America likes to think of itself in garlanded terms. The shining city on a hill. The indispensable nation. The land of the free. There’s something to each sobriquet, to be sure. But there’s another phrase, not always so flattering, that also applies to the United […]

By Nicholas Kristof Produced by Jillian Weinberger For decades, Mississippi had some of the worst reading and math scores in the country. That’s no longer true. Recently, the state’s third and fourth graders have improved significantly, and they’re now on par with the rest of […]

There is no English noun that adequately conveys what millions of fans experience on the eve of the pro football season. Only something like the ancient Greek concept of ataraxia — which literally means the absence of disturbance or trouble but connotes a kind of […]

null Supported by Video by Amanda Su and Alexander Stockton Ms. Su is a reporting fellow with Opinion Video. Mr. Stockton is a producer with Opinion Video. A lot of people have recently weighed in on legacy admissions, the preferential treatment given to the children […]

More than a decade ago, a divided Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Alvarez that an elected member of a district water board in California could not be prosecuted criminally for lying to an audience about winning the Medal of Honor. The court ruled […]

DeSantis Claus Is Runnin’ This Town Oh! You better watch out!You better not pry.Hang on to your hats!I’m tellin’ you why:DeSantis Claus is runnin’ this town. He’s made up a list.You’re on it, it’s true.He’s gonna find out who’s red and who’s blue;DeSantis Claus is […]

There are moments of fireworks at every presidential debate, and then there are moments that last — the moments that shape the public image of candidates, the moments that influence campaign strategy, messaging, fund-raising and staying power. As part of Opinion’s commentary on the winners […]

This morning, I want to tell you about a story that’s difficult to read but also eye-opening. Jen Percy, a contributing writer for The Times Magazine, has spent months reporting on a frequently misunderstood aspect of rape — why victims often freeze rather than scream […]

A radioactive wedge between Japan and South Korea Japan’s plan to release into the ocean more than 1.3 million tons of ​treated water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has raised alarms across the​ Pacific. The backlash has been particularly severe in South Korea. […]

This week, Republican primary candidates for president will have a chance to make their case before a national audience — with or without Donald Trump on the debate stage. To win, they must break free of Mr. Trump’s drama, step out of his shadow, go […]