THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- MAY 3, 2026

In this issue, the 30 greatest living American songwriters including: Nile Rodgers, Lucinda Williams, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Paul Simon, Taylor Swift and more.

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters‘…

The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters

More than 250 music insiders and six New York Times critics weighed in on who defines the new American songbook. Here are the artists they chose.

Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and the Profitable Business of Peace

The Trump administration is turning diplomacy into an asset to be leveraged. By Linda Kinstler

What Does Tucker Carlson Really Believe? I Went to Maine to Find Out.

The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran. Will the breakup last?By Lulu Garcia-NavarroMay 2, 2026

The Right Successfully Coins a Lot of Insults. The Left Has ‘Chud.’

Sometimes it’s just a put-down. Sometimes it’s darkly ideological. That’s true of a lot of slang these days. By Nitsuh Abebe

The Burlington Magazine – May 2026 Preview

May 2026, #1478 – Vol 168 | Current issue | Current issue − The Burlington  Magazine

The Burlington Magazine: The latest issue features….

Main Articles and Research

“The Consolidation of Collections: New Light on the 18th-Century British Art Market” An in-depth study by the editorial team and guest contributors exploring how major British estates restructured their private galleries during the mid-1700s. The article utilizes newly discovered ledger books to trace the provenance of several key Italian Baroque works.

“Paolo Veneziano and the International Gothic in Venice” Following the research trends seen in the early part of the year, this feature provides a technical analysis of recently restored altarpieces attributed to Veneziano, focusing on the use of ultramarine and gold leaf techniques that defined the Venetian style in the 14th century.

“Nicholas Lanier and the ‘Star’ Drawings: New Discoveries” Building on recent scholarship (featured in related symposiums), this article identifies several previously unrecognized drawings from the collection of Nicholas Lanier (1588–1666). It specifically examines the “star-shaped marks” used by Lanier and his uncle Jerome to catalog their sixteenth-century Italian acquisitions.

Editorial and Shorter Notices
Editorial: “The Future of Art History in the Digital Age” Editor Christopher Baker discusses the balance between traditional archival research and the integration of AI and digital imaging in art historical authentication.

Object in Focus: “George Frederic Watts’s Satan (1847)” A specialized notice providing a new interpretation of Watts’s massive canvas. The author argues that the figure’s pose was inspired by the Monte Cavallo Horse Tamers in Rome rather than the Apollo Belvedere, as previously thought.

Exhibition and Book Reviews
The Farnese Gallery Drawings (Musée du Louvre, Paris): A critical review by Ketty Gottardo on the exhibition focusing on the Carracci brothers’ preparatory works.

Studio Prints: A History, 1968–2011: A review of the new publication by Paul Holberton Publishing, detailing the impact of the London workshop on 20th-century printmaking.

Modernizing the Catalog: A review of the Patek Philippe exhibition and the intersection of fine horology with decorative arts history.

BARRON’S MAGAZINE ———- MAY 4, 2026 PREVIEW

May 4, 2026 - Barron's Magazine

BARRON’S MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Inside Citigroup’s Turnaround’ – CEO Jane Fraser’s master plan for the banking giant is starting to take hold. Is this comeback for real?

Jane Fraser Turned Citigroup Inside Out. Now Comes the Hard Part.

Under the CEO, the long-beleaguered bank is working through its 13th restructuring. Can Citi shed its longstanding reputation as the banking sector’s laggard?

Retirees, Here’s What a Warsh Fed Could Mean for You

Stay the course in bonds and consider alternative ETFs that may hold up well if stocks and bonds falter.

Why BlackRock’s Rick Rieder Thinks the U.S. Economy Is Basically Recession-Proof

Rick Rieder, CIO of global fixed income at BlackRock, called presumptive Fed chair Kevin Warsh “a brilliant guy” on Barron’s Live. He’s bullish on the economy and stock market, too.

Retail Investors Keep Getting Burned in the Stock Market. They’re Piling In Again Now.

The little guy tends to invest in stocks in bull markets and get crushed in bear markets.

The S&P 500 Just Had Its Best Month Since 2020. Don’t Let ‘Sell in May’ Spook You.

By Paul R. La Monica

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026

Trump’s Push for Electoral Retribution Heads to the Ballot Box

President Trump’s push to punish political enemies in his party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries in which he’s backed challengers.

These G.O.P. Women Want Congress Members to Pay a Price for Abuse. Will It Work?

Three representatives who had a hand in forcing the resignations of lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct said they were out to name and shame more offenders.

U.S. to Withdraw 5,000 Troops From Germany, Pentagon Says

Officials announced the decision after President Trump expressed annoyance with the German chancellor’s remarks about the war in Iran.

Spirit Airlines, a Pioneer of Low-Fare Flights, Shuts Down

Spirit once upended the industry by offering very low fares but, after years of struggle, was in its second bankruptcy in two years.

Maduro Is Gone. Venezuela’s Many Problems Are Not.

U.S. officials say they will “unleash prosperity” by commandeering the oil industry. Many people in Caracas say it will take far more than that.

LITERARY REVIEW MAGAZINE – MAY 2026 PREVIEW

LITERARY REVIEW : The latest issue features Ritchie Robertson on Weimar * Charles Darwent on Louise Bourgeois * John Guy on the Tudors * Kirsten Tambling on dogs in art * Piers Brendon on Churchill and the crown * Saul David on AI warfare * Simon Nixon on private equity predators * Nigel Andrew on outsider animals * Zoe Guttenplan on Beatrice Warde * Maren Meinhardt on women and music * Lucy Lethbridge on swimming * Diane Purkiss on being published * Anthony Pagden on the West * Michael Reid on Lula * Anthony Teasdale on Tory leaders * Anna Reid on Vera Gedroits * Wendy Holden on Elizabeth II * Harriet Rix on trees * Emma Smith on Shakespeare’s identity * Jane Yager on Herta Müller * Sheena Joughin on Siri Hustvedt *  Adam Kucharski on evidence * Keith Miller on Douglas Stuart * Natalie Perman on Jem Calder *  and much, much more…

Weimar Germany: Death of a Democracy By Victor Sebestyen

Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe By Katja Hoyer

The small town of Weimar is overladen with historical associations. Goethe spent more than fifty years there as an employee and friend of Duke (later Grand Duke) Karl August. After the last grand duke abdicated in November 1918, the National Assembly met in Weimar to draw up a new republican constitution for Germany. Other symbolically charged venues considered were Nuremberg (home of Dürer) and Bayreuth (because of Wagner), but it was Weimar that gave its name to the period of German history from … 


Knife-Woman: The Life of Louise Bourgeois By Marie-Laure Bernadac (Translated from French by Lauren Elkin)

Having been named for her father, Louis, a mere dealer in antique tapestries, seemed insufficiently romantic to Louise Bourgeois, who was born on Christmas Day in 1911. She preferred the idea that her namesake was Louise Michel, ‘the red virgin of Montmartre’, an anarchist heroine of the Paris Commune. It wasn’t true, of course, but … 

This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England By Nandini Das

A phrase like ‘fortress England’ seems to echo down the centuries, and turns up again in This Little World, Nandini Das’s new study of identity and belonging, cross-border migration, assimilation and estrangement in the period between 1500 and the restoration of Charles II. Das seeks to unmask the period’s most fundamental assumptions about English … read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026

Since Congress Let Obamacare Subsidies Expire, Millions Are Dropping Coverage

Many Americans can’t afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Congress’s failure to extend federal tax credits.

Trump’s Plans to Boost Weapons Production Might Not Deliver for Years

While the defense industry has announced plans to make more munitions, much of that expanded production will not quickly kick in.

As Israel Entrenches in Lebanon, Frustration With Hezbollah Turns to Support

With the cease-fire fraying, many Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon are putting aside their frustration with the group and turning to it for protection.

Hezbollah’s Latest Challenge to Israeli Forces: A Stealthier Drone

The Last Moments of Jeju Air Flight 2216

The crew of the South Korean flight faced a cascade of unforgiving decisions. The kind other pilots might look at and ask: What would I have done?

SCIENCE MAGAZINE ———– APRIL 30, 2026 Preview

SCIENCE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Built To Scale’ – The power law behind hos deltas grow…

Vaginal bacteria turn newborn skin into a beneficial ‘bioreactor’

Lipid synthesized on skin may promote brain development—and a swabbing with vaginal fluid can provide it to C-section babies

How an HIV/AIDS tragedy spurred human evolution

High death toll in a South African province rapidly shaped immune system genes

Bizarre Hawking radiation may smooth the jagged hearts of black holes

Hawking’s signature prediction may prevent vexing singularities from forming

AI can reason like a physician—what comes next?

Text-based AI can think like a physician; the challenge is achieving safe clinical implementation

Can AI simplify the alphabet of life?

Generative AI design yields functional proteins with only 19 amino acids

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE – MAY 2, 2026 PREVIEW

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE: The latest issue features Still in La La land‘…

Oil markets are still in La La land

Prices have risen sharply. Unfortunately, they still have further to go

How Kevin Warsh could save the Federal Reserve

There is much to like about the next Fed chairman—if his backbone holds

The AI supply crunch is here

Choke points are changing AI’s economics

The UAE doubles down on Israel and America

The consequences of the Emirates’ departure from OPEC

How to capitalise on London’s thriving financial industry

The City has bounced back despite fears over Brexit

Is Samia Suluhu Hassan Africa’s most disappointing president?

A sham election, a massacre whitewashed

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY —- MAY 1, 2026 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘Chornobyl’s Long Shadow’ – Forty years after the world’s worst nuclear accident, could it happen again?

In March 2022, soon after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Kyiv-based illustrator Masha Foya produced what I think is one of the Guardian Weekly’s most powerful covers on the war, concerning the devastation of Mariupol. So it’s a pleasure to feature Masha’s work again for the current edition, this time marking 40 years since the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.

“Since childhood, the story of Chornobyl has always made me feel a strange dissonance – such a tragedy occurring on a beautiful spring day in April,” explains Masha on the thought process behind her design, in which seasonal greens fade away into ominous skies.

It also reflects present-day anxieties. For a special report, Pjotr Sauer visits the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident and sees up close how the giant containment structure around the failed reactor is in urgent need of costly repairs after a Russian drone strike, as fears grow of a possible new catastrophe.

Five essential reads in this week’s edition

Environment | Why apes are more like us than we ever thought
Imagination, reason and ability to recognise faces from the past are not the sole preserve of humans, studies show. Gloria Dickie reports

Finance | The wagering of war
Once largely siloed to sporting events, betting has now spread to include contracts on news events where insider information could pay handsomely. With over $1bn in perfectly timed bets on the Iran war having recently been seen, Lauren Aratani explores what exactly is going on

Feature | The big game hunters who believe they can save Africa’s wildlife
One way to pay for wildlife conservation is to allow the rich to bag a few animals for high prices. But critics see this approach as an exercise in neocolonialism. Cal Flyn went in pursuit of answers

Opinion | Starmer’s listless government shows zombie politics is the new norm
Distracted, listless and unambitious – the British PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycle for the country, argues Nesrine Malik

Culture | Iron Maiden on 50 years of heavy metal madness
As a career-spanning documentary hits cinemas, the legendary rock band revisit their path from pubs to stadiums over half a century of headbanging hits. Harry Sword buckles up

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2026

Oil Hits 4-Year High as Hormuz Standoff Shows No End in Sight

Oil prices surged above $120 a barrel before pulling back in volatile trading on concerns that the war could escalate. Gasoline in the U.S. hit $4.30 a gallon.

Iranians Live With Pain and Powerlessness, Beneath a Veneer of Normalcy

The War in Iran Has Cost America $25 Billion So Far. Is That a Lot?

It exceeds the annual budgets of numerous federal agencies, and the Pentagon’s yearly budget for munitions.

In Narrowing Voting Rights Act, Conservative Justices See Progress on Racism

The majority said the law was a victim of its own success and no longer needed. Dissenters responded that Congress should make the call.

Trump and Putin Talk, and Ukraine Shrugs

More than a year of similar conversations have failed to bring the country any closer to peace, so Ukrainians have stopped hoping they will.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious