The Secret World of Bounty Hunters
How the underregulated business polices itself—and why that isn’t changing
How the underregulated business polices itself—and why that isn’t changing
And as a result, the policies that would address the situation are even more extreme—and more politically unfeasible.
By declining to strike down controversial forms of lethal injection, the U.S. Supreme Court pushed some justices to reject the constitutionality of all capital punishment.
In most discussions of the nuclear deal, the word "Iraq" never comes up. That’s insane.
The strange saga of Paul LePage, who’s going to court to see if 65 bills he rejected have accidentally become law.
The technique is used to determine the age of organic artifacts in fields like archaeology, geology, and ecology. But it could become unreliable within decades.
The video of her arrest reveals a police officer abusing his authority—and might never have come to light if not for her tragic death.
The permanence of racial inequality makes the struggle for the future necessary today.
The place where the young Chicago woman was found dead in a jail cell has seen more than a century of racial violence and oppression.
Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book addresses a pair of very different audiences.
In our fourth installment of a series prompted by Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “Letter to My Son,” readers share their experiences with bigotry outside the United States.
The story of how a high-school student learned to express her struggles through spoken word
Leaders in the media and design worlds reveal how they get inspired.
Since 1982, each head of household in Kennesaw must own a working firearm with ammunition.
Some advocates say the notorious law actually improved outcomes for special-ed students—and they fear that Congress's rewrites to the law could put an end to that progress.
By learning how to persevere and change course, students learn how to push themselves.
The controversial R&B singer is the latest star to encounter problems in the country.
“Trump and Tsipras will likely remain the protagonists of two unforgivable charades for some time to come.”
Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the Washington Post reporter’s detention in the Islamic Republic.
Conservatives mocked the Democratic presidential candidate, but there’s evidence of a connection between drought and the Syrian civil war.
In the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russia is everywhere, from the mailboxes to the license plates. Ukraine is nowhere.
Discussing El Chapo’s escape with an ex-cartel operative, a Mexican intelligence official, and an American counternarcotics agent
By being himself, Coates is precisely the sort of writer that he needs to be.
Exceptional nonfiction stories from 2014 that are still worth encountering today
“Deriving from the vulgar Latin exquadra, ‘squad’ dates from the 17th century, and has been used to denote everything from military units to sports teams to groups of cheerleaders.”
Many American metro areas with large foreign-born populations have thriving local economies.
The business of generating fake enthusiasm, from flash mobs to the campaign trail
How parental help with college tuition and down payments translates to quicker financial stability and independence
Financial disagreements are a strong predictor of divorce. How do couples with differing amounts of student loans pay them off together?
The city, long divided into black and white neighborhoods, is asking affluent counties to pitch in.
A team tasked with protecting the president of the United States is constantly sifting through hateful online comments to find would-be assassins or terrorists.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an American scientific agency with roots that reach back to 1807. Over the years, NOAA has amassed a sizable library of photographs, some of which I’ve selected here.
MTV’s documentary points out some facts about race that might seem obvious until you realize that for many Americans they’re not.
From True Detective to Hannibal, contemporary TV is suffused with elements of the bizarre, surreal, and absurd.
Irrational Man, like so many of the prolific filmmaker’s works, is a loosely drawn exploration of the desire to do terrible things.
One star uses the cause of female solidarity to try and shut down another’s frustration with the music industry.
The novelist beautifully captured bygone eras despite an often cavalier attitude toward accuracy.
Can Chris Thile—or anyone else—ever take Garrison Keillor's place?
The most progressive thing about Trainwreck isn’t the sex stuff. It’s the fact that its central character is lovable and awful at the same time.
In 1996, The Atlantic examined America’s dependence on foreign oil and its ability to move toward alternative energy sources. Today, Obama approved limited drilling in the Arctic off the coast of Alaska—unthinkable just 20 years ago.
There may not have been much fanfare, but last week’s decision by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was hugely important.
Companies are spending millions on small, piecemeal fixes while lobbying against regulations that would do far more.
The conservative justice suggests progressives should be just as worried as he is about the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage.
The Ohio governor is launching his campaign for the presidency on a platform of trickle-down economics and Christian compassion. Does he have a constituency in his party?
His opportunistic demagoguery was indulged by Republican Party leaders, until he turned his sights on the military.
Blocking the deal poses risks, but legislators can use their role to extract commitments that address key concerns.
“Two things seem to rankle Franklin Graham like nothing else: Barack Obama and Muslims.”
For almost two years, the Chinese artist and dissident has been cataloguing his inability to leave the country with bouquets. But the protest ended Wednesday with the return of his passport.
On the day the nuclear deal was announced, a translator on his first trip to the U.S. explained a surprising cultural connection between America and Iran.
When people act differently under the influence, it could be a sign of an alcohol problem
The average new father gains six pounds over his non-father peers, despite an increased will to live well.
Hospitals are struggling to develop policies on doctors using cellphones during surgery.
How not being able to afford a basic baby necessity hurts mothers’ mental health and their ability to parent
How perfumed toiletries—particularly douches—lead to dangerously high levels of chemicals in the body
Sports stars are regularly lauded for their victories—but academic ones seldom receive the same treatment.
As housing costs in America’s tech hub continue to soar, local educators are finding it tough to stay and work in the area.
Elon Musk says his company’s Falcon 9 launch failed because of a snapped strut.
The U.S. Deep Space Climate Observatory just sent back its first view of our home world—and it’s a beauty.
Sobering news from the NTSB, but other encouraging updates from Maine to California.
Something is heating up the dwarf planet, NASA scientists announced on Tuesday. And that could change our understanding of other rocks in the cosmos.
In 1960, an Atlanta writer criticized lingering Southern support for segregation in The Atlantic. Fifty-five years later, is the region facing a similar situation?
The Atlantic is looking for reader photography about what it means to lead a successful life, at home and abroad.
Images of people and animals trying to beat the heat across the Northern Hemisphere.