THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE- AUGUST 2, 2026

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THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 8.2.26 Issue features Daniel Bergner on sibling therapy; Elisabeth Zerofsky on the Heritage Foundation crackup; Benoit Denizet-Lewis on Bill Maher; and more.

Larry Ellison Bet It All on the A.I. Boom. Will He Be the Face of the A.I. Bubble?

Inside the 81-year-old billionaire’s risky, debt-fueled scramble to transform his data empire into an A.I. juggernaut.

In Trump’s Economy, Job Gains Go to Women. That’s Not an Entirely Good Thing.

Despite the administration’s best attempts, the diminishing status of many American jobs is driving a spike in women’s employment. By Noam Scheiber

Inflammation Keeps Us Alive. It’s Also Making Us Sick.

The discovery that chronic inflammation is a cause of myriad illnesses could be this century’s biggest medical breakthrough. By Kim Tingley

Five Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into Larry Ellison’s A.I. Gamble

The billionaire’s company took on ominous loads of debt to build data centers around the world. The implications go far beyond Oracle. By Jonathan MahlerJim Rutenberg and Kirsten Grind

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2026

Trump’s Polling Numbers Hit a New Low. Don’t Expect Him to Change Course.

Barely a third of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of the job, putting him at historic depths.

Progress Toward Deal Led Trump to Call Off Strikes, He Says

President Trump offered no specifics on any such diplomatic breakthrough, a claim he has made before to justify backing off threatened attacks.

As Cease-Fire Teetered, Iran Plotted a Wider War With Aid of Its Proxies

During a fleeting truce, Iranians covertly devised a plan to raise the war’s costs for President Trump if U.S. forces attacked anew.

Israel Says It Killed Several Hezbollah Members on Key Lebanon Hilltop

On Venezuela’s Coast, Life Is Reduced to Survival and Burial

More than a month after the earthquakes, the coastal region of La Guaira — once Venezuela’s main gateway — is completely unrecognizable.