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The Atlantic
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Exploring the American idea through ambitious, essential reporting and storytelling. Of no party or clique since 1857. http://theatlantic.com
Republicans’ responses to the shooting of Alex Pretti were relatively mild—but the sheer number of them sent an unmistakable message to Donald Trump, Jonathan Lemire and Russell Berman report.
How Republicans Forced Trump to Shift Course in Minnesota
A flood of GOP statements sent an unmistakable message to Trump: Enough.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Donald Trump has always treated DOJ like his own personal law firm—and now the department is acting like ICE’s law firm as well, Quinta Jurecic argues.
ICE’s No. 1 Ally
The Department of Justice has rushed to shield federal agents from accountability and launched needless criminal investigations into Minnesota officials and residents.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Policing an armed society requires a commitment to transparency and accountability, Barry Friedman and Brandon del Pozo argue, and “in this regard, ICE and the federal government have failed dismally.” theatln.tc/WNPv6Xfh
January 28, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Hours after the Minneapolis shooting, Tim Cook was schmoozing with Trump at the White House—showing that the titans of Silicon Valley are still not distancing themselves from the president, argues Lila Shroff.
A Reckoning for the Tech Right
Silicon Valley’s top CEOs have been noticeably silent after the Minneapolis shooting.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Public-health officials are examining the potential connection between measles outbreaks in South Carolina and West Texas—and their findings could reveal whether the disease has once again become a permanent resident of the U.S., @katherinejwu reports: theatln.tc/c7vF3ZWq
January 28, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Minneapolis residents aren’t just pushing back against Trump’s crackdown—they’re undercutting MAGA’s core philosophy, Adam Serwer argues.
How Minnesotans Faced Down MAGA
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 3:45 PM
The idea behind community-school programs is that “students can’t succeed academically if they’re struggling at home”—and though the effort won’t be a “great equalizer,” it could help to close a gap, Annie Lowrey argues:
Closing the Gap in American Schools
Kids will struggle to learn if they’re hungry or scared at home.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Californians will be voting on a wealth-tax proposal in November, making a risky bet “about the lengths the rich will go to avoid paying their fair share," Rogé Karma writes.
If You Tax Them, Will They Leave?
A California wealth-tax proposal makes a high-stakes bet on billionaire psychology.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 2:30 PM
“Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform,” and “if we continue to show disdain for our allies … we may find ourselves fighting alone someday,” William H. McRaven argues.
Never Fight Alone
Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Minneapolis residents aren’t just pushing back against Trump’s crackdown—they’re undercutting MAGA’s core philosophy, Adam Serwer argues.
How Minnesotans Faced Down MAGA
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The coordinated, nonviolent resistance in Minneapolis, George Packer argues, “offers a compelling answer to the question that democracy-loving Americans have asked for the past year: ‘What can I do?’”:
What Should Americans Do Now?
We need a mass movement for basic decency.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
If senior officers carry out what Trump is threatening against NATO, “the officers and enlisted people below them will likely obey the chain of command”—and “such an outcome would be a tragedy, and potentially a global catastrophe,” @radiofreetom.bsky.social argues.
The Military Is Being Forced to Plan for an Unthinkable Betrayal
Attacking an ally would be a perversion of everything the armed forces have been trained to do.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 8:15 AM
Jennette McCurdy’s new novel, “Half His Age,” may seem like a story of exploitation—but it’s much more intriguing than that, @sophiegilbert.bsky.social argues.
Less 'Lolita,' More Late-Stage Capitalism
Jennette McCurdy’s "Half His Age" may seem like a story of exploitation—but it’s much more intriguing than that.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 7:45 AM
“Trump’s return to office was widely portrayed as christening a new definition of chic”—but despite his efforts, the president hasn’t remade culture, @skornhaber.bsky.social argues.
Trump’s Golden Age of Culture Seems Pretty Sad So Far
The president’s party has total control of government—but not what Americans care about.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 6:15 AM
The annual “Moby-Dick” Marathon reading, held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, is a radical act—and a profound kind of literary patriotism, James Parker argues.
The Marathon Moby-Dick Reading Is a Radical Act
It’s an all-analog mass redreaming of a flawed American gospel: superbly countercultural.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 4:15 AM
“Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform,” and “if we continue to show disdain for our allies … we may find ourselves fighting alone someday,” William H. McRaven argues.
Never Fight Alone
Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 2:45 AM
The Iranian people know that breaking their warped social contract “will be costly and terrifying,” Karim Sadjadpour argues. “But they also know that living under its terms is at best a dead end, and at worst a death sentence”:
The Islamic Republic’s Predatory Contract With Its People
No one would agree to the terms that Iran’s regime has forced on its citizens.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Hours after the Minneapolis shooting, Tim Cook was schmoozing with Trump at the White House—showing that the titans of Silicon Valley are still not distancing themselves from the president, argues Lila Shroff.
A Reckoning for the Tech Right
Silicon Valley’s top CEOs have been noticeably silent after the Minneapolis shooting.
bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Minneapolis residents aren’t just pushing back against Trump’s crackdown—they’re undercutting MAGA’s core philosophy, Adam Serwer argues.

📸: Jack Califano for The Atlantic theatln.tc/vqQEIdv8
January 27, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Michael Pollan traveled to a remote cave in New Mexico to try to understand consciousness. What he learned about “untying the knot of self”:
How to Have a ‘Don’t-Know Mind’
My quest to understand consciousness took me to a cave in New Mexico and then deep into the cosmos.
bit.ly
January 27, 2026 at 11:19 PM
The coordinated, nonviolent resistance in Minneapolis, George Packer argues, “offers a compelling answer to the question that democracy-loving Americans have asked for the past year: ‘What can I do?’”:
What Should Americans Do Now?
We need a mass movement for basic decency.
bit.ly
January 27, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Republicans’ responses to the shooting of Alex Pretti were relatively mild—but the sheer number of them sent an unmistakable message to Donald Trump, Jonathan Lemire and Russell Berman report.
How Republicans Forced Trump to Shift Course in Minnesota
A flood of GOP statements sent an unmistakable message to Trump: Enough.
bit.ly
January 27, 2026 at 11:03 PM
New research suggests that Donald Trump’s base is composed of four distinct groups—and the president’s political success depends on his ability to play a different role for each group, Daniel Yudkin and Stephen Hawkins write. theatln.tc/wWHwwC3J
January 27, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Public-health officials are examining the potential connection between measles outbreaks in South Carolina and West Texas—and their findings could reveal whether the disease has once again become a permanent resident of the U.S., @katherinejwu.com reports:
The Million-Dollar Measles Question
South Carolina’s measles outbreak could soon be bigger than West Texas’s. Are the two connected?
bit.ly
January 27, 2026 at 9:30 PM
“When a direct path to justice is blocked, states need to find a work-around,” Aziz Huq argues. He explores the available routes for Minnesota to investigate and potentially prosecute federal agents: theatln.tc/OFuQXsNY
January 27, 2026 at 9:00 PM