The January Issue

2026

A digital magazine unpacking the big ideas changing our present and shaping our future.

Nicholas Stevenson / Folio Art for Vox

Hello,

In this month's issue of The Highlight, America’s political binary — left and right, Democrat and Republican — can feel inescapable. But historically, it’s a relatively new development, and academically, some political scientists argue it’s nonsense. What we think of as immutable political realities are instead artificial alliances of political convenience. In this month’s Highlight cover story, senior correspondent Eric Levitz breaks down the case against “progressivism” and “conservatism” and gets at the heart of our partisan divides. Also in this issue: Catholic opposition to Trump. The ethics of surrogacy. Fighting to banish the flu.

Enjoy!

—Elbert Ventura, executive editor