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February 4, 2026

Ben Hickey

Notable

In counting the dead in Iran, a picture of ferocity. “Trying to determine the death toll is more than a measure of threat to a regime: It is also a vital step in providing a sense of justice for the victims and in holding the perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”

— Scott Anderson, the author of a book on the Iranian revolution

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Nurses get bitten, spat on, thrown. “We’re striking so that nurses and patients alike can be safe. We’re fighting for adequate numbers of nurses to care for the number of patients we see. We’re also fighting for protections from workplace violence, because nurses shouldn’t fear for our lives on the job.”

— Sheryl Ostroff, a nurse in New York

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Will Newsom be the Democrats’ next mistake? “Democrats should be careful whom they crush on. Newsom’s record as governor of California is a Republican strategist’s perfect foil.”

— Bret Stephens, Opinion columnist

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Spotlight

The New York Times

The Joy of Babies’ Laughter, Explained by a Scientist

A kid’s first joke reveals a complex mind.

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ICYMI

The bots are plotting a revolution, and it’s all very cringe. “We’re not facing an A.I. coordination takeoff so much as a human coordination problem: We need to find a way to make this technology serve collective needs in a rational way.”

— Leif Weatherby, the director of the Digital Theory Lab at New York University

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More in Opinion

Jamelle Bouie Common Ground Is for Suckers Some are more American than others. By Jamelle Bouie

Round Table Are We at the End of the Industrial Age? Three economists debate the effects that artificial intelligence is having on the job market. By David Autor, Anton Korinek and Natasha Sarin

Michelle Goldberg In Ohio, I Caught a Glimpse of the New Resistance It’s not just blue America where people are readying themselves for disaster. By Michelle Goldberg

Ross Douthat Vice and the Crisis of Liberalism Is there a political prescription for our era of addiction? By Ross Douthat

Guest Essay The Risk We Face in Opposing Trump People often misunderstand nonviolent protest. It is not merely eschewing violence. By Roxane Gay

letters Trump’s Call to ‘Nationalize’ Voting Readers fear how far the president will go to ensure Republican victories in the midterms. Also: What it means to be a naturalized American.

In Your Words

Re: “Let’s Start Project 2028”

This is a good start. But the omission of climate change is glaring. And only a single sentence regarding health care? Any statement of Democratic priorities for 2028 must place both issues at or near the very top.

— James from New York

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