THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – MAY 11 & 18, 2026 PREVIEW

The cover of the May 11  18 2026 issue of The New Yorker on which a worldweary George Washington slouches at a party...

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest issue cover features ‘Barry Blitt’s “Red, White, and Kinda Blue” – America’s birthday party.

Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Complicated Commemorations

Donald Trump’s aversion to admitting fault suggests that we will not likely see events that grapple with the nuanced nature of the nation’s history this July 4th. By Jelani Cobb

Was the Declaration of Independence Better Before the Edits?

Amid contention, criticism, and compromise, a divided nation had to present a unified front. It came at a cost. By Jill Lepore

Barack Obama Considers His Role in the Age of Trump

The former President remains one of the most popular politicians in the country. What are his obligations to it?

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, MAY 4, 2026

Tehran Threatens Ships Over Trump Plan to Break Its Blockade

President Trump said the U.S. would help stranded ships leave the Strait of Hormuz. Iran threatened to attack vessels traveling through the waterway without its permission.

Oil Jumps as Iran Resists Trump’s Offer to Help Ships Through Strait of Hormuz

China Seeks an Advantage With Both Trump and Iran as War Evolves

With President Trump’s visit to Beijing looming, China is pushing Iran to negotiate even as its companies export material that could be used by Iran’s military.

The U.S. Army’s ‘Big Experiment’ in the Arctic Cold

How would soldiers from places like Florida, Texas and Georgia fight and persevere in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees?

With World Distracted by War, Extremist Settlers Intensify Attacks in West Bank

Israel has failed to arrest a wave of violence against Palestinians, prompting military officials to urge the government to intervene.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026

Trump Faces the Complicated Reality of a Costly, Unpopular War in Iran

President Trump’s predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling.

What to Know About the Mideast Standoff

Behind Voting Rights Case, a Clash Over the Reality of Racism

The Supreme Court ruling said there must be proof that a racial group was “intentionally” disadvantaged. The dissent called it “well-nigh impossible.”

Indiana Republicans Defied Trump. Will Voters Punish Them for It?

The election on Tuesday will test the influence of President Trump, who endorsed challengers to state senators who scuttled his push to redraw political maps.

The U.S. Set Off a Corruption Scandal That Is Gripping Mexico

The U.S. indictment of a Mexican governor has spotlighted cartel corruption, strained cross-border relations and handed President Claudia Sheinbaum a thorny choice.

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

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious