A selection of recent and most read stories from The Atlantic to start your day

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Coming Soon: A New Season of ‘Autocracy in America’

Defenders of the free world can no longer take their liberties for granted.

The Cure for Guilty Memories

A fantastical new novel from Karen Russell turns the whispered secrets of a Dust Bowl town into a bold metaphor for repressed history.

Keeping Politics Out of the Military

U.S. national security depends on citizens’ trust in our armed forces. We lose that if we turn soldiers into law-enforcement officers.

Yes, the Iran Mission Was Successful. No, We Are Not Taking Questions.

Pete Hegseth’s guide to war

Tulsi Gabbard Chooses Loyalty to Trump

The U.S. spy chief, who built her political identity opposing military intervention, is falling in line after the bombing of Iran.

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The Atlantic’s Crossword

The Atlantic’s crossword puzzle gets a little more challenging every day: Mondays are the easiest, with the biggest, most difficult puzzle on Sunday.