Slate Crossword: Wanna Go Really Far? Sleep on It! (Six Letters) Chandi Deitmer
Ready for some wordplay? Sharpen your skills with Slate’s puzzle for Jan. 14, 2026.
A Blue Wave Looks Likelier Now Than It Did at This Point in 2018 Mary Harris
A case for optimism.
Help! I Knew My Mother-in-Law Hated Me. But the Lie She’s Spreading About Me Now Is Unbelievable. Jenée Desmond-Harris
I have to do something drastic.
My Ex and I Made a Pact to Protect the Kids. But Now He’s Conniving Against Me in Sneaky Ways. Greg Lavallee
I want to stand up for myself, but not if it hurts the kids.
Get In Loser, We’re Friction-Maxxing Kate Lindsay
How technology ruined our tolerance for inconvenience, and how to build it back.
There Are Many Great Paintings. Why Does Everyone Know the Mona Lisa? Willa Paskin
A mysterious smile and the real-life mystery that made her famous. <img src="https://compote.slate.com/images/5f94cd24-bcf9-4792-84cf-744051b634e2.jpeg?crop=1560%2C1040%2Cx0%2Cy0" title="There Are Many Great Paintings. Why Does Everyone Know the Mona Lisa?” />
It’s Sydney Sweeney’s Hand That Rocks the Cradle in The Housemaid Dan Kois, Rebecca Onion, and Stephen Metcalf
In schlock thriller The Housemaid and in an ecstatic musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers, Amanda Seyfried really shakes things up. <img src="https://compote.slate.com/images/81035dad-c233-4093-a8df-6d7f15c850db.jpeg?crop=1560%2C1040%2Cx0%2Cy0" title="It’s Sydney Sweeney’s Hand That…
The Defense Department’s Case Against Mark Kelly Is Even Dumber Than It Sounds Fred Kaplan
At the same time, it’s still having its intended effect.