Money Talks: The Underground Economy
Mariana van Zeller joins Felix Salmon for a look into the hidden economics of black and gray markets.
Today's Liberal News
A Century-Long Google Bet
Alphabet issues century bonds, the majority of Trump’s tariffs were paid by US citizens, and Felix defends fakes.
Super Bowl Commercials This Year Sent a Clear Message. I Hope Donald Trump Isn’t Listening.
Regrettably, I must support the Dunkin’ commercial.
The Real Reason Jeff Bezos Killed the Washington Post
The billionaire wanted the Post to die, because a vigorous, well-resourced newspaper does not help his bottom line.
Why Congress failed to reach an Obamacare deal
Lawmakers delayed negotiations despite a drumbeat of warnings. That was just the first problem.
RFK Jr.’s allies are trying to free anti-vaccine doctors to speak their minds
They want the Supreme Court to allow physicians to buck the medical establishment when they advise patients and the public.
RFK Jr.’s battle with the public health establishment has turned to trench warfare
The health secretary turned his agencies toward skepticism of processed food and vaccines, but he’s faced pushback at every turn — including from Republicans.
When Church Was a Queer Space
Outward’s hosts sit down with the host and co-creator of When We All Get to Heaven.
Remembering, with the People of MCC San Francisco, AIDS Still Isn’t Over.
The neighborhood changes, the church moves, people forget and remember “the AIDS years,” but AIDS isn’t over.
What Happens When You Organize Church Around AIDS – and AIDS Changes?
The AIDS cocktail opens new possibilities. And MCC San Francisco tries to use the experience of AIDS to make bigger social change.
The Church’s Pastor Gets Diagnosed with AIDS. And the Church Wonders How Much They Might Lose.
The church’s minister gets sick and everyone knows it.
A Church Romance Between a Hula Dancer and a Lumbersexual Blossoms in a Dangerous Time.
The church’s “it couple” faces AIDS, caregiving, and loss as part of a pair, part of families, and part of a community.
Trump in Iowa tries to shift the conversation back to the economy
A brief swing through the farm state underscored administration fears about the midterms.
Americans give Trump low marks on handling of economy as midterms likely to center on affordability
Sixty-one percent of voters told a CNN poll released Friday that they disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy.
The West’s Winter Has Been a Slow-Moving Catastrophe
If you are reading this on the East Coast, congratulations on the warmer weather you’re finally getting this week. It was cold and snowy for a while there. Here in the West, we wish we’d been in your shoes. Spare a thought for the tens of millions of us who live on the other side of the continent, where a catastrophe is unfolding.
In Colorado, where I live and grew up, this winter has been especially warm and dry. Last year closed with the warmest December in the history of recordkeeping.
Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Name That College Town
If you put any stock in the ability of IQ tests to assess intelligence, we humans have spent the past century steadily getting smarter. (And if you don’t put any stock in them, well, we humans have steadily gotten better at IQ tests.)
Because IQ is a standardized measure, humankind’s average score still sits at 100—but this isn’t your granddaddy’s 100.
The Latest Ploy to Help Republicans Win Elections
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.
Any legislation titled with a backronym is automatically suspect, and the SAVE America Act—that’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility—is no exception.
FDA’s reversal on Moderna flu shot bid followed White House pressure
President Trump called Commissioner Marty Makary to the White House to discuss his frustration with the agency handling of vaccine issues, sources told POLITICO.
Winter Olympics Photo of the Day: A Golden Smile
Agence Zoom / Getty
Mikaela Shiffrin of Team USA celebrates her gold-medal win in women’s slalom on Day 12 of the Winter Olympics at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, on February 18, 2026. On her final opportunity to medal in this Olympics, Shiffrin won by a margin of 1.5 seconds, following numerous disappointments in previous Olympics.
The End of Reagan-Era Republicanism
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On this week’s episode of The David Frum Show, David opens with a warning about President Trump’s escalating efforts to bend American institutions to his will.
Jay Bhattacharya named acting CDC director
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed Jim O’Neill, whom Trump will nominate to lead the National Science Foundation, from the CDC job last week.
Meet Analilia Mejía, Who Won NJ Congressional Primary After Speaking Out Against ICE & Genocide in Gaza
In a surprise victory, progressive candidate Analilia Mejía won the Democratic primary to fill the House seat left vacant by New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. Mejía served as 2020 national political director for Bernie Sanders and as deputy director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau under President Joe Biden. As a proponent of community organizing, she has pledged to refuse corporate PAC and AIPAC dollars.
CFPB Staffer Alexis Goldstein Fired for Confronting DOGE Members, Announces Run for Congress
The Trump administration has fired Consumer Financial Protection Bureau program manager Alexis Goldstein for documenting a meeting a year ago between the agency and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. “I have been on admin leave ever since, until I was fired last week,” says Goldstein, who says the Trump administration’s gutting of the CFPB removed key oversight of the financial industry. “So, essentially, no one is watching the biggest banks.
“Extremely Dangerous Situation”: Trita Parsi Warns U.S. & Iran Have Incentives to Escalate Conflict
As U.S. and Iranian officials continue negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, President Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers. “This is an extremely dangerous situation, which both sides are actually incentivized to escalate,” says Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. “Both sides actually believe that a short, intense war may improve their negotiating position.
Jesse Jackson Fought for Justice at Home & Abroad: Juan González & Bishop William Barber
Tributes are pouring in from across the globe for Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died on Tuesday. The civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate was 84 years old. Democracy Now!’s Juan González recounts his experience as a reporter visiting Cuba and Puerto Rico alongside Jackson. “Jesse was always there when people were fighting for some form of social justice,” says González. “Of all the U.S.
A Century-Long Google Bet
Alphabet issues century bonds, the majority of Trump’s tariffs were paid by US citizens, and Felix defends fakes.
Super Bowl Commercials This Year Sent a Clear Message. I Hope Donald Trump Isn’t Listening.
Regrettably, I must support the Dunkin’ commercial.
The Real Reason Jeff Bezos Killed the Washington Post
The billionaire wanted the Post to die, because a vigorous, well-resourced newspaper does not help his bottom line.