Abolish the Priesthood
To save the Church, Catholics must detach themselves from the clerical hierarchy—and take the faith back into their own hands.
June 2019
In This Issue
Abolish the priesthood, Trump’s bigotry, Viktor Orbán vs. CEU, Mireya’s third crossing, and was Shakespeare a woman? Plus Desus and Mero, the women who changed spycraft, real-time fact-checking, Aïda Muluneh’s vision for African photography, how the food revolution ruined eating, and more.
Cover Story
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Mireya’s Third Crossing
The first time, she was raped. The second, she nearly drowned. In order to live in the United States legally, she had to leave her family and attempt to cross the border once more.
An Oral History of Trump’s Bigotry
His racism and intolerance have always been in evidence; only slowly did he begin to understand how to use them to his advantage.
Viktor Orbán’s War on Intellect
As the Hungarian prime minister systematically undermined his own country’s education system, one institution stood defiant: a university in the heart of Budapest, founded by George Soros.
Was Shakespeare a Woman?
The authorship controversy has yet to surface a compelling alternative to the man buried in Stratford. Perhaps that’s because, until recently, no one was looking in the right place. The case for Emilia Bassano.
Dispatches
Edmon de Haro Fact-Checking the President in Real Time
Even robots are trying to hold Donald Trump accountable.
John Cuneo Desus and Mero Give a Crash Course in Wokeness
Can the stars of the hit podcast Bodega Boys win over a broader—and whiter—audience on Showtime?
Luci Gutiérrez Hell Is Other People’s Vacations
So please stop Instagramming your travel pictures.
Na Kim The Peculiar Blindness of Experts
Credentialed authorities are comically bad at predicting the future. But reliable forecasting is possible.
Michele Marconi How I Tried to Defy the Facebook Algorithm
The social network is predictable and dreary. My quest to make it random and fun.
James Graham Movie-Prop Cash Is Fooling Cashiers
The strange psychology of why so many people fail to notice obviously counterfeit money
Joe McKendry The Killer Comet
A very short book excerpt
The Culture File
Ori Toor What Song Exploder Has Taught Us
How the hit podcast has revealed the creative process of artists as diverse as Fleetwood Mac, Metallica, and Lorde
Daan Brand / Bransch Eat Food. All the Time. Mostly Junk.
How the “food revolution” turned us into snackers, guaranteeing the demise of healthy home cooking
Owen Freeman Female Spies and Their Secrets
An old-boy operation was transformed by women during World War II, and at last the unsung upstarts are getting their due.
Aïda Muluneh The Photographer Fighting Visual Clichés of Africa
Aïda Muluneh’s vibrant images explore Ethiopian identity, and her photo festival aspires to shape a new vision of the continent.
Departments
The Conversation: How Much Immigration Is Too Much?
Readers respond to our April 2019 cover story and more.
Graham Roumieu
Poetry
Melinda Josie
