The social, political and media analysis of news images.
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The Oval Office as Demon’s Lair
Double Takes: Healthy, Wealthy…And Lies
In our new "Double Take" feature, we freeze-frame the images officials hope you'll miss—from detention SOS signals to political theater disguised as health policy.
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Vatican Celebration Photos Spotlight Pope Leo’s Challenge to Trump’s America
As American flags wave in St. Peter's Square, a humble pontiff elevates a competing vision of patriotism and national identity.
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Trump’s Visual Legacy at 100 Days: Not Normal Pictures for Not Normal Times
I'm proud to share these 15 images, which the media's hundred-day photo reviews will likely ignore. Call it a democracy stress test.
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Signaling Strangelove: The New Yorker Cover’s Brilliant Take on SignalGate
Barry Blitt’s masterpiece perfectly captures the essence of the Trump administration. It’s a visual terror warning worthy of Kubrick himself. By Michael Shaw Barry Blitt’s latest New Yorker cover masterfully captures the essence of the SignalGate scandal. The illustration, depicting administration officials gleefully riding a missile downward like deranged...
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Trump’s Mugshot as White House Power Play
Trump’s gilded mugshot guards the Oval Office—a warning to all who pass. As Ukraine’s president learned, this intimidating checkpoint signals the fate awaiting anyone who challenges Dear Leader. By Michael Shaw and Cara Finnegan In a narrow hallway between the President’s secretary’s space and the Oval Office, Trump’s framed...
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