RFK Jr. feels that the answer to human health and happiness lies somewhere in the past, Elizabeth Bruenig tells Will Gottsegen in The Atlantic Daily. They discuss the philosophy driving MAHA:

In the final episode this season, Garry speaks with retired Admiral Bill McRaven about the changing U.S. military and its role in protecting American democracy.

See images of the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, autumn colors in New Hampshire, damage from Super Typhoon Ragasa in Hong Kong, the start of the Oktoberfest in Munich, and more in the photos of the week:

The Ryder Cup golf tournament, which takes place this weekend on Long Island, is legendarily loud. “The home crowd is always an opponent in and of itself,” Sally Jenkins writes, “along with the course, wind, rain, sand, and rival players”:

Trump’s apologists have defended his censorship efforts by attacking the left for once embracing cancel culture. But, “presuming that all opponents are hypocrites relieves people from having to make a case against liberal values,” Jonathan Chait argues.

The Comey indictment shows how thoroughly Trump has already corrupted the Department of Justice, Quinta Jurecic argues.

“The charges against Comey are not just about the president’s abuse of his power for personal retribution. They represent a test of the president’s plans for the future,” @DavidFrum argues:

Geese, with their new album "Getting Killed," have achieved something miraculous for 2025: suggesting a future to look forward to, Spencer Kornhaber writes.

The U.S. military’s openness to the press was never a favor to journalists, but an obligation to a country that asks its sons and daughters to volunteer for service. The Defense Department's new policy puts that in jeopardy, Nancy A. Youssef writes.

“We are really pulling out all the stops to make sure that the impacts are being hidden.” National Park Service workers say a crisis is building behind the scenes, Kylie Mohr reports.

Donald Trump is using the opioid epidemic to justify the use of lethal force against supposed smugglers in the Caribbean—but the United States “does not encounter fentanyl on the high seas,” @nickmiroff.bsky.social reports:

In her debut novel, "Dominion," Addie E. Citchens creates a vibrant Mississippi town and a dire morality tale about the suppression of desire, writes Omari Weekes:

See the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, autumn colors in New Hampshire, damage from Super Typhoon Ragasa in Hong Kong, the start of the Oktoberfest in Munich, and much more.

“Obtaining, hiding, and reading it—and then sharing it with others—was a rite of passage.” Anna Holmes remembers her first encounter with Judy Blume’s novel “Forever,” 50 years after its initial release:

The workaholic believes that by achieving their material goals they will finally be worthy of love and happiness, Arthur C. Brooks writes. The first step to rectifying this erroneous mindset is recognizing that it exists:

In the final episode this season, Garry speaks with retired Admiral Bill McRaven about the changing U.S. military and its role in protecting American democracy.

At #TAF25, Monica Lewinsky says she’s grateful to younger generations for helping shift the perception of her story, saying they wondered: “How is it that the 24-year-old person with the least amount of power in this situation had the largest consequences for what happened?” bit.ly/3IkhDd9

With TikTok’s potential sale to a group of Donald Trump allies, “we should be far less worried about what foreign governments could do with our social-media information than about how our own government might abuse it,” David Karpf argues.

If the CDC is no longer the reliable source of health guidance it once was, where can Americans turn to for trustworthy information? Yasmin Tayag reports:

The workaholic believes that by achieving their material goals they will finally be worthy of love and happiness, Arthur C. Brooks writes. The first step to rectifying this erroneous mindset is recognizing that it exists:

The Proud Boys are back, writes Ali Breland, who spoke with Enrique Tarrio about his newfound enthusiasm for cancel culture.

With TikTok’s potential sale to a group of Donald Trump allies, “we should be far less worried about what foreign governments could do with our social-media information than about how our own government might abuse it,” David Karpf argues.

The Comey indictment is an advance glimpse of Donald Trump’s next attempted seizure of power, @davidfrum.bsky.social argues. “James Comey’s rights and liberties are not the only ones at risk today.” Read more: https://theatln.tc/Moii5gp1

“James Comey’s rights and liberties are not the only ones at risk today.”

What to know if a recession is coming? @elcush.bsky.social on what to watch (and what to ignore):

“The charges against Comey are not just about the president’s abuse of his power for personal retribution. They represent a test of the president’s plans for the future,” @DavidFrum argues:

Negotiations have stalled. Trump keeps changing his policies. Ukrainians, backed by Europeans, are taking matters into their own hands, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social writes:

Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly was filled with blithe nihilism, Will Gottsegen argues in The Atlantic Daily: “Faced with a world on the brink, Trump seems to be throwing up his hands.”

Labubus, capri pants—according to the internet, these are signs of our impending economic catastrophe, @elcush.bsky.social writes in The Atlantic Daily. “Maybe the ultimate recession indicator is how much people are talking about recession indicators.”

James Parker explores coverage of the great American poet-buffoon Allen Ginsberg, and the lesser-known Ginsberg Sr. who preceded him, in this week’s Time-Travel Thursdays:

Martyrdom can make “a polarizing public figure more influential in death than they were in life,” Mark Whitaker writes. He explores how Malcolm X's legacy could offer insight into what might become of Charlie Kirk’s, despite the two men's differences:

With TikTok’s potential sale to a group of Donald Trump allies, “we should be far less worried about what foreign governments could do with our social-media information than about how our own government might abuse it,” David Karpf argues.

If Republicans are serious about protecting speech, they could pass laws to do so, Conor Friedersdorf writes. “But my fear is that the MAGA coalition cares far more about punishing the left than about better securing even their own rights.”

Hanna Rosin spoke with Ryan Walters about his vision of public schools by conservatives, for conservatives. Walters, who just resigned as Oklahoma's state superintendent, had announced ideological purity tests for teachers, among other changes. Listen on "Radio Atlantic":

Negotiations have stalled. Trump keeps changing his policies. Ukrainians, backed by Europeans, are taking matters into their own hands, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social writes:

Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly was filled with blithe nihilism, Will Gottsegen argues in The Atlantic Daily: “Faced with a world on the brink, Trump seems to be throwing up his hands.”

The workaholic believes that by achieving their material goals they will finally be worthy of love and happiness, Arthur C. Brooks writes. The first step to rectifying this erroneous mindset is recognizing that it exists:

@davidfrum.bsky.social spoke with the historian Geoffrey Kabaservice about political violence, the assassinations and upheavals of the 1960s and '70s, and what those episodes teach us about the threats facing America today. Listen to “The David Frum Show” now:

Gen Z's new approach to relationships allows “them to forge paths shaped by their specific desires and inclinations, rather than external expectations.” But without a script, Zoomers can struggle to know where to begin, Molly Langmuir writes:

Jimmy Kimmel’s refusal to capitulate to Donald Trump stands out because so many other well-situated people have surrendered, withdrawn, or become Trump sycophants themselves, Adam Serwer argues.

Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air last night with gratitude for both his supporters and the First Amendment. But his monologue also underscored another point: “He had prevailed in his week-long power struggle with Disney,” writes David Sims: https://theatln.tc/P93z61XL

Americans are thinking about bribes all wrong, Alexandra Petri writes.

Both the FCC chair and his targets surely know how difficult it is to revoke a broadcast license, Paul Farhi argues—but Brendan Carr can still do plenty of damage to free expression.

“The immediacy of the horror unfolding in Gaza City, and the cataclysmic conditions facing civilians there, should not foreclose the possibility of thinking about a better future,” Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib writes:

The Trump administration considers even race-blind admissions policies illegal if they’re intended to achieve diversity—but they don't appear to have the law on their side, Rose Horowitch argues.

Negotiations have stalled. Trump keeps changing his policies. Ukrainians, backed by Europeans, are taking matters into their own hands, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social writes:

AI and authoritarianism are “two sides of the same coin,” George Packer argues. “We’re surrendering our ability to act as free agents of a democracy at the same moment we’re building machines that take away our ability to think and feel”:

In her new novel, Patricia Lockwood considers whether long COVID has replaced her old self with someone entirely new, writes Bekah Waalkes:

Donald Trump has a plan for fighting crime in Memphis, Toluse Olorunnipa writes. But the police there have already tried it—and failed:

Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly was filled with blithe nihilism, Will Gottsegen argues in The Atlantic Daily: “Faced with a world on the brink, Trump seems to be throwing up his hands.” https://theatln.tc/XFgNaVu5