A Normal, Boring Country

A look back at some of our favorite reads.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 13, 2020 It has been a wild couple weeks. To make sense of the moment, read Emily Bazelon on the vote-by-mail election. And revisit Jim Rutenberg’s investigation into the “voter fraud” lie. Or give yourself a break. A normal, boring country sounds pretty good right now, doesn’t it? The artist Christoph Niemann visited one for an illustrated story we published back in March. It’s a nice change of pace, as are the other gems collected below — from Sam Anderson on Weird Al to Irina Aleksander on the inexorable rise of sweatpants. Here’s a look back at a few of our favorite reads from the year. Art Streiber for The New York Times The Weirdly Enduring Appeal of Weird Al Yankovic National economies collapse; species go extinct; political movements rise and fizzle. But — somehow, for some reason — Weird Al keeps rocking. By Sam Anderson Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times Feature The Accusations Were Lies. But Could We Prove It? When the university told my wife about the sexual-harassment complaints against her, we knew they weren’t true. We had no idea how strange the truth really was. By Sarah Viren Christoph Niemann In Praise of a Normal, Boring Country A cartoonist finds solace in Estonia's grit, thrift, and good cheer. By Christoph Niemann Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Frances Boswell. Prop stylist: Amy Elise Wilson. Eat How Cooking Dinner Can Change Your Life The Times’s Food Editor discovered the extraordinary power of the ordinary meal. You can, too. By Sam Sifton Stephanie Gonot for The New York Times Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed Even before the pandemic, it had started to unravel. What happens now that no one has a reason to dress up? By Irina Aleksander Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ALSO FROM THE MAGAZINE Concept by Tracy Ma How Trump’s ‘Voter Fraud’ Lie Is Disenfranchising Americans The president is harnessing the power of the government, from the Department of Homeland Security to the Postal Service, to disrupt the election. Read the magazine’s five-month investigation. By Jim Rutenberg Photo illustration by Joan Wong Feature Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration and Me Many progressives mistrust her for her past as a prosecutor. As an ex-convict — and also the son of a crime victim — I can tell you it’s not that simple. By Reginald Dwayne Betts IN THIS SUNDAY’S MAGAZINE Democracy by Mail Philip Montgomery for The New York Times Democracy Worked This Year. But It Is Under Threat. America’s pandemic election was a remarkable, unlikely feat — conducted under assault from its president. Photographs by Philip Montgomery Philip Montgomery for The New York Times Millions of Votes Are in Postal Workers’ Hands. Here Is Their Story. What this year’s politically charged vote-by-mail election is like for U.S.P.S. employees on the ground. Photographs by Philip Montgomery Dina Litovsky/Redux, for The New York Times Inside the Race to Count Absentee Ballots Early About 50 million Americans have already voted by mail. Here’s what processing those ballots looks like in a crucial swing state. Photographs by Dina Litovsky Christopher Payne for The New York Times 20,000 Ballots an Hour, With Paper and Ink by the Ton This election will require more paper ballots than any other in American history — which means some serious human labor and machine power. Photographs by Christopher Payne Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The New York Times Magazine from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018