The Cut

Stories Readers Liked

first person I Was Diagnosed With Autism in My 40s. It Gave Me Answers. By 43, Mary HK Choi had come up with many explanations for her strangeness around other people. Was it something else all along? podcast By Mary H.K. Choi
the power trip The Conspiracy of Silence to Protect Joe Biden The president’s mental decline was like a dark family secret for many elite supporters. By Olivia Nuzzi
lives The Life and Untimely Death of a Boeing Whistleblower Before he died in March, Mitch Barnett catalogued dangerous flaws in the company’s aircraft. podcast By Sean Flynn

the money game

Donald Trump’s joke of a media company is also a $6 billion meme stock — and an unprecedented opportunity for corruption. By David Freedlander

early and often Would Trump Really Dump J.D. Vance? While Vance has become a drag on the Republican ticket and there’s a way to replace him, here are four reasons why that’s not very likely. By Ed Kilgore
poll position Harris vs. Trump Polls: It’s a New Race Kamala Harris is making gains over Joe Biden’s performance and may have put some Sun Belt states back into play. By Ed Kilgore
early and often Biden Is Opening the Door to Supreme Court Reform The radicalism of the Court’s conservative bloc has made it increasingly unpopular — and reforms like term limits much more feasible. By Ed Kilgore
dystopia now Everyone Hates That Google AI Olympics Commercial No one likes this one weird trick to writing fan mail. By Matt Stieb

the inside game
But Can She Win? Kamala Harris takes over a losing campaign, full of Biden loyalists, with barely 100 days to turn it around and beat Trump. So far, so good. By Gabriel Debenedetti

on with kara swisher Ron Klain Still Thinks Biden Got a Raw Deal Biden’s close adviser tells Kara Swisher he isn’t happy that Biden was “pushed out” of the presidential race, but he respects his choice. By Intelligencer Staff

this week in vance J.D. Vance Can’t Stop Saying the Dumbest Things Imaginable This Diet Mountain Dew enthusiast needs caffeine. By Matt Stieb

astrology Madame Clairevoyant Horoscopes for the Week of July 28–Aug 3 The lunar cycle continues, building toward a new moon in Leo. Prepare to release the old and embrace the new.
infidelity Why Some Women Cheat When They Hit Middle Age The reasons more and more women over 50 are crossing the line from infatuation to infidelity aren’t all what you’d expect.
how i got this baby The Mom Who Went Back to Work 9 Days After Giving Birth “That first year of my daughter’s life, trying to keep my business afloat and dealing with the pressures of COVID, was the worst year of my life.”

olympics 2024 Ilona Maher Is the Breakout Star of the Olympics The rugby player moonlights as a very successful content creator. By Olivia Craighead
obsessive tester The 24 Best Hair Masks for the Softest Hair of Your Life Your dry, damaged, or dull hair deserves a treat. By Erica Smith, Morgan Evans, and Bianca Nieves
influencers Ballerina Farm Says She Couldn’t Love Her Life More After a profile raised questions about Hannah Neeleman’s agency in her life and marriage, she and her husband posted a date-night video. By Danielle Cohen

sdcc 2024

The sensational quality of Marvel’s SDCC surprises obscured certain less-rosy realities. By Chris Lee

bravo Phaedra Parks Schemed a Real Housewives of Atlanta Return Leave it to the Traitors standout to find her way back. By Justin Curto
bop or flop? Is the Vampire Lestat’s Latest Single a Bop or Flop? “Here come the gays / Here comes the fear.” By Rebecca Alter
ooh la la The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of the 2024 Olympics From record-breaking early wins to Simone Biles showing out. By Jason P. Frank, Anne Victoria Clark, and Jennifer Zhan
the industry Is Shawn Levy the Future of Populist Cinema? With Deadpool & Wolverine, he became the first director to also write and produce his Marvel movie. Disney hopes he’ll save Star Wars, too. By Chris Lee

vulture lists
All 14 X-Men Movies, Ranked Hollywood hasn’t always done right by the X-Men. By Tim Grierson and Will Leitch

bedding The 19 Very Best Bedsheets Including cotton-percale, linen, sateen, silk, and jersey options, plus a handful made of alternative fabrics like bamboo. By Lauren Ro
cookware and utensils I’m Over the Moon for This Spoon It’s for mixing, measuring, tasting, drizzling, skimming, basting, and serving. By Emma Wartzman
skin-care treatments The 8 Very Best Toners For taming greasiness, adding hydration, smoothing out texture, and more. By Arielle Avila
beauty 14 of the Best Beauty Deals From Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale A ten-pack of Slip silk scrunchies, a cheekbone-sculpting NuFace device, and some best-in-class hair tools. By Dominique Pariso
sleep gear The 8 Very Best Sound Machines “It’s the white-noise machine that has kept our marriage intact.” By Amelia Jerden

buy it for the architecture

The vivid, tiled three-bedroom is available to rent or to buy for $2.39M. By Kim Velsey

brick and mortar Pour a Little Frappuccino Out for the Astor Place Starbucks It’s closed after nearly 30 years. By Christopher Bonanos
a truly terrific new york listing Gramercy Park Trustee Accused of ‘Arborcide’ Is Selling Her Apartment Still, it’s a perfectly preserved duplex in one of the neighborhood’s most desirable buildings. By Adriane Quinlan
get out of town A Mid-Century Ranch in Phoenicia With a Private Stream Plus an updated Gothic Revival in Catskill for $750,000. By Clio Chang

listings edit This Week’s Worth-It New York City Apartment Listings We have under-$2,500 beachfront property this week. By Nora DeLigter
getting around Walking Along the Seine Is Now ‘Worse Than the Eras Tour’ Olympics security rules have made it nearly impossible to get around without hitting a checkpoint or barricade. By John Surico
a truly terrific new york listing A Sculptor’s Faux-Carriage House in Boerum Hill It was built out of the shell of an old mechanic’s shop. By Adriane Quinlan

the grub street diet

“No matter how busy it is in the office, we make it a point to eat together.”

restaurant review Bungalow Proves a Celebrity Chef Can Still Draw a Crowd Vikas Khanna’s downtown restaurant expands the reach of the city’s traditionally Punjab-focused Indian cuisine by venturing across the subcontinent. By Matthew Schneier
underground gourmet New York’s Thai Scene Has Never Been Better A wave of new chefs are behind the city’s most exciting restaurants. By Tammie Teclemariam
what to eat Frogs’ Legs Are Back on the Menu The just-reopened Le Veau d’Or revives a classic. By Charlotte Druckman
rumors Is Frog Club in Hot Water? Or is the former Chumley’s space simply cursed? By Ella Quittner

where to eat
The Best Restaurants of 2024 — So Far Six months in, these eight places stand out during an already-strong year for openings. By Matthew Schneier and Tammie Teclemariam

the grub street diet Bryan Safi’s Grub Street Diet “I don’t like anything that feels like I’m trying to get into a club — especially when it’s not a club.” By Alyssa Shelasky