Lauren Berlant, Critic of the American Dream, Is Dead at 63

Professor Berlant’s book “Cruel Optimism” provided a popular term to describe false hopes in an increasingly unequal nation.

Are Masks a New Signifier of Social Class?

Face coverings are coming off, though not for everyone.

A Few Tennis Pros Make a Fortune. Most Barely Scrape By.

The superstars of pro tennis get paid staggeringly more than everyone else. Can a new players’ association help level the court?

Black Workers Stopped Making Progress on Pay. Is It Racism?

Economists are grappling with how much to blame bias or a changing economy for the widening wage gap over the last 40 years.

Opinion | Is This Railroad for the Rich?

To justify its big investment in the L.I.R.R., New York needs to force Long Island communities to make room for more housing.

This Is the Plan to Rescue Poor Countries From the Pandemic

A proposal advanced by the International Monetary Fund aims to supply the developing world with extra money to buy vaccines, pay down debt and expand relief programs.

Opinion | Is Education No Longer the ‘Great Equalizer’?

It lifts all boats, but not by equal amounts.

Opinion | The Problem With the Genius Billionaire Philanthropist Superhero

The American idealization of wealthy mavericks isn't confined to the pages of comic books. 

New York Is Getting $22 Billion in Federal Aid. How Should It Be Spent?

Business leaders warn the mayor that an influx of aid could be squandered on short-term programs that won’t help the unemployed.

Opinion | Trumpism Without Borders

The forces that brought the former president to power are exerting pressure all over the world. 

How the Virus Unraveled Hispanic American Families

Deaths in Santa Clara County, Calif., highlight a terrible disparity of the pandemic: Covid-19 killed many Hispanic Americans at younger ages.

Opinion | Warren Buffett and the Myth of the ‘Good Billionaire’

There is no way to be a billionaire in America without taking advantage of a system predicated on cruelty.

Opinion | What the Rich Don’t Want to Admit About the Poor

Why do we leave millions of people in poverty? The answer should make us uncomfortable.

Opinion | Fat Cats on a Hot Tin Roof

Pay up, Monopoly Men; freeloading isn't cool. 

Private Inequity: How a Powerful Industry Conquered the Tax System

The I.R.S. almost never audits private equity firms, even as whistle-blowers have filed claims alleging illegal tax avoidance.

Rich Schools, Poor Schools and a Biden Plan

The way U.S. education is funded can widen disparities. A proposed $20 billion program seeks to even things out.

Rich Schools, Poor Schools and a Biden Plan

The way U.S. education is funded can widen disparities. A proposed $20 billion program seeks to even things out.

Industrial Policy, Alzheimer’s, Pizza: Your Monday Evening Briefing

Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

Why Does Disaster Aid Often Favor White People?

The federal government often gives less help to Black disaster survivors than their white neighbors. That’s a challenge for President Biden, who has vowed to fight both inequality and climate change.

Opinion | Don’t Kill Remote Learning. Black and Brown Families Need It.

Eliminating remote learning exacerbates existing educational and health care inequities.