The Democrats Can’t Let Go of Racial Preferences
How to persuade skeptical voters to take a fresh look at the party
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Martin Diebel / Getty The Unhappy Hosts of the World Cup
Cities and states are covering a lot of the costs of this summer’s matches, and have few options for bringing in much revenue.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty A Profound Mismatch in Modern Medicine
The “magic bullet” model that doctors are most comfortable with is ill-suited to some of the most disabling conditions they treat today.
Andres Gutierrez / Anadolu / Getty The Close, Prolonged Contact Myth
Knowing how a virus spreads is essential to public health, but people keep getting it wrong.
Illustration by Jonelle Afurong / The Atlantic. Sources: Han Myung-Gu / WireImage / Getty; Mondadori Portfolio / Getty. The Most Awkward Cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2
The Last Supper makes a conspicuous—and strange—appearance during a gathering of self-styled elites.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: CBS Broadcasting; CBS / Getty; Chuck Snyder / CBS / Getty; Monty Brinton / CBS Photo Archive / Getty; Monty Brinton / CBS / Getty. The Secret of Survivor
For 50 seasons, the show has gamified the tension at the heart of American life: Are we individuals or a community?
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty 
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The long-shot candidate for L.A. mayor has run an effective campaign. Can he tap into populist energy without alienating Angelenos?
Illustration by Nick Little He’s So Random
A software engineer wanted to resist the usual algorithms. So he created his own—and transformed his whole existence.
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Tyler Comrie / The Atlantic; Getty The People Who Don’t Read Books
Identifying as someone who categorically rejects books suggests a much larger deficiency of character. (From 2023)
Liana Finck Three Rules for Middle-Age Happiness
Gather friends and feed them, laugh in the face of calamity, and cut out all the things––people, jobs, body parts––that no longer serve you. (From 2021)
Associated Press Love in America
“It is as if the experience of being in love could only be one of two things: a superhuman ecstasy, the way of reaching heaven on earth and in pairs; or a psychopathic condition to be treated by specialists.” (From 1938)
Stephan Savoia / AP Why Americans Hate the Media
Why has the media establishment become so unpopular? Perhaps the public has good reason to think that the media’s self-aggrandizement gets in the way of solving the country’s real problems. (From 1996)
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Illustration by Renee Klahr / The Atlantic galaxy brain•Episode 27Flipping Off Phones
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Younger generations are having a hard time imagining their future.
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