Drug-Fueled Chaos Is Running Rampant at Fort Bragg

View in browser

Today: "Drug-Fueled Chaos Is Running Rampant at Fort Bragg" Plus, Spinal Tap's lackluster return; Arundhati Roy's latest memoir; what to make of the Bari Weiss–CBS News story; and more...

The One Percent's Fear of Death Is Wreaking Havoc on the World

Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death posited that we act out in antisocial ways—and even embrace authoritarians—because we cannot face our own unavoidable demise.

By Colin Dickey

**Register for Joan Didion: The Art of Storytelling, an Online Course With New York Times Critic Alissa Wilkinson**

Sponsored by Library of America

With her crystalline, immediately recognizable voice, Joan Didion reimagined contemporary journalism and memoir and profoundly influenced the style and tone of American writing. This fall, join Alissa Wilkinson, author of We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine (2025), for a four-part online course exploring Didion's indispensable and kaleidoscopic work.

Register now on Eventbrite!

The Lackluster Return of Spinal Tap

The new sequel declines to stick it to a music industry beholden to algorithms and fanatical stans.

By Adam Nayman

For Arundhati Roy, Art and Politics Emerged from Her Mother's Shadow

The beloved author's memoir recounts her relationship with the eccentric, abusive, protofeminist Mrs. Roy.

By Sarah Wang

Trinity Talks: Kevin Sack

Sponsored by Trinity Church

Thursday, September 25 · 6:30 p.m. FREE

Before the night of June 17, 2015, few people had heard of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. In the 10 years since a white supremacist shot and killed the church's pastor and eight parishioners, it has become a symbol of resilience and resistance. Join us for Trinity Talks, as Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Kevin Sack speaks on the lessons of Black history and the aftermath of the Mother Emanuel massacre.

GET YOUR FREE TICKETS

Biden Team Flips Out Over Kamala Harris's New Book

The former vice president had some scathing criticism for her old boss.

By Malcolm Ferguson

You Think the Bari Weiss–CBS News Story Is Bad? No—It's Much Worse.

This is an "only in America" story, all right. Creepy, corporate, neofascist America, that is.

By Michael Tomasky

What subscribers are reading:

Hispanics Put Kavanaugh on the Court. Now He Okays ICE Targeting Them.

By Stuart Stevens

Trump's Own Tweet Backfires on Him as Judge Delivers Harsh Loss on Fed

By Greg Sargent

Charlie Kirk and the Empathy Trap

By Ana Marie Cox

Trump Targets 9/11 Memorial In His Bizarre Quest to Control Museums

The president seems fixated on cultural institutions these days.

By Rachel Kahn

Video: The Media Is Totally Blowing Its Coverage of Charlie Kirk

Some pundits are arguing that Charlie Kirk practiced politics "the right way." This only serves to whitewash the ideas that he promulgated.

By Right Now With Perry Bacon

Herbal Abortion Is Making a Comeback. So Are the Dangers.

Since the Supreme Court gutted Roe, interest in old folk methods of terminating pregnancies has spiked. But the health and legal risks involved with these treatments are stark.

By Julia Sonenshein

Poetry:

The Fly

By Luke Dunne

Sleep Next to Me Where No One Does

By Elizabeth Metzger

Anamnesis

By Aaron Fagan

Drug-Fueled Chaos Is Running Rampant at Fort Bragg

By Jasper Craven

America's wars are generally remembered via static, highly sanitized stone memorials. Washington, D.C., is the mecca for these idols, their sharp lines and clean narratives filling much of the National Mall. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump ratified legislation authorizing a new memorial to be built here, honoring America's most recent conflict: the global war on terrorism.

The law designates a foundation—composed largely of post-9/11 veterans—to design, fund, and build the memorial. It's helmed by Michael "Rod" Rodríguez, a former Green Beret soldier and medic with 10 deployments under his belt and plenty of scars to show for it, including PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, vision issues, and what he's called a "chemical dependency," though, per his Instagram, Rodríguez is now sober. His war record—complemented by his friendship with former President George W. Bush, who bonded with Rodríguez while oil-painting his portrait—makes him a seemingly perfect steward for his generation's war memorial. But there's another part of his biography that makes Rodríguez an exemplar: He, like so many others, spent time at Fort Bragg, America's largest military base.

Continue reading this article.

Join Us: Climate Policy and Economic Impact

Monday, September 22 · 6–7 p.m. EDT

As temperatures rise and storms intensify, how can we adapt to an ever-evolving and unpredictable climate while ensuring environmental protection and justice for all?

During NYC Climate Week, The New Republic, The New School, and the Rachel Carson Council are hosting a sit-down with climate thought leaders and activists on bold policy solutions, economic challenges, and innovative strategies for more resilient and equitable cities. Join us for free in person or on the livestream.