This Week’s Issue: How a Disaster Expert Prepares for the Worst

Plus: the system that failed Jordan Neely; Naomi Fry on Philipp Plein; and “Queen Charlotte,” reviewed. View in browser | Update your preferences Letter from the U.K. How a Disaster Expert Prepares for the Worst Lucy Easthope, who has worked on major emergencies since 9/11, says that small interventions can make a significant difference. By Sam Knight This Week’s Cover Cover Story “Perennial” The cover artist for this week’s issue, R. Kikuo Johnson, discusses nature in New England, and mourning the old while celebrating the new. By Françoise Mouly Shop this cover and others from The New Yorker in the Condé Nast Store » Reporting and Commentary Our Local Correspondents The System That Failed Jordan Neely What a subway killing reveals about New York City’s revolving-door approach to mental illness and homelessness. By Adam Iscoe The World of Fashion How Philipp Plein Became the King of Lowbrow High Fashion The maximalist designer has positioned himself as an underdog hero of the common man, who is successful despite the falsity and the snobbery of the élites. By Naomi Fry A Reporter at Large Earth League International Hunts the Hunters A conservation N.G.O. infiltrates wildlife-trafficking rings to bring them down. By Tad Friend Comment The Real Scandal Surrounding Clarence Thomas’s Gifts Supreme Court Justices, alone in our system, are not truly regulated by anyone other than themselves. By Jeannie Suk Gersen The Critics Books How to Quit Cars They crowd streets, belch carbon, bifurcate communities, and destroy the urban fabric. Will we ever overcome our addiction? By Adam Gopnik Books The Dark Side of Defamation Law A revered Supreme Court ruling protected the robust debate vital to democracy—but made it harder to constrain misinformation. Can we do better? By Jeannie Suk Gersen On Television “Queen Charlotte” Has Shonda Rhimes All Over It The dialogue of the “Bridgerton” prequel, on Netflix, recalls “Scandal” ’s snippy banter and florid monologues, as well as that series’ obsession with optics. By Inkoo Kang Fiction from the Issue Fiction “Long Island” “The question of what would be enough to keep us safe—from terrorists, neighbors, history—became less and less clear.” By Nicole Krauss Humor from The New Yorker Shouts & Murmurs Translation: My Multilingual Life Linguists call it Demotic Ay-speak, but to me it will always be Pig Latin. By Ian Frazier Cartoons from the Issue Cartoons from the Issue Funny drawings from this week’s magazine. Crossword A Moderately Challenging Puzzle Met’s fêtes: five letters. By Erik Agard Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Newsletters Sign Up for The New Yorker’s Movie Club Newsletter Reviews of the current cinema, plus recommendations for classics and underrated treasures available on streaming services, every Friday. More from The New Yorker The New Yorker Interview Joan Baez Is Still Doing Beautiful, Cool Stuff At eighty-two, the folk singer has a new book of drawings and sleeps on a mattress in a tree. By Amanda Petrusich Personal History Remembering My Hijacking As children, my sister and I were held hostage for six days in the desert. Why couldn’t I recall what happened? By Martha Hodes Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for This Week's Issue from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.