Decent Newsroom

June 18 2026

How Do I Love Thee?

A growing number of internet dating sites are relying on academic researchers to develop a new science of attraction. A firsthand report from the front lines of an unprecedented social experiment:

by The Atlantic

June 18 2026

America Is Done Pretending About Meat

Making America healthy again, it seems, starts with a double cheeseburger and fries. Earlier this month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited a Steak ’n Shake in Florida and shared a meal with Fox News’s Sean Hannity. The setting was no accident: Kennedy has praised the fast-food chain for switching its cooking oil from seed oil, which he falsely claims causes illness, to beef tallow. “People are raving about these french fries,” Kennedy said after eating one, before commending other restaurants that fry with beef tallow: Popeyes, Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse.

by The Atlantic

June 18 2026

Dynamite

The tragedy of our exploding ghettos has historical roots in the false expectations of the Reconstruction era, and in the refusal of American citizens to sense the frustration and violence gathering in the slums.

by The Atlantic

June 17 2026

What Did You Expect?

Perhaps this was always how Trump’s ill-conceived war was destined to end.

by The Atlantic

June 6 2026

The J6 Rioter Now Working at the Pentagon

His hiring is part of a dangerous trend in the Trump administration.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

‘Obsession’ Takes Gen Z’s Social Anxiety to the Extreme

Avoiding vulnerability comes with ghastly consequences.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

The Supreme Court Has Invented a Right to Discriminate

Alabama gambled on the Court’s partisanship, and won.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

The Old Campaign Playbook Is Dead

How influencers, podcasts, and AI are rewriting the rules of political campaigns

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Elon Musk Is Dropping a Boulder in a Kiddie Pool

He is about to take SpaceX public—pushing other AI companies to do the same.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Comedy's Biggest Stand-Up Won't Be Hollywood's Next Leading Man

The comedian Nate Bargatze is an indisputably titanic name in his field. He’s been the top-grossing stand-up in America for two years in a row, he hosted last year’s Emmys (albeit to mixed reviews), and he’s even planning on opening a theme park called Nateland in his hometown of Nashville. Consequently, there was every reason to think that his new movie, The Breadwinner, would break through with audiences; it’s a breezy comedy aimed squarely at families, ostensibly filling an underserved part of the market. But the film has been roundly dismissed by critics and theatergoers, basically disappearing from the box office after opening last week. Bargatze’s first effort as a leading man, it seems, is yet another reminder that even the country’s biggest performers might not be able to make a comedy into a theatrical hit anymore.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

What Dogs See That We Can't

Consciousness separates us from machines. Need convincing? Just take a good look at a faithful canine.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

The Republicans Who Impugn Talarico’s Manhood

Attacks on the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas show the GOP’s narrow, anxious definition of masculinity.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Photos of the Week: Kite Chase, River Float, Night Harvest

A pink-soup festival in Lithuania, wild horses in Germany, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, a gathering of Marilyn Monroe look-alikes in California, and much more

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Atlantic Trivia: The Weekend

Test your knowledge—and read our stories for a little extra help.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

The Vicious Beating That Reshaped America

Two books about the 1856 caning of a senator show how words can incite violence—and also help defeat it.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Iran’s Next Internet Blackout Is Inevitable

Flipping the kill switch is a potent exercise of authoritarian control.

by The Atlantic

June 5 2026

Don’t Worry! That Was Almost Certainly the Last Graham Platner Scandal!

Hi! By now, we’re sure you’ve heard the latest about Graham Platner, and we’re sure you’re wondering: Will more shoes drop? No! Absolutely not. Graham is far too masculine to have a large collection of shoes. Unless by shoes you mean something metaphorical, like an allegation. In that case, maybe.

by The Atlantic

June 4 2026

Yet More Damning Revelations About Graham Platner

Voters may be questioning the Senate candidate’s claims that he is a changed man.

by The Atlantic

June 4 2026

Trump Thinks His Administration Is ‘Like Pirates’

They’re seizing ships, plundering cargo, and inflicting casualties on the high seas.

by The Atlantic

June 4 2026

The World Cup of Ugh

The World Cup is nearly here! But so far, at least, no one seems all that excited.