Journalism

Like everyone else still left on Twitter—at this point, roughly 90,000 journalists and 14 bemused normal people—I was deeply skeptical about Elon Musk’s takeover of the social network. (The Atlantic)

His message was a macho one of risk-taking and courage, which tapped into the existing Republican advantage among male voters. (The Atlantic)

British democracy is shrinking, and the result is Sunak—a politician who lacks a popular mandate but does have incredible wealth and an air of hoodie-wearing dorkiness. (The Atlantic)

Today, the lettuce looked a little bruised, but it could still be incorporated into a healthy salad. Sadly, Liz Truss serves no such useful purpose. (The Atlantic)

Just six weeks into her tenure, Liz Truss's ambitions have shuffled off this mortal coil, rung down the curtain, and joined the choir invisible. (The Atlantic)

Like the North Star in the night sky, Queen Elizabeth II was a fixed point, something by which to orient yourself. She was six weeks older than Marilyn Monroe, three years older than Anne Frank, nine years older than Elvis Presley—all figures of the unreachable past. She was older than nylon, Scotch tape, and The Hobbit. (The Atlantic)

In his last days as prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson conducted a farewell tour of the country. Possibly he expected something like the accolades his beloved Roman generals were given—a small arch in his honor, say—or at least a few angry Gauls walking miserably behind his chariot. Instead he went to a field in southwest England and stared at a hole in the ground. (The Atlantic)

Joan of Arc dared to take on the traditionally masculine role of soldier and commander. In her day, everyone wondered: Was she holy—a saint, a sacred being, a vessel of enlightenment—or merely a woman? Four centuries later, the Globe is asking the same question. (The Atlantic)