the benefits of boosters for young people. But economically, psychologically, and politically, boosters can do a lot.

What We Lost When Gannett Came to Town

We don’t often talk about how a paper’s collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone.