Susan Faludi suggested we show up to the “Barbie” movie in a pink Corvette, but unfortunately, the only car available was a pickup truck. So that was how one of the world’s leading feminists and I showed up to her local mall: in a 2002 Black Toyota Tacoma, with tickets to Auditorium 2 for “Barbie.” […]

More from our inbox: To the Editor: Re “The Presidential Rematch Nobody Wants,” by Pamela Paul (column, July 21): Ms. Paul asks, “Have you met anyone truly excited about Joe Biden running for re-election?” I am wildly enthusiastic about President Biden, who is the best president in my lifetime. His legislation to repair America’s infrastructure […]

On one level — let’s call it the superficial level — the recent and rapid rise to stardom of Jason DeFord, the country singer and rapper known as Jelly Roll, might seem surprising. At 38 years old, very heavy and sporting a constellation of facial tattoos, Jelly Roll is no Taylor Swift. He is a […]

In 1969, China and the Soviet Union seemed on the brink of war. They fought a deadly border clash in March of that year and another in August. The Kremlin dropped hints of a nuclear strike. Over the next few years, they exchanged barbs. Mao Zedong warned, “You piss on my head, and I shall […]

Animal sounds are my connection to the changing seasons. Every week, a new voice appears or fades. Early winter arrives with the chip of juncos. The chitter of nestling bluebirds signals the onset of summer, closely followed by the first cicadas. This year, though, the yearly cycle was missing a voice. In that absence, I […]

More from our inbox: To the Editor: Re “On Race and Academia,” by John McWhorter (newsletter, July 4): Professor McWhorter’s account of being placed in positions for which he was less than qualified as a result of a series of institutions’ attempts at affirmative action is undoubtedly based on both his experience and analysis. Unfortunately, […]

By Maureen Dowd Opinion Columnist WASHINGTON — A man is running to run the government he tried to overthrow while he was running it, even as he is running to stay ahead of the law. That sounds loony, except in the topsy-turvy world of Donald Trump, where it has a grotesque logic. The question now […]

By Paul Krugman Produced by Sophia Alvarez Boyd How much are you willing to pay for a concert ticket? Twenty dollars? A hundred? A thousand? Some fans of Taylor Swift have reportedly paid more than $20,000 to see her perform live this summer. And now that Beyoncé’s tour has kicked off in the United States, […]

The American legal system is on the cusp of a remarkable historical achievement. In real time and under immense pressure, it has responded to an American insurrection in a manner that is both meting out justice to the participants and establishing a series of legal precedents that will stand as enduring deterrents to a future […]

What’s the correct number of lesbians? Gay men? Bisexuals? Trans people? Is there a number that is too high? Too low? Just right? Every year, Gallup releases a survey of how many Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (L.G.B.T.). The 2023 edition found it was about 7 percent. That percentage has held relatively […]