Michael Leibel
@michaelleibel.com
senior editor for @theatlantic.com | opinions are my own and bad | UNC 2014
So proud of my Carolina Panthers
January 11, 2026 at 12:56 AM
So proud of my Carolina Panthers
The protein-maxxification of America has gone too far
America Has Entered Late-Stage Protein
This has gone too far.
www.theatlantic.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:17 PM
The protein-maxxification of America has gone too far
Reposted by Michael Leibel
A story in which @petridishes.bsky.social navigates a hot-air balloon to predict the weather and lands in a random person’s backyard (who turns out to be an Atlantic subscriber)
I’m Not From the Government but I’m Here to Help
The Trump administration is trying to eliminate federal services? Fine. I’ll do everything myself.
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:12 PM
A story in which @petridishes.bsky.social navigates a hot-air balloon to predict the weather and lands in a random person’s backyard (who turns out to be an Atlantic subscriber)
In Drew Goins’ newsletter course for @theatlantic.com, you’ll get eight weeks worth of advice on how to add a little joy to your life.
The first step? Eat a chicken parm for breakfast
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
The first step? Eat a chicken parm for breakfast
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
January 5, 2026 at 8:21 PM
In Drew Goins’ newsletter course for @theatlantic.com, you’ll get eight weeks worth of advice on how to add a little joy to your life.
The first step? Eat a chicken parm for breakfast
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
The first step? Eat a chicken parm for breakfast
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Reposted by Michael Leibel
Trump "could have tried to persuade Congress or the public to give him permission to use force. He didn’t bother. He chose war despite polls that found a large majority of Americans opposed it." From Conor Friedersdorf
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trump’s Risky War in Venezuela
The president has violated the Constitution and is showing contempt for the will of the public.
www.theatlantic.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Trump "could have tried to persuade Congress or the public to give him permission to use force. He didn’t bother. He chose war despite polls that found a large majority of Americans opposed it." From Conor Friedersdorf
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Incredible reporting. Stories from India, where the push for digital IDs has led to an increase in cybercrime, scams, and millions of rupees in lifesavings wiped out
A $9.99 Scam Put a Billion People At Risk in India’s Hyper-Digital Economy
India’s push for digital IDs has sparked a bonanza for criminals.
www.bloomberg.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Incredible reporting. Stories from India, where the push for digital IDs has led to an increase in cybercrime, scams, and millions of rupees in lifesavings wiped out
Reposted by Michael Leibel
The MetroCard became metonymic with NYC. At midnight today it will retire, and so in MetroCard’s honor I learned about how this under appreciated technological marvel came to be and saw how MetroCards are produced. A eulogy:
A Symbol of New York Is Gone
The MetroCard never got its due.
www.theatlantic.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The MetroCard became metonymic with NYC. At midnight today it will retire, and so in MetroCard’s honor I learned about how this under appreciated technological marvel came to be and saw how MetroCards are produced. A eulogy:
I’ll always keep my Seinfeld 30th Anniversary MetroCard in my wallet
A Symbol of New York Is Gone
The MetroCard never got its due.
www.theatlantic.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I’ll always keep my Seinfeld 30th Anniversary MetroCard in my wallet
Reposted by Michael Leibel
Wrote about something a lot of young/middle aged people are experiencing: Coming home for the holidays and being concerned about older loved ones being consumed by their screens www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
The Phone-Based Retirement Is Here
Do your parents have a screen-time problem?
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Wrote about something a lot of young/middle aged people are experiencing: Coming home for the holidays and being concerned about older loved ones being consumed by their screens www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Michael Leibel
“Frog!” cried Toad. “I am sorry for all the dumb things I do. I am sorry for all the silly things that I say. Please be my friend again!”
December 24, 2025 at 2:37 PM
“Frog!” cried Toad. “I am sorry for all the dumb things I do. I am sorry for all the silly things that I say. Please be my friend again!”
“‘Given that a driver for earworms is the unexpected, an AI system trained on existing earworms may not be able to create a new one’” by following what has worked before”
God Save the Jingle
Could AI possibly write “I’m Lovin’ It”? Or create the Netflix tudum sound?
www.theatlantic.com
December 24, 2025 at 12:34 PM
“‘Given that a driver for earworms is the unexpected, an AI system trained on existing earworms may not be able to create a new one’” by following what has worked before”
Reposted by Michael Leibel
Happy holidays!
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
The Phone-Based Retirement Is Here
Do your parents have a screen-time problem?
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Happy holidays!
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
I got a “2025 Wrapped” from an EV charging station I frequent last week. Who needs that?
Companies’ ‘Wrapped’ Features Keep Getting Weirder
Metro stops, LinkedIn DMs, and other mundane data points are being packaged for the end-of-year trend.
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:17 PM
I got a “2025 Wrapped” from an EV charging station I frequent last week. Who needs that?
“A version of the problem exists on the opposite side of the age spectrum, too: instead of a phone-based childhood, a phone-based retirement.”
@cwarzel.bsky.social’s great piece in The Atlantic
@cwarzel.bsky.social’s great piece in The Atlantic
Do Your Parents Have a Screen-Time Problem?
The phone-based retirement is here.
www.theatlantic.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
“A version of the problem exists on the opposite side of the age spectrum, too: instead of a phone-based childhood, a phone-based retirement.”
@cwarzel.bsky.social’s great piece in The Atlantic
@cwarzel.bsky.social’s great piece in The Atlantic
Didn’t we try this already
December 16, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Didn’t we try this already
Reposted by Michael Leibel
As Americans mourn Rob Reiner, the president mocked his death, John Dickerson argues: “In moments when the country looks up for orientation, Trump does not steady the room. He destabilizes it.”
The Dead Are Not Off-Limits for Trump
The country mourned a beloved filmmaker. Trump’s first instinct was to desecrate.
bit.ly
December 15, 2025 at 11:20 PM
As Americans mourn Rob Reiner, the president mocked his death, John Dickerson argues: “In moments when the country looks up for orientation, Trump does not steady the room. He destabilizes it.”
KNICKS IN THE FINALS
December 14, 2025 at 1:13 AM
KNICKS IN THE FINALS
Reposted by Michael Leibel
SCOOP: The Trump administration is providing the names of all travelers passing through U.S. airports to immigration officials in search of people with deportation orders, a substantial expansion of government efforts to draw on data to hunt down immigrants.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Immigration Agents Are Using Air Passenger Data for Deportation Effort
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
SCOOP: The Trump administration is providing the names of all travelers passing through U.S. airports to immigration officials in search of people with deportation orders, a substantial expansion of government efforts to draw on data to hunt down immigrants.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Trump has entered the lame-duck era of his political career. Today’s Atlantic Daily from @dgraham.bsky.social
Trump Confronts His Political Reality
The president has entered the lame-duck era of his career.
www.theatlantic.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Trump has entered the lame-duck era of his political career. Today’s Atlantic Daily from @dgraham.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Leibel
The odds are decent that morsels from your life have been used to train chatbots. Which means that you, too, are Time's person of the year, @cwarzel.bsky.social writes.
I Am Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
So are you. Congrats!
bit.ly
December 11, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The odds are decent that morsels from your life have been used to train chatbots. Which means that you, too, are Time's person of the year, @cwarzel.bsky.social writes.
Reposted by Michael Leibel
big day for me. for *us.*
I Am Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
So are you. Congrats!
www.theatlantic.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:09 PM
big day for me. for *us.*
“The narrative that college players seeking a system that recognizes their fair market value is ruining the sport is etched in stone, but it’s the coaches who wrote the playbook on how to leverage and exploit,” @jemelehill.bsky.social writes on @theatlantic.com
The Most Egregious Double Standard in Sports
For college coaches, greed is just business.
www.theatlantic.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:57 PM
“The narrative that college players seeking a system that recognizes their fair market value is ruining the sport is etched in stone, but it’s the coaches who wrote the playbook on how to leverage and exploit,” @jemelehill.bsky.social writes on @theatlantic.com
Bidenomics and the Affordability President
Trump Is Repeating One of Biden’s Big Mistakes
Downplaying voters’ economic pain will backfire.
www.theatlantic.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Bidenomics and the Affordability President