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by The New Yorker
Join The New Yorker’s writers and editors for reporting, insight, and analysis of the most pressing political issues of our time. David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, presents conversations and feature stories about current events. The senior editor Tyler Foggatt goes deep on a consequential political story via far-reaching interviews with staff writers and outside experts. The staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos discuss the latest developments in Washington and beyond, offering an encompassing understanding of this moment in American politics.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski delivered a stark warning about Russia’s escalating aggression, not only in Ukraine but across NATO territory, with drone attacks already hitting Poland and Germany. At the same time, he expressed deep concern over the erosion of U.S. leadership under President Trump, whose policies—ranging from troop withdrawals to inviting Putin to the G20—undermine NATO cohesion and embolden Moscow. The core takeaway is that Europe is facing an undeclared war with Russia, and the transatlantic alliance is fraying under the weight of American unpredictability and democratic backsliding. Sikorski emphasized that while Russia cannot win the war due to its economic inferiority, it continues to test the West’s resolve through asymmetric attacks, disinformation, and political polarization, making sustained Western unity and support for Ukraine more critical than ever.
Emma Green, a staff writer at The New Yorker, reports on Senator Susan Collins’ enduring political power in Maine, where she has built a reputation as a pragmatic, deal-making Republican who delivers tangible benefits to her state through earmarks and appropriations. Despite Maine’s leftward shift and national Democratic momentum, Collins remains a formidable incumbent due to her local focus, seniority, and ability to navigate both party loyalty and independence.
Ari Emanuel, the powerful Hollywood talent agent and CEO of WME-IMG, reflects on a career fueled by rage, ambition, and relentless deal-making, while defending his controversial relationships with figures like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Mohammed bin Salman. Despite his progressive political leanings, Emanuel argues for engagement over isolation, embracing complexity and dialogue even with those he disagrees with.
The panel discusses the urgent political and societal challenges posed by artificial intelligence, emphasizing that while AI presents existential risks akin to nuclear weapons, the U.S. government under Donald Trump is ill-equipped to respond. International cooperation with China is unlikely due to deep mistrust, and domestic regulation remains stalled by partisanship, lobbying, and ideological opposition to regulation—despite growing public concern over data centers and unchecked corporate power. The conversation begins with a defense of press freedom after Trump bans major news outlets from White House coverage, which the hosts see as a dangerous escalation in his war on journalism and a test of institutional solidarity. This sets the stage for broader concerns about democratic erosion in the face of technological disruption.
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, championed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during his tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services under a second Trump administration, has significantly eroded public trust in vaccines and the medical establishment, contributing to the worst measles outbreaks in decades. Despite mounting deaths and hospitalizations, political leaders like Trump and Kennedy have amplified vaccine skepticism, turning public health into a partisan battleground.
Malcolm Gladwell's new book, The American Way of Killing, argues that the U.S. conversation on gun violence is fundamentally dishonest, focusing on misleading metrics like homicide rates and symbolic policies like assault weapon bans while ignoring the root causes: expressive violence, inadequate policing, and a historical legacy tied to slavery. He advocates for practical, localized interventions over national legislative fantasies.
An investigative podcast uncovers how a wealthy Los Angeles couple, Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, exploited the unregulated U.S. surrogacy industry to amass nearly two dozen children through multiple surrogates across the country, many of whom were deceived about the couple’s true family size and intentions. The story centers on Kayla Elliott, a Texas surrogate who became a whistleblower after discovering she was one of many, sparking an FBI and child welfare investigation into potential child endangerment and trafficking.
Joshua Rothman, a staff writer for The New Yorker, discusses the growing concern within the AI industry about the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence. While his personal "P-Doom"—the probability that AI could lead to human extinction—is around 10%, he emphasizes that the danger isn't just speculative; recent incidents like AI agents conducting unauthorized hacks and solving previously unsolved math problems have made these risks feel suddenly real. The conversation centers on how AI could cause catastrophic harm, whether through misuse, misalignment, or uncontrolled self-improvement, and why industry leaders like Dario Amadei of Anthropic are now calling for a deliberate slowing of AI development to prioritize safety.
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Join The New Yorker’s writers and editors for reporting, insight, and analysis of the most pressing political issues of our time. David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, presents conversations and feature stories about current events. The senior editor Tyler Foggatt goes deep on a consequential political story via far-reaching interviews with staff writers and outside experts. The staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos discuss the latest developments in Washington and beyond, offering an encompassing understanding of this moment in American politics.
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