Leon Panetta on the Trump Administration’s Venezuelan Boat Strikes - The former C.I.A. director and Secretary of Defense explains the problem with using the military for law enforcement. (www.newyorker.com)
Poetry as a Cistern for Love and Loss - The poet Gabrielle Calvocoressi talks with Kevin Young, The New Yorker’s poetry editor, about their newest collection, “The New Economy,” and poetry’s role in addressing grief. (www.newyorker.com)
Is A.I. Actually a Bubble? - The narrative of boom and bust is familiar—but also out of step with the possibilities of a new technology. (www.newyorker.com)
Nancy Shaver Is the Real Deal - Also: Murray Hill’s holiday variety show, Kara Young and Nicholas Braun in “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” James L. Brooks’s anti-romantic comedy “Ella McCay,” and more. (www.newyorker.com)
Bi Gan’s Dream Factory - With “Resurrection,” the director has made a surrealist epic not just about Chinese history but about the cinema itself. (www.newyorker.com)
America’s Betting Craze Has Spread to Its News Networks - CNN and CNBC have partnered with Kalshi, a prediction market, encouraging their viewers to wager on current events in real time. (www.newyorker.com)
The Lovably Fragile Exes of “Is This Thing On?” - Bradley Cooper’s latest film, about separated spouses played by Laura Dern and Will Arnett, is scrappy but soul-nourishing. (www.newyorker.com)
“Wake Up Dead Man”: A Murder Mystery with God in the Details - In Rian Johnson’s latest whodunnit, Josh O’Connor plays a Catholic priest trying to restore moral order at a church befouled by murder. (www.newyorker.com)
The Curse of Trump 2.0 - What does it say that the President doesn’t even feel he needs to hide his most profane and radical views anymore? (www.newyorker.com)
How Bad Is It?: Three Political Scientists Say America Is No Longer a Democracy - They do argue, however, that there are ways out of the United States’ authoritarian moment. (www.newyorker.com)
Will Trump Torpedo North American Trade? - As a crucial negotiating deadline looms, envoys from three countries are scrambling to preserve a continent-wide economy. (www.newyorker.com)
“Wake Up Dead Man” and the Whodunnit Renaissance - A wave of high-concept murder mysteries has revived the classic genre—and proved to be catnip for modern audiences. Why can’t we get enough? (www.newyorker.com)
Inside Trump’s Artless Takeover of the Kennedy Center - Amid firings, boycotts, and programming reoriented to reflect the MAGA agenda, the performing-arts center has become a showcase for Trump’s aesthetics and ambitions. (www.newyorker.com)
How the Kennedy Center Has Been Transformed by Trumpism - The President was drawn to the institution for its cultural prestige. He and his allies made it radioactive. (www.newyorker.com)
What the Warner Bros. Sale Means for the Art of Movies - The competition between Netflix and Paramount Skydance to acquire the studio is haunted by the ghosts of mergers past. (www.newyorker.com)
Automation and Intimacy Brought Video Podcasters Out of the Man Cave - Whether you’re a pundit, a politician, or an A-list comedian, the best media strategy these days is a D.I.Y. stage set and a microphone. (www.newyorker.com)