The Great Read: The ‘R-Word’ Returns, Dismaying Those Who Fought to Oust It
The term, long considered a slur for those with intellectual disabilities, is seeing a resurgence on social media and across the political right.
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The Great Read

January 26, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

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Kathleen Flynn for The New York Times

The ‘R-Word’ Returns, Dismaying Those Who Fought to Oust It

The term, long considered a slur for those with intellectual disabilities, is seeing a resurgence on social media and across the political right.

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