Elite institutions shaped the pandemic response in a way they said would best protect society. Critics say they sidelined dissenting views, deepening distrust and contributing to Donald Trump’s reelection. Second of two parts; the first ran on July 26.

One of the major obstacles to a Palestinian state has been the lack of trust between Israel’s European supporters and the Palestinians’ backers in the Middle East. But now both are making the hard choices that could reopen a path to peace.

Amy Sherald’s decision to pull her show from the National Portrait Gallery comes as the Trump administration has criticized DEI and “improper ideology” in museums. She is among artists who say their vision cannot be compromised without undermining the purpose of their art.

Kharkiv, Ukraine, one of Europe’s great cultural centers, is pummeled almost nightly by Russian strikes. Yet its bomb-shelter national opera house serves as a cathedral, a beacon of stubborn faith and undimmed human spirit.

Alaska persists in the imagination as one of the last untamed places on Earth. But for one Gen Z writer, that romantic ideal was replaced by awe, respect, and concern for one of the fastest-warming corners of the planet.