Lindsey Graham always sought relevance. He loved Sunday-morning political television—which, he understood better than anyone else, could be a fruitful place to “manage the relationship” with Donald Trump, Mark Leibovich argues.

If you’re heading out for a vacation, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have recommendations for engrossing page-turners to bring along: theatln.tc/rrPGZrUz 🎨: Dhrutika Khimani

Genetic testing saves lives—but knowing too much about your genes can introduce another kind of crisis, Elizabeth Bruenig reports:

Lindsey Graham’s sudden death leaves a void on Capitol Hill that the White House can’t afford, @mviser.bsky.social and @JonLemire.bsky.social report.

Despite Donald Trump's railing against Marxism, the president “has more in common with Communists than his hostile rhetoric lets on,” @jonathanbchait.bsky.social argues.

"In his way, the late Lindsey Graham, who unexpectedly died Saturday evening, was the consummate politician of our time," writes @anneapplebaum.bsky.social:

Donald Trump has long treated NATO like a punching bag—“and yet, the quiet reality is that NATO, albeit wounded, is actually going strong,” Charles Kupchan argues:

The “dystopian portrait” that’s been painted of America is not accurate, Yair Lapid argues. He reflects on what his travels to and through the U.S. have shown about the source of America’s success—and struggle.

Hundreds of masked men descended on Washington, D.C., on July 4 in a demonstration that appeared to be tailored for social media, @alibreland.bsky.social reports. The group, Patriot Front, is simultaneously unserious and threatening, he argues:

AI models have clung to one particular cliché when writing text—and no one seems to know why chatbots are so enamored with it, Will Oremus reports:

A new brand of socialism that aims to liberate consumers from high prices has propelled insurgent leftists such as Zohran Mamdani to political victory—but these well-intentioned policies could make everything worse, Idrees Kahloon argues: theatln.tc/c25Mi1Ue 🎨: Ben Hickey

The Democratic manly man is back, @russellberman.bsky.social reports, with the party embracing masculinity as a campaign strategy.

The Democratic Socialists of America has become a force in Democratic politics—even as it has grown more illiberal, more dogmatic, and more hostile to the party, @jonathanbchait.bsky.social argues:

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is the latest person to be killed by ICE agents shooting into cars. @nickmiroff.bsky.social reports on the incident in Houston and immigration officials’ increased targeting of people in vehicles. theatln.tc/ueQYHd3l

Teen-organized outdoor street parties are turning into violent rumbles in D.C. and other large cities—and they may be a symptom of a deeper issue, Robert F. Worth argues:

The evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray is challenging the popular understanding of kids and technology, @kait.bsky.social reports. He believes kids should be free to play without their parents’ supervision even when they go online. theatln.tc/AObT0cym

If you’re heading out for a summer vacation, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have suggested some page-turners to bring along. Our senior editor @ssdai.bsky.social chose “How to End a Love Story.” See more selections here: theatln.tc/Hyog4S28

Cyclospora, the parasite that appears to be causing an outbreak of diarrheal disease in the U.S., is most common in tropical climates—but America seems to have a homegrown-parasite problem on its hands, @nicholasflorko.bsky.social reports:

PEN America’s president resigned after the organization published an article cataloging the ways Jewish and Israeli writers have felt excluded. The resignation reveals the precarity of free-speech principles, @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports.

The Trump administration has been dramatically reducing the amount of federal data available to the public—and “this new reality risks clouding our understanding of the economy, public health, and the environment,” @willgottsegen.com argues:

Pieter de Hooch’s “Interior With Women Beside a Linen Cupboard” may appear assertively ordinary—but the painting is a lesson in the limits of visibility and knowledge, Susan Tallman argues:

Universal basic capital could provide a much-needed hedge against a future AI dystopia—but only if it’s designed the right way, Rogé Karma argues.

Mark Twain “was our shrewdest satirist of greed and corruption, and he would find plenty to be appalled about in today’s second Gilded Age,” Ron Chernow argues. He predicts how Twain might react to DOGE, Trump, and other realities of modern America.

Wilfred McClay's U.S. history textbook, recommended by the Florida Department of Education, was written in part to counteract the influence of Howard Zinn’s "A People’s History of the United States.” @hannarosin.bsky.social speaks with him about how he frames history:

There’s one key tactic professional athletes use to deal with to extreme heat—and it’s helpful advice for the rest of us, @nancywalecki.bsky.social reports:

Sports leagues have more games than ever before—and this growth risks overwhelming even the most fanatic viewer, Jacob Stern argues.

Public-health advice is pretty clear that children are especially at risk of heat-related illnesses, but actual heat-related-illness data seem to tell a different story, Daniel Engber reports:

A growing number of charismatic Christians see themselves as waging a spiritual battle against the forces of Satan, Stephanie McCrummen writes. Sometimes those forces are right across the street.

In recent years, government files related to Ethel and Julius Rosenberg’s execution have been declassified, and the sons they left behind have had to make sense of the revelations. Not all of them have been easy to accept, Amy Weiss-Meyer reports:

PEN America’s president resigned after the organization published an article cataloging the ways Jewish and Israeli writers have felt excluded. The resignation reveals the precarity of free-speech principles, @galbeckerman.bsky.social reports.

Americans were once members of a proudly literate society, but today, reading has declined across age groups, gender, and education levels. For The Atlantic’s August issue, @rosehorowitch.bsky.social explores the reading collapse—and its effects on civilization: theatln.tc/l2Xk9ATe 🎨: The Atlantic

When Thomas Chatterton Williams moved to Paris years ago, he was invited to join a tight-knit band of friends on their recurring guys’ night out. He reflects on why those evenings became the most important social habit of his life:

If you’re heading out for a summer vacation, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have suggested some page-turners to bring along. Our senior editor @jenduende.bsky.social chose “Reading Lolita in Tehran.” See more selections here: theatln.tc/Hyog4S28

Pieter de Hooch’s “Interior With Women Beside a Linen Cupboard” may appear assertively ordinary—but the painting is a lesson in the limits of visibility and knowledge, Susan Tallman argues:

The iPod and other devices from a less connected era are getting a second life, @nancywalecki.bsky.social reports. She explores why some Gen Zers are joining the recent “analog” movement: theatln.tc/sjQ3BZ5a 🎨: Alisa Gao / The Atlantic

well well if it isn't Jacob Stern in The Atlantic!! www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

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Sports leagues have more games than ever before—and this growth risks overwhelming even the most fanatic viewer, Jacob Stern argues.

A bookstore in East Tennessee hosted trivia nights, readings, and all-ages punk shows. Then new neighbors moved in—and became convinced that the store was the regional stronghold for demonic activity. Stephanie McCrummen reports on what happened next: theatln.tc/eHFW3Fa7 🎨: Lewis Chamberlain

Beneath all the alienation, “The Catcher in the Rye” has a surprisingly hopeful, and ethical, outlook, Lily Meyer argues. She revisits the classic novel 75 years after it was first published:

The number of National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., has jumped in recent weeks. @willgottsegen.com on what’s behind the surge, and its effect on the city:

Modern musicians are contending with feeling betrayed by the attention economy, writes @skornhaber.bsky.social: theatln.tc/dqpzvSXY 🎨: The Atlantic. Sources: Kevin Mazur / Getty; patstock / Getty.

President Trump is running out of time to change the country’s voting policies ahead of the midterms, because the courts, Congress, and the Constitution seem to keep getting in the way, Toluse Olorunnipa reports.

Michael and Robby Rosenberg were watching a baseball game on TV when a news flash announced that their parents were about to be executed. Amy Weiss-Meyer on how, 73 years later, the brothers are still trying to make sense of what happened:

Mitch McConnell, who has not been seen in public in almost a month, is hardly the first member of Congress to go MIA, Marie-Rose Sheinerman reports. She explores how lawmakers have been able to shield their conditions from the public:

Pieter de Hooch’s “Interior With Women Beside a Linen Cupboard” may appear assertively ordinary—but the painting is a lesson in the limits of visibility and knowledge, Susan Tallman argues:

The World Cup is organized around national competition, but it reminds us how interconnected those nations really are, Rafaela Jinich writes in The Wonder Reader. She explores how this tournament reminds us that loyalty doesn't have to be bound by borders.

Surfacing the “small stuff” that you tend to overlook in your everyday life is important—“what you’re losing, if you don’t, is the experience of living in the moment,” @ibogost.com tells @cwarzel.bsky.social. Watch Galaxy Brain: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Va_...

“Zidane, a 21st Century Portrait,” a masterful art film that focuses on the great French soccer midfielder Zinedine Zidane, reveals the heroism and pathos of being human, Sebastian Smee argues.

Cyclospora, the parasite that appears to be causing an outbreak of diarrheal disease in the U.S., is most common in tropical climates—but America seems to have a homegrown-parasite problem on its hands, @nicholasflorko.bsky.social reports: