The New York Times

The Founding Father Who Sought a Last-Minute Deal to Avert the Revolution

Recently discovered documents reveal a back-channel attempt by a leader of the Continental Congress to make peace. (He did not succeed.)

Longer Commutes, Shorter Lives

For decades, spending on the future put the nation ahead of all others. What would it take to revive that spirit?

They Started I.V.F., Then Split. Now Who Gets Custody of the Embryos?

For 47-year-old Erin Millender, this will likely be her last chance to become a mother. Her husband no longer wants to have a child with her.

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.

When My Father’s Canary Flew Away

In the final stages of his dementia, a long-lost memory from childhood returned, perfectly formed. What was going on in his brain?

Hero or Traitor? The Legacy of a Revolutionary-Era Cherokee Woman.

In 1776, Cherokee leaders looked for ways to navigate a foreboding future. Nanyehi, a.k.a. Nancy Ward, is venerated and reviled for her choice.

How Three Chess Friends Battled Demons and Saved Two Lives

A homeless chess hustler, a scholar and an aging recluse found hope in a trashed apartment by Central Park.

A Hidden Treasure of Rare Snake Specimens

In the foothills of the Ecuadorean Amazon, a 101-year-old farmer and a young scientist turned an amateur collection into a scientific survey of one of the most diverse snake habitats on Earth.

Timmy the Whale Got Stranded Off the German Coast. Then Things Got Weird.

A humpback that became stuck in the Baltic seemed to unite a nation in hope. Rescue efforts followed, and then finger-pointing.

Searching Paris for Ben Franklin, America’s ‘Least-Dead’ Founder

The aging statesman braved rough seas and arduous carriage rides to reach Paris, where he persuaded the French to back the American rebels. We followed in his footsteps.

Why Is Florida Executing So Many Prisoners?

In most of the country, executions are a thing of the past. But one state has been carrying them out at a record pace.

How A.I. Might Change the Way Doctors Think

For generations, writing up a summary of a patient exam was a vital step for physicians trying to make an accurate diagnosis. What happens when A.I. does it for them?

The Perishable, Never-Ending Genius of Lionel Messi

How are his legions of fans savoring what could be the last World Cup of their idol? I dove into a sea of screaming Messis to find out.

How American Socialism Changed, and Stormed the Democratic Party

The movement was better at critiquing the system than reshaping it. But it has never had this much mainstream political power.

As Europe Sweats, Some Politicians Talk of Air-Conditioning, Not Climate Action

Heat-related deaths and disruptions to daily life are forcing politicians to reckon, in different ways, with a rapidly warming planet.

Too Many Books?

Mendel Uminer faced a crisis when his landlord objected to the 10,000 volumes in his New York studio apartment.

The American E.V. Has Been Crushed. Will It Take the U.S. Auto Industry With It?

The largest U.S. automakers have backed away from electric vehicles, even as global sales are booming. The decision may make them obsolete.

Mourning One Tragedy at Sea, a Family Is Devastated by Another

The Boisas went out on the San Francisco Bay to spread the ashes of one of their own. Then a wave toppled their boat.

The Army Veteran Killed Outside His ‘Trump House’

Kerry Sheron could often be found waving and nodding to those who passed his home, which stood out in Escondido, Calif.

A Family’s Daring Escape From North Korea ‘to Live and Stand Tall’

Their resolve for freedom hardened during the pandemic, when they lived through a crippling food shortage and were forced to witness frequent public executions.