Alex Shephard spent all year helping TNR’s readers make sense of the biggest stories in the news. The scandals that befell the Brothers Cuomo were tailor-made for his unique skills: navigating the fraught world of New York’s political scene and the chaotic cable news industry. Readers also flocked to his retrospective on Tucker Carlson’s career. Timothy Noah offered pointed commentary on the pandemic labor market, the “Great Resignation,” and the ways workers have been left to fend for themselves amid multiple crises. Along the way, he’s illuminated our economic predicament in some invigoratingly offbeat ways: His jeremiad against the entire state of South Dakota remains a favorite. Walter Shapiro continued to be TNR’s greatest deliberative body this year, lending a calm perspective to stories of titanic importance, including our withdrawal from Afghanistan and epoch-making moments like the passing of Senator Robert Dole. But sometimes it’s just nice to have him gently remind us of things that horse-race political news makes us lose sight of—such as the fact that we don’t actually have to worry about pundit prognostications three years ahead of a presidential election. Readers have flocked to Natalie Shure’s regular dispatches to The Soapbox, where she typically provides in-depth analysis of the failings of our health care system—especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. But something great happens whenever her canny eye alights on off-center topics, such as the toxic wreck of excess that the Olympic Games have become or Katie Couric’s strange decision to admit to a breach of journalistic ethics to sell a memoir. We’ve been blessed to have regular contributions from Osita Nwanevu, such as his critique of the “popularist” craze among Democratic thought leaders, as well as Alex Pareene, who wrote about how conservatives have embraced the idea that people should be allowed to attack protesters with their cars. It’s been a privilege to publish a bevy of sharp pieces from guest writers as well. Some of my favorites include Jason Colavito’s historical examination of how Washington lawmakers came to be so keenly interested in UFOs, Elizabeth Spiers’s farewell to the Trump family, Meredith Shiner’s piece on the fate of “both-sides” journalism after the Capitol Riot, Audrey Farley’s account of the exorcists who are trying to fight the Black Lives Matter movement, and Emma Roller’s examination of how Wisconsin has become a laboratory for the right-wing fringes. In short, it’s been a year of chronicling the big events in American politics, offering readers some respite from our civic exhaustion, and surfacing eclectic stories that provide unexpected fascination. But the common denominator has been your readership and support for this work, as well as our gratitude. With no small amount of trepidation, and no lack of hope, we look forward to sharing more stories with you in the coming year. —Jason Linkins, deputy editor | 