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A man in a blazer and glasses stands in an art storage room, pointing up toward several classical framed paintings hung on a large wire mesh sliding rack. Beside him, a woman stands watching where he is pointing.
A man in a blazer and glasses stands in an art storage room, pointing up toward several classical framed paintings hung on a large wire mesh sliding rack. Beside him, a woman stands watching where he is pointing.

Evacuating Art From Ukraine’s Front Lines

The Lithuanian curators working to protect paintings from Putin.

Report
Pau Torres Pagès
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.

The CIA’s First Failed Coup

Kim Philby, parachute drops, and what really happened in communist Albania. This article has an audio recording

Review
Casey Michel
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026

Surviving an Oil Spill in Louisiana, and More New Fiction for July

Stephanie Soileau’s ‘Should the Waters Take Us’ depicts a Cajun community in Louisiana. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
A man in a dark shirt and grey pants walks away from a small storefront with a corrugated metal roof, looking down at a piece of paper in his hands. To the left, two other men stand near a pair of small, portable gas generators on the ground. Banners on the shop's front advertise services such as passport, photocopy, and printing.
A man in a dark shirt and grey pants walks away from a small storefront with a corrugated metal roof, looking down at a piece of paper in his hands. To the left, two other men stand near a pair of small, portable gas generators on the ground. Banners on the shop's front advertise services such as passport, photocopy, and printing.

A World of Scams

‘The Yahoo Boys’ shows how con artists can be victims too. This article has an audio recording

Review
Sarah Weinman
A still from the film Gone with the Wind shows Scarlett O'Hara, a white woman, leaning on a column while her corset is tightened by her maid Mammy, a Black woman in a maid's dress with an apron, in a pink gilded bedroom.
A still from the film Gone with the Wind shows Scarlett O'Hara, a white woman, leaning on a column while her corset is tightened by her maid Mammy, a Black woman in a maid's dress with an apron, in a pink gilded bedroom.

Are Movies to Blame?

A renowned film historian asks if moving pictures led us to something rotten. This article has an audio recording

Review
Jordan Hoffman
Folarin Balogun of the U.S. men’s national soccer team shows dejection after the United States lost to Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match in Seattle.
Folarin Balogun of the U.S. men’s national soccer team shows dejection after the United States lost to Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match in Seattle.

How Trump Lost America the World Cup

A host is supposed to harvest the world’s goodwill, not burn it. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Bobby Ghosh
A collage of three distinct scenes separated by jagged black borders. On the left, a woman looks over her shoulder with an anxious expression. In the center, a silhouetted figure stands in a brightly lit doorway of a house at night. On the right, a close-up shows a colorful 3D animated character with a jester hat and wide, expressive eyes.
A collage of three distinct scenes separated by jagged black borders. On the left, a woman looks over her shoulder with an anxious expression. In the center, a silhouetted figure stands in a brightly lit doorway of a house at night. On the right, a close-up shows a colorful 3D animated character with a jester hat and wide, expressive eyes.

Gen Z Goes to Hollywood

Three summer movies reflect a generation’s sensibilities. This article has an audio recording

Review
Tim Brinkhof
A composite digital illustration showing the upper torso and head of the Statue of Liberty against a dark teal background. A white medical bandage wraps around her head, covering her forehead and one eye, which is depicted with a dark, bruised black eye. Her left arm is resting in a light pink medical arm sling across her chest.
A composite digital illustration showing the upper torso and head of the Statue of Liberty against a dark teal background. A white medical bandage wraps around her head, covering her forehead and one eye, which is depicted with a dark, bruised black eye. Her left arm is resting in a light pink medical arm sling across her chest.

The U.S. at 250: Terminally Ill or Just Very Sick?

Experts question whether one of the world’s oldest democracies can survive. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Michael Hirsh
A painting depicts Roosevelt on horseback, his right hand raising a sword in the air as he leads a cavalry charge of other U.S. soldiers on horseback. The horses' eyes are wide and bulging with fear, and there are scattered starbursts around the scene indicating artillery fire.
A painting depicts Roosevelt on horseback, his right hand raising a sword in the air as he leads a cavalry charge of other U.S. soldiers on horseback. The horses' eyes are wide and bulging with fear, and there are scattered starbursts around the scene indicating artillery fire.

How to Spin an Empire

U.S. imperialism as inspiration and foil. This article has an audio recording

Essay
Nick Danforth, Graham H. Cornwell
An illustration in a woodcut engraving style showing a large brown American bison standing on a stylized, vintage map of the United States. Dark, heavy smoke billows out from an oil pumpjack and a drilling derrick on the map, enveloping the bison and filling the upper sky.
An illustration in a woodcut engraving style showing a large brown American bison standing on a stylized, vintage map of the United States. Dark, heavy smoke billows out from an oil pumpjack and a drilling derrick on the map, enveloping the bison and filling the upper sky.

Whales, Cars, Farms, and Parks

How the United States remade the global environment from 1776 to today.

Essay
J.R. McNeill
In this illustration depicted in muted colors, beneath a red canopy, a Mughal governor company agent in Western formal attire is seen in an act of diplomacy at his court, or durbar, in Murshidabad, the Mughal capital of Bengal. The Nawab, a seated man in formal attire, should be the dominant figure, but the artist has put the two men on an equal level. The Company man’s chair balances the Nawab’s throne, and both are honored by peacock-feather fans and pink parasols.
In this illustration depicted in muted colors, beneath a red canopy, a Mughal governor company agent in Western formal attire is seen in an act of diplomacy at his court, or durbar, in Murshidabad, the Mughal capital of Bengal. The Nawab, a seated man in formal attire, should be the dominant figure, but the artist has put the two men on an equal level. The Company man’s chair balances the Nawab’s throne, and both are honored by peacock-feather fans and pink parasols.

The Art That Created Colonialism

A new exhibition examines how Western art and colonial aggression made each other possible.

Review
Carey K. Mott
An illustration depicting a man submerged up to his nose in water. The wavy water is divided horizontally into three color bands that mimic a flag: white foam at the very top peaks, a deep blue middle section filled with bubbles, and a red lower section covering his neck and suit jacket. His blue eyes look upward with a wide, strained expression.
An illustration depicting a man submerged up to his nose in water. The wavy water is divided horizontally into three color bands that mimic a flag: white foam at the very top peaks, a deep blue middle section filled with bubbles, and a red lower section covering his neck and suit jacket. His blue eyes look upward with a wide, strained expression.

As the Tide Turns Against Putin, Beware the Drowning Man

Like a struggling swimmer, he may take desperate measures to stay afloat.

Essay
Peter Frankopan
An infographic featuring a simplified grey world map on a light beige background, scattered with numerous small brown dots indicating locations across various continents, heavily concentrated in Europe. Five professional soccer players are superimposed over the map, each positioned inside a white circular frame:
An infographic featuring a simplified grey world map on a light beige background, scattered with numerous small brown dots indicating locations across various continents, heavily concentrated in Europe. Five professional soccer players are superimposed over the map, each positioned inside a white circular frame:

The New Geography of the World Cup

Migration, colonial history, and elite academies have redefined today’s national teams. This article has an audio recording

Infographic
Gil Guerra, Diana Roy
An illustration in a detailed woodcut style depicts a large tornado swirling violently under a dark, heavy blanket of storm clouds. Caught in the outer winds of the vortex are two historical flags on broken poles: a Confederate battle flag on the left and a historical American flag with a circle of stars on the right. Swirling in the debris field below the flags are several silhouettes of rifles and pistols scattered by the force of the storm against a light tan background.
An illustration in a detailed woodcut style depicts a large tornado swirling violently under a dark, heavy blanket of storm clouds. Caught in the outer winds of the vortex are two historical flags on broken poles: a Confederate battle flag on the left and a historical American flag with a circle of stars on the right. Swirling in the debris field below the flags are several silhouettes of rifles and pistols scattered by the force of the storm against a light tan background.

From Bloody Kansas to the Rebuilding of Europe

In trying to restore order after World War II, U.S. leaders drew lessons from a dark chapter in their country’s history. This article has an audio recording

Essay
Jay Sexton
A black and white photo of a man sitting in a chair, reading a French magazine titled "LA RECHERCHE." He has thin hair, a thoughtful expression, and is wearing a dark, long-sleeved button-down shirt. On the wall behind him hangs a framed painted portrait of a young man with dark hair, and above that, a portion of a larger, dark abstract painting is visible.
A black and white photo of a man sitting in a chair, reading a French magazine titled "LA RECHERCHE." He has thin hair, a thoughtful expression, and is wearing a dark, long-sleeved button-down shirt. On the wall behind him hangs a framed painted portrait of a young man with dark hair, and above that, a portion of a larger, dark abstract painting is visible.

The Era of the French Intellectual Is Over

The recently deceased Edgar Morin was the last reminder of a bygone phenomenon.

Argument
Robert Zaretsky
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