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Joaquin Phoenix (left) and Pedro Pascal in “Eddington.”

The World Has Gone Haywire in Ari Aster’s Eddington

The director’s latest is a none-too-subtle depiction of Covid hysteria, racial justice protests, isolation, and the rottenness of social media—and how they combine to rip apart the fabric of a small town.

Illustration of the book The Cycles of American History

What If the Political Pendulum Doesn’t Swing Back?

The Cycles of American History foresaw American voter dealignment, and an electronic age that would see voters prioritize personality over party—but it didn’t anticipate Trump.

Navigating the “Subversive Safety Net” in Venice Beach

Vendors and tourists crowd the Venice Beach boardwalk in 2022.

Navigating the “Subversive Safety Net” in Venice Beach

Books & the Arts

An illustration of FDR blowing what looks like a dandelion but is in fact parachutiists and war airplanes

Why America Got a Warfare State, Not a Welfare State

How FDR invented national security, and why Democrats need to move on from it

A photo illustration of many hands and a pair of fists reaching towards a golden basketball

The WNBA Is a Perfectly Choreographed TV Drama

Women’s basketball is bigger than it’s ever been on television, and the player’s association is taking advantage of the spotlight to tell a gripping story about labor.