I was proud to be a subscriber to the Atlantic this week, receiving September’s cover story in my inbox. As a team, Ed Yong (who’s been doing thoughtful reporting on public health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic) and Ibram X. Kendi (whose demand for anti-racism has shifted the conversation this year) take on the dual American crises of 2020 in “How the pandemic defeated America” and “Is this the beginning of the end of American racism?“

NPR’s Ari Shapiro gives a great introduction to both stories by doing a duo interview with both authors, asking a question common to both articles: are Americans too eager to return to normal?