THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (October 27, 2024): The latest issue features David Gaubey Herbert on building a cheerleading empire; Elisabeth Zerofsky on the historian Robert Paxton; Jonathan Mahler on the tech billionaires who became major G.O.P. donors; and more.

How Cheerleading Became So Acrobatic, Dangerous and Popular

For decades, the sport has been shaped in large part by one company — and one man.

Nikki Jennings started cheering when she was 4 years old. She was small and flexible and became a flyer, a human baton spinning and twisting through the air before being caught by teammates. Until sometimes she wasn’t: She got her first concussion in the third grade.

Is It Fascism? A Leading Historian Changes His Mind.

Robert Paxton thought the label was overused. But now he’s alarmed by what he sees in global politics — including Trumpism.