The Signal
Your loyal guide to a changing world.

Latest

03
Mar
Lone and level sands

Lone and level sands

How could unexpected events transform a work of art? Bryan Singer on a secret monument in Southern Lebanon, its tangled politics, and his first film in seven years.
17 min read
28
Feb
Smoke in the streets

Smoke in the streets

The weekend despatch: What’s happening inside Iran? + Why now?
13 min read
26
Feb
Havana nocturne

Havana nocturne

Briefing: The last fuel in Cuba. The first strikes on Afghanistan since the Americans left. + Why is Los Angeles’s entertainment industry in such crisis?
6 min read
25
Feb
Hollowed-out in Hollywood

Hollowed-out in Hollywood

Feature: Why is Los Angeles’s entertainment industry in such crisis? Andrew deWaard on the shape-shifting effects of financialization and monopoly.
8 min read
24
Feb
A most wanted man

A most wanted man

Briefing: The logic of Mexico’s surprise killing of the head of its most powerful cartel. The distance between the American president and the Pentagon on war with Iran. + Why are so many countries rethinking their nuclear strategies?
6 min read
23
Feb
‘The Chernobyl parameter’

‘The Chernobyl parameter’

Feature: Why are so many countries rethinking their nuclear strategies? Serhii Plokhy on the emerging dangers of a new arms race.
6 min read
20
Feb
The check arrives

The check arrives

The weekend despatch: America’s highest court kills the president’s signature tariffs. Artemis II’s crew readies for the first Moon mission in half a century. + What’s free jazz doing on a major record label?
12 min read
19
Feb
‘Misconduct in public office’

‘Misconduct in public office’

Briefing: A former prince arrested over the Epstein files. A former president sentenced to life for insurrection. + Why is Silicon Valley fighting with the EU?
6 min read
18
Feb
‘Dependencies have become liabilities’

‘Dependencies have become liabilities’

Feature: Why is Silicon Valley fighting with the EU? Anu Bradford on how American tech companies are enlisting the White House against European regulation.
6 min read
17
Feb
Same city, same day

Same city, same day

Briefing: Two negotiations—one led to progress, the other to a threat. North Korea builds homes for soldiers who won’t come back. + What’s online gambling doing to American society?
6 min read