American Democracy Was Never Designed to Be Democratic
by Louis Menand
The partisan redistricting tactics of cracking and packing aren’t merely flaws in the system—they are the system.
American Democracy Was Never Designed to Be Democratic
Goodbye Columbus
State Legislatures Are Torching Democracy
by Jane Mayer
Even in moderate places like Ohio, gerrymandering has let unchecked Republicans pass extremist laws that could never make it through Congress.
On Alert
Annals of Sound
What Should a Nine-Thousand-Pound Electric Vehicle Sound Like?
by John Seabrook
E.V.s are virtually silent, so acoustic designers are creating alerts for them. A symphony—or a cacophony—of car noise could be coming to city streets.
The Takeover
Will Wisconsin’s Republicans Make Voting Meaningless, or Just Difficult?
by Dan Kaufman
Activists are combining voter suppression with election conspiracies to capture the state in 2022 and beyond.
We’re Not Going Back to the Time Before Roe. We’re Going Somewhere Worse
We’re Not Going Back to the Time Before Roe. We’re Going Somewhere Worse
by Jia Tolentino
We are entering an era not just of unsafe abortions but of the widespread criminalization of pregnancy.
The Surreal Case of a C.I.A. Hacker’s Revenge
The Surreal Case of a C.I.A. Hacker’s Revenge
by Patrick Radden Keefe
A hot-headed coder is accused of exposing the agency’s hacking arsenal. Did he betray his country because he was pissed off at his colleagues?
Reports of the Pay Phone’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
Endangered Species Dept.
Reports of the Pay Phone’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
by Zach Helfand
Days after the city bid farewell to its “last pay phone” with much hoopla, one sleuth reported on several remaining phone booths—by making calls from said phone booths.
Bicycles Have Evolved. Have We?
Bicycles Have Evolved. Have We?
by Jill Lepore
From the velocipede to the ten-speed, biking innovations brought riders freedom. But in a world built for cars, life behind handlebars is both charmed and dangerous.
José Andrés Feeds Ron Howard, Then Feeds Him Some More
Feed the World
José Andrés Feeds Ron Howard, Then Feeds Him Some More
by Patrick Radden Keefe
The two friends discuss their new documentary, “We Feed People,” and how the chef’s World Central Kitchen has served twenty million hot meals to displaced Ukrainians since February.
A Teacher in China Learns the Limits of Free Expression
A Teacher in China Learns the Limits of Free Expression
by Peter Hessler
How had the country experienced so much social, economic, and educational change while its politics remained stagnant?