Monthly Reading List: June 2025
A curated selection of the best articles, essays, and commentary from the past month
Starting this month, I’ll be sharing my Monthly Reading List: a curated roundup of the best articles, essays, and commentary I’ve read over the past month. Some are sharp takes on current events; others are longform reporting and essays that lingered in my mind. But all are pieces that shaped my thinking, offered fresh perspective, or simply stood out from the rest. This isn’t an exhaustive list—it’s a reflection of the writing that made me pause, think, and sometimes rethink. I hope they do the same for you.
Note: Some articles may be behind a paywall. I’ll do my best to share gift links whenever I can.
What Is Israel’s Endgame with Iran? — Robin Wright, The New Yorker
Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran resulted in the most significant loss of senior Iranian military leaders since the Iran-Iraq War, provoking both praise and criticism from American political leaders across the ideological spectrum. Wright’s essay delivers a compelling and balanced exploration of the strategic crossroads at which Israel and Iran stand, neither romanticizing preemptive strikes nor underplaying the profound risks of a broader conflict in the Middle East. While there is broad consensus on the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, there is less consensus about the off-ramp. As the former head of Iran analysis for Israeli military intelligence recently observed, it remains unclear “how exactly . . . Israel intend[s] to end the war and preserve its achievements without entering a war of attrition” that risks becoming open-ended with no clear exit strategy.
Housing Reform Should Actually Add Housing — Matthew Yglesias, Slow Boring
Too often, politicians tout housing reform on the campaign trail but ultimately champion proposals that do little, if anything, to grow housing supply. This shouldn’t come as a surprise if you pay attention to local politics. Few issues in local politics evoke as much debate as re-zonings and development proposals. Housing, and the lack thereof, is a politically toxic issue. Residents expect local governments to preserve neighborhood character and guard against perceived threats to quality of life—often leaving elected officials more incentivized to say “no” to new housing than to confront the structural shortage driving the affordability crisis. As a result, many so-called reforms focus on process rather than outcomes: adding new layers of public input, design standards, or affordability mandates that sound good in theory but often make it harder—not easier—to actually build more homes. Yglesias addresses this conundrum head on.
How Amy Coney Barrett Is Confounding the Right and the Left — Jodi Kantor, The New York Times
Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court was one of the most contentious in recent memory, coming just days after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and moving forward without a single Democratic vote. An academic at heart and the only parent of school-aged children on the court, Justice Barrett hasn’t aligned perfectly with the president that nominated her—provoking criticism from the political left and right. This incisive profile of Justice Barrett, which includes favorable comments from both liberals and conservatives, explores her expectation-defying stint on the court thus far and provides a glimpse into the personal realities of serving as a Supreme Court Justice as a Washington outsider. For a deeper look at internal dynamics on the Court, see Sarah Isgur’s piece “What’s Behind the Conservative Rift on the Supreme Court” in Politico.
America Is Losing Sight of Its Political Culture — Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal
There’s been considerable debate surrounding President Trump’s military parade and whether it enhances or undermines America’s standing in the world. Similarly, his decision to deploy National Guard troops—and later, U.S. Marines—to respond to the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles has sparked intense discussion. Contrary to some claims, this isn’t unprecedented. President George H.W. Bush also sent the National Guard to Los Angeles during the 1992 riots, though he did so with great hesitation. Noonan’s column serves as both a historical reminder and a cautionary reflection—underscoring why America has traditionally resisted the impulse to glorify military force, whether it be in the streets of Los Angeles or Washington, D.C.
Why the Euthanasia Slope Is Slippery — Ross Douthat, The New York Times
A thoughtful reflection on the proliferation of medically-assisted suicide and the laws governing its use. Since reading Atul Gawande’s incisive book on end-of-life care, Being Mortal, I’ve had a complicated thoughts about the morality of euthanasia, especially in the context of terminally-ill patients. While the primary focus of Gawande’s book is palliative care—not euthanasia—the book elucidates the physical suffering terminally-ill patients face in the final years of their life. In some ways, Gawande and Douthat approach the issue from similar vantage points despite ultimately arriving at different conclusions. Euthanasia is undoubtedly a weighty subject. But as more jurisdictions begin to legalize its use, it’s an issue worth examining with a critical eye.
That’s it for this month. If you read something that challenged, moved, or inspired you recently, I’d love to hear about it—drop it in the comments or shoot me a message. And if you found this roundup useful, feel free to share it with someone else who might enjoy it too.