Maraú Península: Energy, and How to Get It

In today’s newsletter: the Supreme Court wonders where the Texas abortion law might lead; uncovering the secret accounts of the global élite; and Todd Haynes’s “The Velvet Underground.”

Illustration by Nolan Pelletier

Sometimes I am slightly disturbed by the amount of time that I devote to thinking about coffee. When to have the afternoon cup? Are there any good cafés near the hotel? Where can I get a cold brew before making the drive? Coffee, coffee, coffee. It’s tedious, in the way that soft addictions can be, but fuelled by a persistent concern of having enough energy to make it through the day. In a self-investigative essay in this week’s issue, Nick Paumgarten examines the modern obsession with “energy”—why some people seem to zip about like hummingbirds while others find it hard to make toast.

His odyssey ranges from the origins of cellular life (be prepared to learn a lot about mitochondria) to the theories of the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, who sought to find physiological proof of the libido (which involved placing subjects naked in a shed lined with metal panels), to the temptations of methamphetamine. My favorite interlude is when Paumgarten simultaneously wears three metabolic tracking devices: a Whoop, an Oura ring, and a Levels glucose monitor. The data offer some harsh truths, which Paumgarten dances around. What energy! Read this delightful piece now, while you still have momentum.

—Michael Agger, culture editor, newyorker.com

Read “Energy, and How to Get It” and more from Nick Paumgarten, including the plight of pandemic pets and survivor’s guilt for climbers in the mountains.

An illustration of a book with leggings that are running.

From the News Desk

A lit fuse is cut by a pair of scissors leads to a bundle of dynamite made out of papers

Annals of Inquiry

Uncovering the Secret Offshore Accounts of the Global Élite

In an age of rising populism, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is exposing the hypocrisy behind the hidden wealth.

By Benjamin Wallace-Wells

Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, speaks to a crowd of reporters in front of the Supreme Court.

Daily Comment

The Supreme Court Wonders Where the Texas Abortion Law Might Lead

In order to trample on reproductive rights, S.B. 8 tramples on all rights.

By Amy Davidson Sorkin

Video Dept.

GIF from “Little Fish,” showing a man standing up and ripples forming on the water.

The New Yorker Documentary

A Celebrity Chef’s Burnout and Pivot to Resiliency

Edward Columbia’s documentary “Little Fish” follows the sustainable-food pioneer Bun Lai as he closes his successful restaurant and pursues a new approach to life.

Film by Edward Columbia

Text by David Kortava

On November 18th, The New Yorker’s cartoon editor will host the première of “Drawing Life,” a film about George Booth, exclusively for subscribers.

An illustration of three books on a windowsill with an eye and a cloud appearing through the window.

Culture Dept.

Illustration by Nicholas Law

Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series grappled with a central question: What does it mean to engage in a survival struggle that lasts far longer than any individual life? Julian Lucas writes that the new Apple TV+ adaptation is interested in lesser things.
Todd Haynes’s new documentary, “The Velvet Underground,” vividly captures the multimedia sights that originally accompanied the legendary band’s sound. But Kevin Dettmar writes that it could have been more.
“I do something I love, and I hate it, because it’s work anytime money gets exchanged. It takes away the purity.” Maurice Harris, the florist for Beyoncé and Louis Vuitton, talks flowers, tedium, and how fickle the trend of supporting Black businesses can be.

An illustration of a crossword puzzle wrapped around the arms of a person.

Fun & Games Dept.

Daily Shouts

Ways in Which to (Safely) Enjoy Fall

Strategies for distracting yourself from the fact that we are somehow still in a global pandemic.

By Maya Henderson

An out-of-focus photo shows the red and blue lights on top of a police car.

Daily Shouts

Beyond “Cops”: Other Series-Reboot Plans for Fox Nation

“CSI: Misinformation Unit” and other potential reboots for Fox News Media’s new streaming service.

By Jonny Auping

Pumpkins float in the ocean, beneath a label reading “The Great Pacific Pumpkin Patch.”

Daily Cartoon

Thursday, November 4th

By Jake Goldwasser

Name Drop

Play Today’s Quiz

The fewer clues you need, the more points you receive.

By Liz Maynes-Aminzade

🥛 P.S. Milk was trending on Twitter today, thanks to a recent CNN interview with a couple from Texas, who explained that inflation was making it tough for them to buy their customary twelve gallons a week. Responses sorted themselves predictably—Who in the world drinks that much milk? You snobs don’t understand how regular people live! However, as Dana Goodyear wrote in 2015, the consumption of milk, whether it comes from cows, almonds, coconuts, or even hemp, has long been a hot-button cultural and environmental issue.