The history of the American presidency is full of accomplishments and compromises, successes and failures. Robert Dallek argues that the giants from both parties in the last 120 years draw a sharp contrast with the characteristics of the Trump presidency.

Empathy is a recurring theme on “Story in the Public Square,” because it is central to crafting of compelling stories—whether set in fiction or non-fiction. Paul Tremblay uses empathy to draw readers in to the strange and often terrifying worlds that he imagines.

While national media coverage often swoops in to cover local stories with national significance, local reporters are typically there from the beginning. They know the details. They know the sequence of events. And they know the community in which they are reporting. Noelle Crombie knows Portland as well as anyone and she’s been reporting on the protests and violence in that beautiful city.

A lot of Americans feel like the 2020s have already been a grueling decade—and we’re barely half-way through the first year of it. While the narrative of this experience will take some time to be written, Maddie McGarvey is among the photo journalists already capturing the images of this era and beginning to tell those stories.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected some communities worse than others—drawing into specific relief decades of data on health disparities. Dr. Donald Warne warns that the impact has been particularly grave for Native Americans.

Whether you love them or hate them, beauty pageants continue to play a significant role in American popular culture. Hillary Levey Friedman argues that their evolution is wrapped up in the history of feminism in the United States.

There are some really great dead people. Mo Rocca helps us remember them in part through his own appreciation of the obituary.

Sports play a giant role in American public life—and their absence has been a much-discussed part of the pandemic. Ken Belson covers the National Football League for The New York Times.