REASON MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 2026

REASON MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The American Prison Experiment’ – A 250-year history of good intentions and bad results…

The American Prison Experiment: A 250-Year History of Good Intentions and Bad Results

A strange trip through the U.S. prison system’s never-ending cycle of failure and reform

European Cars Are Spying on Their Drivers. The Same Tech Could Be Coming to the U.S.

New cars in the E.U. must now have cameras that track drivers’ eyes and flag distractions.

Trump Said He Would Rid the Kennedy Center of ‘Woke.’ He Injected His Own Politics Instead.

This is what happens when you give the government control over artistic institutions.

Do You Have the Right To Possess an AR-15? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a pair of cases involving rifle restrictions imposed by Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois.

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- AUGUST 23, 2026

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 8.23.26 Issue features Christopher Cox on the fragility of American power grids; Christopher Payne’s images of transformers; Nicholas Casey on people who came to the U.S. and were deported to countries like Eswatini; and more.

What if America Went Completely Dark?

The power grid relies on thousands of aging, hand-built transformers. If enough fail, the blackout could last years. By Christopher Cox

Why Is It So Hard to Build the Thing Our Entire Power Supply Depends On?

Transformers are the linchpin of modern civilization. A single one can take five years to build. Photographs by Christopher Payne

Chatbots Are Pushing Us Toward a Post-Human Internet

In matters of work, school and even romance, we turn to A.I. chatbots. But what happens when the bots begin talking to one another? By Callie Holtermann

He Was Deported to a Country He’d Never Heard Of. He May Never Go Free.

As the Trump administration sends a growing number of immigrants to countries they have no connection to, some find themselves imprisoned with no way out. By Nicholas Casey

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2026

The Message Behind Trump’s Threats of ‘Economic Warfare’ Against Iran

President Trump’s warnings of an “economic D-Day” carry a clear signal to Iran that he does not want to go back to war.

Iran Must Plan to Overcome ‘Unjust’ U.S. Sanctions, Top Tehran Official Says

Spike in ‘Dark’ Oil Tankers in Gulf Raises Risk of Catastrophic Spills

Giorgia Meloni Cuts the Hard Right a Path to Power

In a rare interview, the onetime political outcast reflects on her route from “the uncomfortable side of history” to the threshold of leading Italy’s most durable postwar government.

How Harvard’s Epic Fight With Trump Is Costing the University

The federal government has slowed Harvard’s funding, despite the university’s legal victories. The conflict is forcing hard choices on campus.

SCIENCE MAGAZINE – AUGUST 20, 2026

SCIENCE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Sulfur On Mars’ – The Curiosity rover finds unexpected deposits….

Powers of persuasion

AI chatbots are becoming experts at changing people’s minds. What gives them an edge?

Touch and pain shape what brain imaging sees

Sensory inputs influence different blood vessel networks, affecting the precision of brain scans

China mission aims to probe the Moon’s hidden water

Chang’e-7 will send a hopping craft into a polar crater to directly sample lunar ice

Arson attack jolts Italy’s bid to host the Einstein Telescope

Two scientists’ cars burned at proposed Sardinian site for the next-generation gravitational-wave observatory

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE – AUGUST 22, 2026 PREVIEW

THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Could AIs become conscious?’…

Could AIs become conscious?

Even if they don’t, they might be treated as such—to humanity’s great cost

Israel is flirting with the next intifada

America must press Binyamin Netanyahu to rein in violent settlers

Britain would be bonkers to ditch Palantir

Whatever the company’s flaws, its critics have taken a worryingly illiberal turn

Jason Arday was treated as a symbol, not a man

Both his supporters and detractors dehumanised the tragic fabulist

HISTORY TODAY MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER 2026 PREVIEW

History Today 2026
HISTORY TODAY MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Visiting Mao’s China’…

Visiting Mao’s China

For the thousands of foreign visitors who travelled behind the ‘bamboo curtain’ to visit Mao’s China, hospitality workers – guides, drivers, waiters, chambermaids – were unofficial ambassadors for the new socialist state, and the state knew it.

What is an Information Age?

From the printing press to the internet, the spread of information has changed the world. How do we recognise an age defined by it?

The Bengal Famine in Indian Letters

In 1943 letters reporting starvation and death in Bengal began to reach Indian soldiers serving the British overseas. Despite colonial censorship, their testimonies revealed the devastating reality of famine.

What the Victorians Read

The Victorian reading public had access to a vast array of classical literature from Asia in multiple translations by experts and amateurs. What did they read, and why?

The Medieval Forgery at the Heart of the Church

An audacious forgery in the ninth century helped transform the papacy and the medieval Church. Its influence persists today.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2026

U.S. Debt Hits $40 Trillion as America’s Borrowing Binge Continues

President Trump’s promises to restore fiscal order and reduce America’s debt have been hampered by spending on the Iran war, tax cuts and tariff refunds.

Trump’s Order to Cut Military Exercises With South Korea Carries Risks, Experts Say

President Trump’s decision to curtail the military exercises came as allies question the U.S. commitment to longstanding alliances.

As Iran and U.S. Settle Into an Uneasy Standoff, Who Will Blink First?

For weeks, there has been no diplomatic progress, but also no full-scale fighting, as both sides seem to believe they can hold out longer than the other.

Russian Missiles Kill at Least 15 in Kyiv as Air Defenses Dwindle

Moscow is taking advantage of Ukraine’s depleted stock of interceptors and is intensifying attacks, worsening the civilian death toll.24m agoBy Constant Méheut

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – AUGUST 19, 2026 PREVIEW

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features

The legacy
Kate Green hails Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water, a remarkable tale of living with otters.

Fifty years young
The King’s Trust is celebrating half a century of supporting young people. Ambassadors explain the secrets of its success and longevity to Paula Minchin.

Spreads of Country Life magazine from the August 19 issue

Country-house treasure
Intricate decorative ceilings at Thirlestane Castle, Berwickshire, catch the eye of John Goodall.

Alexander Campbell’s favourite painting
The Royal Academy of Dance artistic director is moved by a compelling nocturnal scene.

A tower house reborn
Mary Miers explores how the derelict tower house at Balgone in East Lothian has been transformed into a Classical seat.

Spreads of Country Life magazine from the August 19 issue

Whisky galore
From illicitly distilled dram to tipple of choice around the globe, Henry Jeffreys raises a glass to the world’s most popular spirit.

Winging it
Mark Cocker adds the greylag goose to his Unloved Birds’ Club.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
James Fisher welcomes Joe Root back to the helm of English cricket.

Interiors
Arabella Youens admires a Blenheim estate house in Oxfordshire and Kuba is king for Amelia Thorpe.

Spreads of Country Life magazine from the August 19 issue

Cool as a cucumber sandwich
This refreshing staple of English picnics is no sarnie-come-lately, reports Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as she reveals its Indian roots.

Arts & antiques
Allan Scott, the scriptwriter and executive producer, tells Carla Passino why he will never part with a prized perpetual calendar.

Luxury
New columnist Justine Picardie admires the Highland influence in the late Queen’s wardrobe and Amie Elizabeth White presents a bonnie Scottish selection.

Spreads of Country Life magazine from the August 19 issue

Clash of the tartans
What does it take to toss the caber and putt the stone? Harry Pearson muscles in on the heavyweight Highland Games.

Heart Nouveau
Robyne Calvert reveals how the bold Glasgow Style of art and design conquered Europe.

Spreads of Country Life magazine from the August 19 issue

Travel
Rosie Paterson experiences the ultimate in luxury camping when visiting a conservation success story in Tanzania.

Rhythm and views
Three decades of dramatic planting has paid off at Craichlaw House in Dumfries and Galloway, as Kirsty Fergusson discovers.

Summer of love
A double bill of innovative open-air Shakespearean comedy benefits from dream casting, suggests Michael Billington.

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT – AUGUST 21, 2026 PREVIEW

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT: The latest issue features ‘Fighting Over King Arthur’ – Marion Turner on a legend’s global appeal.

A man of the world

The versatility of Arthur and his legends By Marion Turner

All the lonely people

Nigerian scammers and their targets By Sally Hayden

Matches struck in the dark

How William Empson viewed Virginia Woolf’s diaries By Mark Thompson

Pain and transformation

Frida Kahlo, iconized: ‘I would not like to become famous’ By Miranda France

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY —- AUGUST 21, 2026 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘End Of The Pier Show’ – What Farage’s election gamble says about the state of British politics.

The curtain came down last week on the summer sideshow of the Clacton byelection, called by Nigel Farage amid mounting scrutiny of his finances.

For our big story this week, Daniel Boffey explores what this campaign – in which the Reform UK leader’s main challenger was a parody candidate called Count Binface – tells us about the current state of politics in Britain.

Farage’s byelection win brought the situation full circle as, shortly after he was declared victor, parliament’s standards watchdog announced it had reopened its investigation into him, report Rowena Mason and Peter Walker.

Analysing the result, political correspondent Alexandra Topping brands the contest futile and says that while Farage aimed to make the financial questions surrounding him disappear, it was the MP himself who has been absent from the political stage over the past few weeks.

Spotlight | Scramble for soldiers
As battlefield losses mount, Pjotr Sauer asks whether Vladimir Putin will order another mobilisation

Science | Wing and a prayer
A disease threatening bat species has spread to northern Canada. Trina Moyles reports on the race to find a cure

Feature | A hymn to the weekend
In 1926, Henry Ford gave his employees both Saturdays and Sundays off – and the two-day chunk of time to party, pray or simply do nothing was born. Now the weekend has changed beyond recognition, says Jess Cartner-Morley

Opinion | Meet the second most dangerous man in the US
As chief US diplomat, Marco Rubio could do great good. But, says Simon Tisdall, his pandering and neglect are a disgrace we shouldn’t ignore

Culture | Through my eyes
As their new album is released, Sam Smith talks to Juan A Ramírez about fans, fame and finding sanctuary in New York

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious