Trump once promised an “America First” foreign policy, but his push toward military action in Venezuela appears “as though the will of American voters is the last thing on his mind,” @conor64 argues.

Modern vocabulary for describing emotions can be limited and vague. An emerging field of history that investigates how our forebears experienced feelings could allow people to better understand the emotions of the past—and present. @galbeckerman reports:

Americans are in conflict over policies for health care, housing, immigration, and the role of religion in society. @WalterIsaacson on why a key sentence in the Declaration of Independence could help restore stability to our politics:

Josh Shapiro believes he is uniquely suited to win over Trump voters—but he’ll need to overcome distrust among some in his own party first, @TimAlberta reports: https://t.co/XIuVVPkUkp

This year’s Atlantic 10—our list of the best books of 2025—is an attempt to celebrate writing that “distinguishes itself as worth reading and remembering for years to come,” Emma Sarappo writes. But a short list can’t include all of our personal favorites.

The Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy document has the intellectual incoherence “of the angry autodidact, the anti-vaxxer activist, and the anti-Biden conspiracy theorist,” @EliotACohen argues, but it is still revelatory:

Shaving profiles were “the most emotional military-personnel matter I worked on,” former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Alex Wagner writes. Pete Hegseth’s policy to ban facial hair, he argues, will weaken morale “more than a few beards ever could”:

As congressional scrutiny of Pete Hegseth intensifies, Donald Trump is starting to tire of his scandals. Atlantic writers spoke with roughly two dozen officials about the defense secretary’s bad week:

In The Atlantic 10, our staff picks the books that made them think the most this year. Each work distinguishes itself as worth reading and remembering for years to come—such as “What We Can Know” by Ian McEwan. Read the full list: https://t.co/YIZKLnORR6

The late Steve Cropper contributed to music not just through a particular song—but by inventing the language of rock-and-roll rhythm guitar in the early 1960s, @GrahamDavidA argues:

Beards don’t compromise military effectiveness, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Alex Wagner argues. Pete Hegseth’s policy proves he’s failed “to align military policy with evidence, fairness, and the diverse composition of the nation”:

The sixth day of the 18th annual Space Telescope Advent Calendar features a photo of a star’s final act as it nears the end of its life. Every day until December 25, this page will present a new image of our universe:

The holidays can feel like a powder keg, where everyone is trying to avoid saying the wrong thing. But maybe there’s another way to approach difficult family conversations, @isabelfattal writes in The Wonder Reader:

Humans have long considered our emotions to be universal. It seems that sadness, for instance, would have felt the same way today as it did 500 years ago. But an emerging field of history is turning this assumption on its head. @galbeckerman reports:

Josh Shapiro believes he is uniquely suited to win over Trump voters—but he’ll need to overcome distrust among some in his own party first, @TimAlberta reports:

More than 18,000 regular-season and postseason games have been played in the NFL, and not a single one of them has ended in a score of 36–23. @josh_levin looks into the league’s most enduring scoreboard mystery:

Why do so many people choose self-checkout at the grocery store, even when the lines are longer than the regular cashiers’? @ValerieTrapp looks at a strange quirk of human behavior: https://t.co/4lCzOzsykX

The botched arrival of a visually upgraded version of “Mad Men” reveals a quirk of bringing old series into a new era, David Sims writes.

Trump doesn’t seem to get that while he sees everything as a deal, Putin sees any deal as a sign of weakness, @andryvkin argues. “The better strategy would be to instead apply pressure and wait for Putin to make the first move”:

“The official leadership of the Department of Defense is at war with reality,” @sbg1 said on @washingtonweek. She, @peterbakernyt, and @nancyayoussef joined @JeffreyGoldberg to discuss Pete Hegseth’s tenure, and more: