Egypt’s transition to a new military-backed government after the ouster of Mohammed Morsi took a violent turn this week after several hundred supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi were killed during an assault on two protest camps by Egyptian security forces. In what must be the understatement of the
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks on the transit beat. A shark turned up on the N train. A ride on the Q inspired an an epic Craigslist “Missed Connection.” Workers in London discovered 400 skeletons in a 17th-century mass grave under Liverpool Street Station—not the only
On Wednesday Russia granted NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden asylum for a year, while earlier this week a military court found WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy, though guilty of a slew of lesser charges. Coincidentally, I also finally got around to watching the BBC’s enjoyable
The media focus on Britain’s Royal Uterus this week was a valuable reminder of how tiresome fame can be, and how detached from extraordinariness it can be. Kate and Wills seem like perfectly nice people, but that was an awful lot of fanfare for a young couple who had
The last few weeks before a vacation are the worst, especially if you haven’t taken a break in a while, and more especially when you’ve been going to work in weather that seems to encourage everything but work. Maybe the heat is making you crazy, or it’s
I have a hard time committing to a book on the beach—mostly because I can’t seem to stay awake for more than 20 minutes at a time when I’m lying next to a large body of water. So summer vacation, for me, means time to catch up
It was probably a coincidence that the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decisions on two same-sex marriage cases just days before the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, but it was a nice touch. Everything I might have wanted to say about it has already been said better by others,
I’ve spent much of the past week and a half stuck in much-worse-than-usual traffic, and thinking about Kevin Fanning’s pitch-perfect meditation on commuting: How the Dead Live. “Thinking about the clock of my life ticking away every day while I’m sitting there, just waiting to be somewhere
A few weeks after the Obama administration was thumped for subpoenaing Associated Press phone records and monitoring the communications of Fox News reporter James Rosen, word arrived from the Guardian that the administration executed an unusually broad FISA warrant for Verizon call metadata (and grudging props to the Brits for
At least one of three heavily timber-producing counties in Oregon last week rejected property tax increases to pay for law enforcement services that had previously been funded by federal timber subsidies. Without the levies, those counties had to lay off 80 percent of their police forces and only offer law
Seeing the tornado damage in Oklahoma this week reminded me of the aftermath of a thousand-year flood that struck my city three years ago. My husband and I had three sandbags, which was ridiculous. What piece of our house were we going to save with three sandbags? (We laid them
While it’s easy to think of the United States as either New York (urban) or Los Angeles (sprawl) with nothing but Mayberry in between, the truth is that there’s a lot of character to be found between the coasts of these United States. Exhibit No. 1: the Mark
The talk I get—it’s human nature to have strong opinions about deadly things—it’s the not listening that seems to be the problem. Which is one of the reasons I love Nicole Pasulka’s How to Hunt: Nicole not only listens, but does. As divisive as guns
Delicious incongruity aside, the scene served as another reminder of the age: Nobody with any alternative—even skis—took the subway then, especially at night. Manhattan, it is harder and harder to remember, used to be a really rough place. But as rough as it was in the late ’60s,
But if Jessica’s book tour doesn't bring her to you, fear not: You can still get to know her a little better the same way we did—through her writing for TMN. Here are four highlights, ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you
I have to admit I’m a little sorry to see the long nights of winter go. I suppose I’m so conditioned to be working during daylight that I often find myself feeling vaguely uneasy when the sun is still up at 8 p.m. Then, a few years
On Monday the high court announced it would add a second affirmative action case to its docket, that, The Week reports, “has observers wondering if they’re preparing to deliver a pair of rulings that, combined, would have a wide-reaching impact.” Of more acute concern to today’s high school
Ten years on, it seems like the only judgment left to be made about our Iraqi boondoggle is how much of a disaster it was. The war’s anniversary was barely acknowledged in Washington this year, something we’ll remedy here, with five stories about the Iraq war, ready to
Francis is a Jesuit committed to a modest lifestyle; back home he eschewed the trappings of rank in lieu of living in a simple apartment and taking the bus. Many Catholics have spoken of their wish for the Church to modernize; as a non-Catholic I can only comment that some
This comes less than two weeks after the chain had to pull its signature Swedish meatballs from the menu, after horsemeat was found in those as well, and two days after they had to recall their almond and chocolate cakes, which were discovered to be contaminated with E. coli. If
And then say no more, because there are more important things to talk about, like the financial trouble faced by the visual effects shops responsible for creating much of what the audience sees in Hollywood films—even the most ordinary things. (Who knew? I didn’t.) This has been an
Over at Vulture, Brian McGreevy pleads with Girls fans (and critics) to stop calling Lena Dunham “brave” for daring to appear en deshabille onscreen despite her clinically average BMI, as if being an actress seeking attention were anything new. Likewise, at Slate, William Saletan argued that one big reason Oscar
So, since it was also Valentine’s Day this week, here are five stories of complicated love from the TMN archives. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
But as justifiable as lip syncing was in Beyoncé’s case—hell, I would have lip synced to Beyoncé’s voice, too—it can still be hard to reconcile the ineffability of enjoyment with the nuts and bolts that enable us to consume it reliably. That’s what makes the
Incidentally, I happen to have a cold, which is apparently much less interesting to the New York Times. What is interesting, however, is this collection of five wonderful pieces about sickness and health—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad,
But, in the interest of looking forward, here are four stories about predicting the future. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Originally conceived as a commentary on Britain’s class system, the series grew along with the children into a bigger and more complex exploration of humanity. To mark the latest installment, here are four stories about growing up, both physically and emotionally—plus Jonathan Bell’s examination of the series.
If you’re about to gnaw your arm off, why not take a break from the carrot sticks and sate your appetite with four delicious stories about food? Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Depardieu has not responded to the offer thus far. Perhaps he’s still thinking about it. To help him make up his mind, we present Elizabeth Kiem’s excellent “Reading Roulette” series, highlighting emerging Russian writers—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to
Still, so many people dread the holidays that it seems appropriate to consider Doomsday scenarios. Here are five stories about the apocalypse—or lack thereof—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In other news, Voyager I, the space probe launched in 1977, may finally be crossing the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space. To celebrate mankind’s wanderlust, here is a collection of some of TMN’s best and most exotic travel writing, ready to read here on TMN
In 2008, TMN’s Todd Levin traced his life in gaming from the pixelated ’80s to the first-person-shooter present in his series “Consoles I Have Known,” ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
TMN contributor and musical omnivore Patrick Ambrose brings together my two favorite escapes: good tunes and good writing. If you, too, need to get away for a bit during the holiday, here are six of his musician profiles, ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can
TMN editor Erik Bryan knows all about the New York the rest of us have forgotten. He’s spent the past year or so exploring the city’s roadside attractions, the living bits of history hiding in plain sight just beyond the city’s flashier landmarks. Here are five of
In (hopefully) more lighthearted news, you may have also heard the story of little Abby Evans, a Colorado toddler who was so traumatized by the endless, aggressive presidential campaign that she burst into tears after hearing an NPR story about the race. We feel her pain, too, and so in
With the Great Pumpkin’s return just around the corner, we present a selection of spooky stories to get you in the mood. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about overcoming our instinct for self-preservation. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories examining women and power--political, social, sexual, and creative. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the mysteries of the mind. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about (American) football. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the little people. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, stories exploring the Middle East and Islam...from perhaps a more nuanced point of view than has been expressed this week. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories looking at the nation's blue party. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories shedding a little light on the party of Lincoln. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, the collected installations (so far) of Matt Robison’s “News From America” series. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
This weekend, a selection of stories about athletic endeavors you won't see on ESPN. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the nonpareils of escapism: comic books and science fiction. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories exploring the essence of Englishness. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about when the weather goes awry. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories from the intersection of health, employment, insurance, and legislation. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories by those who endure—whether by choice or otherwise—the agony and ecstasy of basketball. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories from our archive by children of fathers (and fathers of children). Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Basically, if you’re the kind of person who stays in bed on Saturday mornings with a big mug of coffee and a sheaf of reading material, this is for you. If you’re the kind of person who dreams of being that kind of person once the kids are
