THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- JULY 19, 2026

Current cover

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 7.19.26 Issue features Jeneen Interlandi on how we’re just beginning to understand how our bacteria are talking to one another; Nathaniel Rich on a multimillion dollar data center heist; Ferris Jabr on trying to build an ecologically responsible garden; and more.

Is Venezuela a Colony Now? A Sovereign State? Modern Empires Rule in Ambiguity.

Occupation is a hassle. Large countries have many new ways to control small ones.

Our Bacteria Are Talking. We’ve Just Begun to Understand What They’re Saying.

The human microbiome is essential to our health, but scientists still know very little about it. Two researchers set out to map this largely uncharted terrain. By Jeneen Interlandi

Some of Us Got Tired of Lionel Messi, but He Won Us Over. Again.

Has any seemingly overhyped phenomenon done a better job living up to the hype? By Sam Anderson and Sara Messinger

Zohran Mamdani Knows He Has Political Capital. And He Intends to Spend It.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City is riding high. In an era when the public is sour on politics, recent polls show him actually becoming more popular among New Yorkers. It’s fair to say that some of that is vibes: As the Knicks won the N.B.A. championship, Mamdani became one of the team’s main hype men, basking in the reflected glow of their victory; the World Cup has been a raging success with New York City awash with celebrating fans; Taylor Swift got married in a secret celebration in the most visible of New York venues.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2026

U.S. and Iran Edge Closer to Wider War After U.S. Troops Are Killed

The U.S. military said it had targeted Iranian forces that were responsible for an attack in Jordan that left two service members dead and one missing.

A Modest Proposal for the Strait Dispute: A Shared Pact Among Gulf States

Jordan Is Becoming a New Focus in the U.S.-Iran War

Four Iranian attacks in five days have targeted U.S. troops in Jordan, U.S. officials said, including one on Friday that killed two soldiers and left another service member missing.

Russia Batters Kyiv in One of the Largest Missile Assaults of the War

On Saturday, Ukraine hit two warehouses in Russia in strikes that killed at least eight people and injured