This Week’s Issue: The Sputnik V Vaccine and Russia’s Race to Immunity

Plus: the race to dismantle Trump’s immigration policies; a failed attempt to build a Black mini-metropolis; and Mike Nichols. View in browser | Update your preferences Letter from Moscow The Sputnik V Vaccine and Russia’s Race to Immunity When the pandemic struck, scientists in Moscow set out to beat the West. By Joshua Yaffa American Chronicles The Plan to Build a Capital for Black Capitalism In 1969, an activist set out to build an African-American metropolis from scratch. What would have happened if Soul City had succeeded? By Kelefa Sanneh A Reporter at Large Can Immigration Recover from Trump? Trump transformed immigration through hundreds of quiet measures. Before they can be reversed, they have to be uncovered. By Sarah Stillman Annals of Geography The Young Cartographer with a Plan for the Pope Molly Burhans wants the Catholic Church to put its assets—which include millions of acres of land—to better use. But, first, she has to map them. By David Owen Comment A New Day for the Climate It remains to be seen whether Joe Biden’s sweeping climate directives can make a meaningful difference, but a critical threshold has been crossed. By Elizabeth Kolbert Books The Next Cyberattack Is Already Under Way Amid a global gold rush for digital weapons, the infrastructure of our daily lives has never been more vulnerable. By Jill Lepore Books Who Was Mike Nichols When He Wasn’t Playing Mike Nichols? An intuitive storyteller, the director perfected narratives—including his own. By Louis Menand Books Lucian Freud and the Truth of the Body The painter captured the imperfections of the flesh so completely that they became a kind of perfection. By Adam Gopnik Pop Music Revisiting the Tender Sounds of Dusty Springfield A new compilation collects the tracks from the richest period in the singer’s career. By Amanda Petrusich Humor from The New Yorker Shouts & Murmurs You Praised Hitler in a Speech? How to Avoid Those “Oops” Moments Tips for the congresswoman Mary Miller and anyone who might drop an accidental “Sieg heil!” on the lecture circuit. By Nathan Heller Cartoons From The Issue Cartoons from the Issue Drawings and drollery from this week’s magazine. This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To insure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com. For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.