The Gray Area is now publishing twice a week on audio and video. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts.  Tyler Austin Harper didn’t set out to become a culture warrior. He trained as a scholar. His PhD was in comparative literature. He has written widely about the history of […]

After President Donald Trump launched a military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, he announced that America planned to take control of its oil revenue. More specifically, one American.  “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, […]

For more than a century, the size of the House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 seats; in that same period, the US population has tripled. This means that today, the average representative is responsible for more than 750,000 constituents. Scholars and politicians say this imbalance is why many Americans feel like Congress is […]

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: As President Donald Trump forges ahead with his plans for a ballroom on the White House grounds, he’s stacking the deck in his favor. What […]

Over the past few winters, where I live — in one of the country’s winter sport meccas — there have been a whole lot more people packing skins and stepping into the backcountry.  Trails once quiet, save for the sinuous whoosh of a lone ski line, are suddenly dotted with fresh tracks. Backcountry skiing — […]