One Story to Read Today highlights a single newly published—or newly relevant—Atlantic story that’s worth your time. Americans love pumpkin spice. Tariffs may test how much they’re willing to pay for it, Rachel Sugar writes. |
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| Every year, there is a single day when summer turns to fall. In 2025, on the Gregorian calendar, this day is September 22. On the pumpkin-spice calendar, it was Tuesday, when Starbucks reintroduced its legendary latte. (For Dunkin’ loyalists, fall began on August 20.) … But just as the Pumpkin-Spice Industrial Complex whirs into action, as it does every August, there is a new threat. On Wednesday, the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on imports from India. This might be just another episode in Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war, except that India is a major exporter of spices: among them, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Together, along with allspice and ginger, these form the backbone of the pumpkin-spice mix. Like so many other goods, pumpkin spice—the taste, smell, and spirit of fall—might get more expensive. Just how much do Americans love it? We’re about to find out. | |
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