Daily Reads

Germany Is in Danger. But There’s Still Time.

— Anna Sauerbrey

We should not give in to gloom.

America Is Blundering Toward War With China

— Robert D. Kaplan

The U.S. has long misunderstood Beijing, and Trump’s mixed signals aren’t helping.

There Is Something We Have to Do Right Now About A.I.

Artificial intelligence labs are on the verge of handing over the training of A.I. to A.I. We should stop them.

Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot

— Jonathan Rauch and Peter Wehner

It is now apparent that many Americans — probably enough Americans — are determined to live within the truth rather than the lie.

Please Stand Clear of the Accidental Art Museum

— Damon Winter

Under New York’s streets, the subway system corrodes, is fixed — and breaks again. What’s left is art, the M.T.A. Modern.

A.I. Is a Threat, but Not in the Way You Think

— Tressie McMillan Cottom

The threats from A.I. are real — and they’re ones we know how to deal with.

This Is the Thinking Behind Trump’s Puzzling Foreign Policy

— Leonard A. Schuette and John Guida

What is “civilizationism”?

Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Why Politics Is So Hard for Celebrities

— Roxane Gay

Celebrities use the facade of neutrality as shelter, as a place to take refuge.

50 Years Ago, NASA Unveiled its First Space Shuttle

— David Nield

And “Star Trek” fans named it The post 50 Years Ago, NASA Unveiled its First Space Shuttle appeared first on Nautilus.

Ancient, Armored Fishes Crushed Jaw Evolution

— Devin Reese

Placoderms evolved unique approaches to the first-ever vertebrate jaws The post Ancient, Armored Fishes Crushed Jaw Evolution appeared first on Nautilus.

When presidents ban journalists from the White House, the First Amendment is not the only constitutional right at stake

— Wayne Unger

MS NOW White House Correspondent Akayla Gardner prepares to report from a street corner outside the White House grounds after being denied entry on Sept. 19, 2026. Graeme Sloan/Getty Images The president is going afte…

Why it’s So Hard to Measure the Depth of the Ocean

— Jake Currie

There are a lot of variables The post Why it’s So Hard to Measure the Depth of the Ocean appeared first on Nautilus.

Are Our Antidepressants Harming Fish?

— Devin Reese

It’s hard to say, but we’re definitely exposing them to our monoamine drugs The post Are Our Antidepressants Harming Fish? appeared first on Nautilus.

Three Ts will dominate Trump-Xi summit – but expect little movement on trade, less on Taiwan and who knows on tech

— Rana Mitter

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026. Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last sat down in May 2026, talk…

Could AI Have Consciousness That Isn’t Human-Like?

— Kristen French

Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith on AI consciousness and existential risk The post Could AI Have Consciousness That Isn’t Human-Like? appeared first on Nautilus.

Noise pollution is a serious but often forgotten public health problem

— Laura Coco

Noise pollution is an occupational health hazard for many workers. urbazon/E+ via Getty Images The human body is remarkably good at getting used to the environment around it. You’ve probably experienced this if you’ve…

STAT+: Members of Congress push back on plan to create a commission of political appointees to review NIH grants

— Anil Oza and Chelsea Cirruzzo

Several members of Congress voiced strong opposition about a reported plan to create a panel of political appointees to sign off on NIH grants

STAT+: What a vote on Grail’s cancer detection test could mean for the company, patients, and regulators

— Matthew Herper

Shares in Grail, the company developing a blood test for cancer, surged Monday after the FDA posted documents ahead of an advisory committee meeting.

STAT+: Lilly’s breast cancer combo wins approval

— STAT Staff

The FDA just approved a new combination drug treatment for patients with an advanced form of breast cancer.

STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Novo plans to expand its pipeline, early Alkermes ADHD data, and more

— Andrew Joseph

Novo Nodisk outlined plans to expand its pipeline and find new products that it could sell more like consumer goods than traditional medicines

President Trump’s newest vaccine ‘demands’ repeat old misinformation

— Amanda Erickson

A day after health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised that parents concerned about vaccines had a “friend” in the White House, President Trump said he’ll be “demanding” that drug…

STAT+: Alkermes’ orexin agonist shows potential to treat ADHD in early-stage trial

— Elaine Chen

The drugmaker Alkermes said a therapy called an orexin agonist for the first time showed potential to treat people with ADHD in an early-stage study.

STAT+: With new strategy, Novo outlines plans for obesity, direct-to-consumer work

— Andrew Joseph

Under investor pressure, Novo presented its strategy to both grow its obesity franchise and diversify its pipeline.

Opinion: STAT+: The NIH budget should be $100 billion per year

— Reed Jobs

“We should be strengthening our investment in the NIH, not dismantling it,” writes Reed Jobs.

Daily Cartoon: Monday, September 21st

— Adam Douglas Thompson

A drawing that riffs on the latest news and happenings.

The Lost Descendants of Thomas Jefferson

— Julian Lucas

Scientists have new proof that the President had children with his enslaved chambermaid Sally Hemings—and that their bloodline endures across the country.

Sound guardians

— Aeon Video

As Indonesia builds a new capital city, the race is on to preserve the sounds of the rainforest before they vanish forever - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

Why I Free-Solo El Capitan

— Mike O’Brien

W​hen some of you asked if I’d record my thoughts as I hang by my fingertips over my impending death, I thought, Why not?

Tom Brady’s Endgame

— Jennifer Wilson

A new biography argues that the star quarterback’s divorce was his biggest fumble.

Briefly Noted Book Reviews

“The Maltese Version,” “That Summer’s End,” “Berlin Before and After,” and “Jean Toomer.”

Is A.I. Above the Law?

— Jill Lepore

Our legal system isn’t ready for machines that act on their own.

The Return of “Salt”

— Rachel Levin

Mark Kurlansky’s 2002 best-seller is back on the list, all thanks to a young TikToker who’s never had a latke.

The race to get more young people in the UK into work, education or training

— Tom Pattinson

The UK has one of the highest NEET rates for young adults in Europe. New figures offer some encouragement The post The race to get more young people in the UK into work, education or training appeared first on Positiv…

Obsessing about being a good person can backfire. There’s a better way.

— Sigal Samuel

Editor’s note, September 20, 8 am ET: We’re bringing you some of our best-loved Your Mileage May Vary columns while Sigal Samuel is on parental leave. The one below was originally published last September. This unconv…

Trump Announces Deal for ‘Permanent Control’ Over Greenland’s Security

— Maxine Davey and Maya Krainc

What will the agreement mean for NATO?

Your 2026 UNGA Primer

— Rishi Iyengar and John Haltiwanger

The race for the new U.N. secretary-general, a Trump-Xi side quest, and runaway AI fears.

How to Bring Peace to Sudan

— Abdalfatah Alburhan

The president of the country’s Transitional Sovereignty Council argues that any solution must be homemade.

It’s Time to Update the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

— David Miliband

Countries committed to end poverty. They never accounted for forever wars.

Trump’s Greenland Deal Is a Pyrrhic Victory at Best

— Imran Bayoumi

Washington can still repair some of the damage done.

The Real Reason Chinese AI Is Winning the Global South

— Lizzi C. Lee and Zhuoning Li

Beijing is happy to let others build using its tools.

Nuclear Energy Is the Kremlin’s Latest Leverage Over Washington

— Agathe Demarais

The United States has done little to end its dependence on Russia for enriched uranium.

What Comes After the 1.5 Degree Era

— Nigel Purvis and Rick Duke

A single global number asked the world to do everything everywhere all at once—and delivered too little.