This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
I have two names, but only one exists on paper. When I was born, my parents put my name down as Stephanie, inspired by the Full House character.
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Dear James,
I’m a 73-old-woman who has been dating a man of the same age.
International outrage is growing over Israel’s abduction of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Jabaliya refugee camp, who was detained after Israeli forces raided and shut down the last major hospital in northern Gaza last week. A new United Nations report finds that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip have “pushed the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse.
The Atlantic is announcing the hires of political reporters Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, who will both become staff writers in mid-January.
Gaza is entering its second winter under attack from Israel, and talks to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas appear to have stalled yet again. For more on efforts to end the war and secure the release of captives on both sides, we speak with veteran Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin, who has acted as a backchannel to Hamas leaders in the current and previous conflicts.
Russian missile and drone attacks are continuing across Ukraine as the country already faces a cold, dark winter after Russia’s strikes destroyed about half of the country’s energy infrastructure. This comes as Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner swap, repatriating more than 300 prisoners of war in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates ahead of the new year.
In 1985, when I was 9 years old, I watched the first episode of the new Twilight Zone, a reboot of the classic early-1960s TV series. People rarely talk about the ’80s version, which ran for just three seasons. But there must be other viewers around my age who have never forgotten “A Little Peace and Quiet,” the second story in that debut episode. It’s about a woman who discovers a magic pendant in the shape of a sundial that gives her the power to stop time.
This article was updated on December 31 at 6:15pm.
The cast of Saturday Night Live has said lots of things over the course of the show’s 50-year history that have drawn wild cheers from its audience. But two Saturdays ago may have been the first time the person drawing shrieks of delight had been arrested for a cold-blooded assassination.
The spontaneous ovation was for Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged in the December 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The humble white tee shows us just how much fast fashion has affected our relationship to clothing.
The economy expert joins to talk us through tariffs, Biden’s economic legacy, and more.
The story behind the Swedish start-up’s ambitious rise and massive downfall
If you ask a Bogotáno where they learned to ride a bike, they all have the same answer.
A combination of viral respiratory infections, malaria and malnutrition has killed nearly 50 people in the African country.
Experts warn of inadequate testing by the CDC, which maintains the risk to humans “remains low.
The billionaire and his company needed Speaker Mike Johnson’s help to stop legislation that would have regulated social media for the first time.
The move, welcomed by conservative organizations, leaves in place a Trump rule allowing more employers to opt out of providing coverage.
Republican lawmakers are looking past Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views as they consider his nomination to lead HHS.
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Miran has called for a sweeping overhaul of the Fed to ensure greater political control over the central bank, including giving the president the power to fire board members at will.
Five weeks after the election, the president took his sharpest swing at Trump’s policy plans.
A pair of POLITICO|Morning Consult polls, one conducted in the final days of the election and the other conducted after Trump won, show how public opinion has changed.
The final paid messages: Economy, culture wars and character.
Silicon Valley and tech billionaires are lining up to support the incoming Trump administration. With the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, as one of Trump’s closest advisers, Trump has hosted Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for dinners at Mar-a-Lago. Amazon, Meta and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have all announced donations of $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural committee.
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
From a young age, I respected the Croc. But somewhere along the way, I got the message that my favorite orange clogs were not chic, and I moved on.
Then, something remarkable happened. After years of being periodically trendy, comfy shoes took off during the early pandemic.
I could have been a tech entrepreneur, but my parents let me go to sleepovers. I could have been a billionaire, but I used to watch Saturday-morning cartoons. I could have been Vivek Ramaswamy, if not for the ways I’ve been corrupted by the mediocrity of American culture. I’m sad when I contemplate my lazy, pathetic, non-Ramaswamy life.
These ruminations were triggered by a statement that Ramaswamy, the noted cultural critic, made on X on Thursday.
