Author: Michelle Korhonen

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.The season of Christmas music––of Mariah Carey blasting in malls, carolers gracing street corners, and children singing about Rudolph—has once again arrived. Fans of festive cheer are rejoicing, and haters are rolling their eyes. I spoke with my colleague Spencer Kornhaber, who covers music for The Atlantic, about what makes holiday music sound distinct, how the genre relies on nostalgia, and why sleigh-bell-sprinkled tunes can…

What Nutrients Are In Leeks? Leeks, often overshadowed by their close relatives the onion and garlic, are an under-appreciated culinary gem. Beyond their delicate flavor and versatility in dishes, they hold a wealth of valuable nutrients that contribute significantly to a healthy diet. Let’s embark on a journey to uncover the hidden treasures within these humble vegetables.Vitamin K: A Boon for Bone Health and Blood ClottingLeeks take center stage when it comes to vitamin K. Just one cup of cooked leeks provides over 100% of the daily recommended intake (RDI), making them a champion for promoting healthy bones and efficient…

This is Atlantic Intelligence, an eight-week series in which The Atlantic’s leading thinkers on AI will help you understand the complexity and opportunities of this groundbreaking technology. Sign up here.Earlier this year, The Atlantic published a story by Gary Marcus, a well-known AI expert who has agitated for the technology to be regulated, both in his Substack newsletter and before the Senate. (Marcus, a cognitive scientist and an entrepreneur, has founded AI companies himself and has explored launching another.) Marcus argued that “this is a moment of immense peril,” and that we are teetering toward an “information-sphere disaster, in which…

Post-Surgery Opioid Prescriptions Decline, But More Work Needed – A new study reveals a significant decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions over the past seven years, but it also highlights a worrying trend: the rate of decline has slowed since 2020. This underscores the need for continued efforts to right-size opioid prescribing after surgery and ensure patient safety.Key findings:Overall decrease: Between 2016 and 2022, the rate of surgery-related opioid prescriptions dropped by 36%, and the average amount of opioids prescribed fell by a substantial 46%.Pre-pandemic acceleration: The study found a much faster rate of decline before the pandemic, underlining the potential for further progress. This finding is…

“I’m ecstatic. It’s a blessing that they approved this therapy,” said Victoria Gray, the first person in the U.S. to undergo CRISPR gene-editing for sickle cell, of the Food and Drug Administration’s decision. Orlando Gili hide caption toggle caption Orlando Gili “I’m ecstatic. It’s a blessing that they approved this therapy,” said Victoria Gray, the first person in the U.S. to undergo CRISPR gene-editing for sickle cell, of the Food and Drug Administration’s decision. Orlando Gili In a landmark decision, the Food and Drug Administration Friday approved the first gene-editing treatment to alleviate human illness. The FDA approved two genetic…

Straddling the border of Virginia and North Carolina, the Great Dismal Swamp stretches 750 square miles and teems with thick, tangled vines. Lofty pine trees shade the sun; pools of standing black water snake a path to an expansive freshwater lake. In the 16th century, when Europeans began to colonize North America’s coast, this marshy interior became a haven for outcasts. “Self-emancipators,” the historian J. Brent Morris writes in Dismal Freedom: A History of the Maroons of the Great Dismal Swamp, “settled into new lives of freedom in a wilderness landscape deemed worthless and inaccessible by whites.” In these maroon…

Diabetes medication may also lower colorectal cancer risk – Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have conducted a groundbreaking study suggesting that a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), may also significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).The findings, published today in the journal JAMA Oncology, support the need for clinical trials to determine if these medications could be used to prevent one of the leading causes of cancer death. Additionally, the study suggests potential for GLP-1 RAs to prevent other types of cancer associated with obesity and diabetes.Key Points:GLP-1…

In sub-Saharan Africa, women are at high risk of contracting HIV. Some protective measures carry a stigma but this device enables them to take control without anyone knowing.(Image credit: AFP/Stephane de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images)

For most of American history, when parents separated, their kids almost always ended up living with just one of them. But recent studies have confirmed a new era: Joint physical custody, in which a child resides with each parent a significant portion of the time, has become dramatically more common in the U.S.The trend was first documented in Wisconsin, where court data revealed that the percentage of divorces leading to equal joint custody—in which time with each parent is split 50–50—rose from just 2 percent in 1980 to 35 percent in 2010. Even among never-married Wisconsin couples who came to…

Esther Lau testifies on June 20 before the California Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo’s bill allowing teens with Medi-Cal coverage to seek therapy without parental approval. Senate of the State of California hide caption toggle caption Senate of the State of California Esther Lau testifies on June 20 before the California Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo’s bill allowing teens with Medi-Cal coverage to seek therapy without parental approval. Senate of the State of California When she was in ninth grade, Fiona Lu fell into a depression. She had trouble adjusting to her…