The New Yorker

Linda McMahon, the former businesswoman behind W.W.E, co-chaired Trump’s transition team in 2024. Late in the process, Trump asked her what Cabinet position she might want. “I said, ‘I think I would enjoy Commerce,’ ” she told Zach Helfand. newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…

“We have noticed that you said some things about Jesus recently that show you have no idea who Jesus was or what Jesus meant or what He did for a living.” Read a fictionalized letter from the Offices of the President and Vice-President to the Pope, courtesy of @newyorkerhumor. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/znJ7ou

“DTF St. Louis” explores what it would look like if straight men could access, without shame, the kind of emotional and physical closeness that is generally the province of close female friendships. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/wsZToV

A “Sesame Street” writer once said it was easier to write an episode about death than one about divorce. Where are the shows that manage to do it well? newyorker.com/culture/the-we…

Escape Rooms are your H.R. manager’s idea of a fun team-building exercise. @newyorkerhumor helps log the much more terrifying things middle-aged people must frequently evade, including: “Work Dinner” and “4 a.m. Thoughts.” Read the full list: newyorkermag.visitlink.me/BGtijh

The engine driving the production of Gina Gionfriddo’s zinger-filled sex farce, “Becky Shaw” (at the Hayes), is Alden Ehrenreich’s magnetic performance as Max, Emily Nussbaum writes. Read her review of the show: newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…

The golf league LIV was one element of Vision 2030, the Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s effort to transform and diversify Saudi Arabia into a post-oil economy. Here’s why it failed: newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…

The New Yorker food critic Helen Rosner offers advice to a home cook whose cakes, breads, pastries, and cookies always come out dry and hard. Read more: newyorkermag.visitlink.me/OLAJ7P

“Lately, it has been hard not to feel a little cynical, or even nihilistic, about the prospects of human beings in the age of A.I. Why play chess, if a computer always wins?” Louisa Thomas writes. “The beauty of chess goes beyond logic; it includes desires, ideas, and feelings. That is the game’s difficulty, too.” Read more about the new age of chess. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/ogScNV

“One cobra strike and one business privilege tax were enough for one lifetime. I vowed never again to go to Philadelphia.” Short essays by the legendary writer John McPhee. newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…

In the midst of a war, Donald Trump has begun to cull his senior officials. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/y_GrEx

The Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has a lot to say about Donald Trump, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be running for office any time soon. newyorker.com/news/the-new-y…

DriveSavers, which recovers lost files, has saved data for government agencies, multinational corporations, and more than a few celebrities. Sidney Poitier recovered a draft of his memoir through the company’s good offices; Khloé Kardashian, a phone that fell into a pool. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/kxau_l

The exact reasons are often left vague and the successors to be determined, but people are leaving the Administration—including three Cabinet secretaries. newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…

Learn to appreciate the quiet brilliance of Raphael. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/eF1vE0

The Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr on his future, coaching Draymond Green, the potential benefits of eliminating the three-point shot, and whether he might give politics a try. newyorker.com/news/the-new-y…

The advancement of computer chess has not dulled the competition or the game’s champions. newyorker.com/sports/sportin…

The author reads his story from the May 4, 2026, issue of the magazine. newyorker.com/podcast/the-wr…

Proponents of generative A.I. in elementary and middle schools argue that early exposure to the technology will foster digital-media literacy. But A.I. also poses significant cognitive and social-emotional risks to young people. newyorker.com/culture/progre…

The author discusses his story “Process of Elimination.” newyorker.com/books/this-wee…

After shouts of “Shots fired!” rang out at the White House Correspondents’ dinner, caterers pulled Antonia Hitchens into the stairwell. “They were sobbing. We heard what sounded like more gunfire.” newyorker.com/news/dispatch/…