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The Best Free Press Stories of 2025

— 12.31.25

The Free Press Heroes of 2025

— 12.31.25

Heroes emerge even—or especially—in times of great darkness. Here are a few of the people we’re thankful for as we end the year.

How Iran’s Biggest Pop Star Was Imprisoned, Silenced, and then Escaped

— 12.30.25

Before the Islamic Revolution, Googoosh was Iran’s biggest celebrity. After the revolution, she was jailed, then barred from performing for more than…

Rafaela Siewert

— 01.01.26

What to Expect in 2026 with Niall Ferguson, John McWhorter, Dr. Mark Hyman, Leandra Medine Cohen, Suzy Weiss, and Sarah Isgur

What’s in store for 2026? We ask experts and friends of the pod.

Bari Weiss

— 12.31.25

Tough Love: Can I Fall Back in Love With My Husband?

Abigail Shrier

— 01.01.26

Ex-Trump Lawyer Lobbies to Free Mobsters Prosecuted by an Enemy of the President

Gabe Kaminsky

— 12.31.25

This Week in American History: When America Invaded Canada

Under Mamdani, New York City’s Top Antisemitism Official Doesn’t Know If He Will Stay or Go

— 12.31.25

Olivia Reingold

— 12.31.25

‘Marty Supreme’ Is a Victim of Its Own Hype

Suzy Weiss

— 12.31.25

How Seymour Hersh Lost His Investigative Groove

A new documentary shows how the hallowed investigative reporter fell into a trap of his own ideological making.

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Eli Lake

— 12.31.25

The Year Ahead: Free Press Predictions for 2026. Plus. . .

TGIF: An Alcoholic’s Personality

— 12.31.25

Nellie Bowles

— 12.19.25

Things Worth Remembering: The Divine Beauty of Imperfection

Robert A. Sirico

— 12.28.25

Generation Z Is Tearing Down Entire Nations

Desperate young people are driving world leaders from power. But the revolutionaries have no clue how to replace the old systems.

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Martin Gurri

— 12.16.25

The Trouble with Quitting the ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’

To liberals, performing in the newly renamed venue is seen as collaboration with the enemy—and boycotting it as an act of resistance. It’s not that…

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Kat Rosenfield

— 12.30.25

Natan Sharansky’s Letter to Jimmy Lai

‘This regime thinks that you are facing a life sentence. In fact, these dictators will be the ones living as slaves all their lives.’

168

Natan Sharansky

— 12.15.25

2025 in Review

What We Learned This Year

Allie Beth Stuckey, Amanda Knox, H.R. McMaster, Natan Sharansky, Vinay Prasad, Emily Oster, and others on their takeaways from 2025.

What to Expect in 2026 with Niall Ferguson, John McWhorter, Dr. Mark Hyman, Leandra Medine Cohen, Suzy Weiss, and Sarah Isgur

— 12.29.25

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What’s in store for 2026? We ask experts and friends of the pod.

Bari Weiss

— 12.31.25

The Free Press Heroes of 2025

Heroes emerge even—or especially—in times of great darkness. Here are a few of the people we’re thankful for as we end the year.

Our Funniest News Items of the Year

— 12.30.25

In lieu of TGIF, The Free Press takes a look back at a few moments this year that at least gave us a chuckle.

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What We Got Wrong This Year

— 12.26.25

Niall Ferguson, Tyler Cowen, Nellie Bowles, Suzy Weiss, and other Free Press writers fess up to mistakes they made this year.

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This Week in American History: When America Invaded Canada

— 12.30.25

A failed invasion of Quebec marked the Revolution’s first major setback—and defined the early limits of the American union.

I’m Christian. My Wife Is Jewish. Our Marriage Is an Act of Faith.

— 12.31.25

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R. R. Reno

— 12.26.25

Two Prophets of American Faith

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David Wolpe

— 12.26.25

Eleven Books to Fill That God-Sized Hole in Your Heart

The First Christmas of the American Revolution

— 12.24.25

WATCH: What Drives Gen Z to Church?

— 12.24.25

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Josh Code

— 12.23.25

How the Bible Helped Smash the Crown

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Meir Soloveichik

— 12.23.25

This Week in American History: A New Prophet of War

Get (or give!) a
Free Press hat,
tote, or TGIF socks.

— 12.17.25

Shop Merch

What to Expect in 2026 with Niall Ferguson, John McWhorter, Dr. Mark Hyman, Leandra Medine Cohen, Suzy Weiss, and Sarah Isgur

Tough Love: Do I Work on My Marriage, or Cut My Losses?

Abigail Shrier

— 12.11.25

An unfaithful husband writes in about wanting to divorce his wife, with whom he shares a toddler.

U.S. Politics

Ex-Trump Lawyer Lobbies to Free Mobsters Prosecuted by an Enemy of the President

Trump’s lingering resentment of the Mueller investigation might help win clemency for two men who are serving life in prison.

Gabe Kaminsky

— 12.31.25

How Seymour Hersh Lost His Investigative Groove

A new documentary shows how the hallowed investigative reporter fell into a trap of his own ideological making.

143

104

Eli Lake

— 12.31.25

Trump’s Insurrection Act Move Just Got a Little More Likely

A recent Supreme Court ruling barring a National Guard deployment may tempt Trump to send in armed forces under a more sweeping authority.

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Jed Rubenfeld

— 12.30.25

Trump’s China Shift Rattles Hawks in Congress

The president’s unpredictable stance toward the U.S.’s biggest rival is complicating crackdown efforts by a crucial House committee.

Frannie Block

— 12.24.25

The U.S. Needs Israeli Innovation for Our Defense

Without Israeli experience, technology, and collaboration, the U.S. will be less safe.

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Michael Doran

— 12.23.25

International

How Iran’s Biggest Pop Star Was Imprisoned, Silenced, and then Escaped

Before the Islamic Revolution, Googoosh was Iran’s biggest celebrity. After the revolution, she was jailed, then barred from performing for more than…

Rafaela Siewert

— 01.01.26

Where Israel Goes Next. The Real War on Christmas. Plus. . .

The churches with lines out the door, how the Tate brothers fled Romania, and more.

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The Real War on Christmas

— 12.24.25

The threat of Islamist terrorism has stifled celebrations from France to Germany and Austria. The continent will either surrender its traditions or…

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The U.S. Needs Israeli Innovation for Our Defense

— 12.24.25

Without Israeli experience, technology, and collaboration, the U.S. will be less safe.

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127

Michael Doran

— 12.23.25

Matti Friedman: Israel Had a Disorienting 2025. What Comes Next?

As the world’s attention moves away from the Jewish State, its people are left to pick up the pieces.

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Matti Friedman

— 12.23.25

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling

Chapter 7: What If You're Wrong?

Host Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K.

Raising Parents with Emily Oster

Ep 8: Should You Have Kids?

For most of human history, having kids wasn’t much of a choice.

Honestly with Bari Weiss

What to Expect in 2026 with Niall Ferguson, John McWhorter, Dr. Mark Hyman, Leandra Medine Cohen, Suzy Weiss, and Sarah Isgur

What’s in store for 2026? We ask experts and friends of the pod.

Old School with Shilo Brooks

The Lost Art of Taking the Piss with Richard Dawkins

Why P.G. Wodehouse is the funniest writer in the English language.

The Free Press Investigates

Unpacking ‘Spiral: Murder in Detroit’

Watch now: Sam Woll was a pillar of her Jewish community—until she was found murdered outside her home. Her family is still waiting for justice.

Conversations with Coleman

Coleman Hughes Answers Your End-of-Year Questions

From Trump’s hold on the news cycle to birth rates, AI, psychedelics, and religion, Coleman Hughes answers listeners’ questions on the issues shaping the moment.

Breaking History

A History of Tough Jews

Listen now: From Nazi rallies in 1930s New York to synagogue mobs today, the case for Jewish self-protection is no longer theoretical.

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling

Chapter 7: What If You're Wrong?

Host Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K.

Raising Parents with Emily Oster

Ep 8: Should You Have Kids?

For most of human history, having kids wasn’t much of a choice.

Honestly with Bari Weiss

What to Expect in 2026 with Niall Ferguson, John McWhorter, Dr. Mark Hyman, Leandra Medine Cohen, Suzy Weiss, and Sarah Isgur

What’s in store for 2026? We ask experts and friends of the pod.

Old School with Shilo Brooks

The Lost Art of Taking the Piss with Richard Dawkins

Why P.G. Wodehouse is the funniest writer in the English language.

I wasn’t the kind of adopted kid who always wondered about their birth family. Then I discovered the truth—and a lot of lies.

Culture

My Shadow Family

Michael J. Fanuele

— 12.19.25

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The Stranger You Can Trust

When I was stranded in a snowstorm 30 years ago, I had to rely on someone I’d never met. This was before Apple Pay and Google Maps. It wasn’t safe, but…

Larissa Phillips

— 01.01.26

My Spare Embryos

I used IVF to start my family. Years later, I’m still wrestling with what to do with the embryos I didn’t use.

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Justine El-Khazen

— 12.12.25

The Trouble with Quitting the ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’

To liberals, performing in the newly renamed venue is seen as collaboration with the enemy—and boycotting it as an act of resistance. It’s not that…

323

199

Kat Rosenfield

— 12.30.25

Rob Reiner Deserved a Happily Ever After

He wasn’t supposed to be this talented and he wasn’t supposed to be this nice. But he was.

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Hadley Freeman

— 12.16.25

Ben Meets America

Have San Francisco’s ‘Harm Reduction’ Tactics Worked?

We asked police, addicts, and residents to weigh in—while people appeared to overdose in front of our eyes.

Swing State Debates

Swing State Debates Episode Five: The Youth Vote in Michigan

While talking to Generation Z voters, I discovered a troubling consequence of our political divide: Liberal students are often barely familiar with the ideas they are against.

The Free Press Live

A Dark Night for Australia’s Jews

A terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach took 15 lives. We sat down for a livestream for the latest news and analysis of this tragedy.

The Freedom Debates

Our Next Debate: Would America Be Safer Without the Second Amendment?

Get your tickets now for our next live debate on November 5 in Chicago, featuring Alan Dershowitz, Dana Loesch, and Bari Weiss.

The America Debates

A Free Press Live Debate on Foreign Policy

Bret Stephens and James Kirchick face off against Matt Taibbi and Lee Fang in a fiery debate in New York.

Hezbollah’s Hostages

WATCH Hezbollah’s Hostages Season Finale: A World Without the Terror Group

History proves that tyranny can be overthrown. With Hezbollah now weakened, the brave dissidents of our series ask: How can we push for real political change?

FP Live

WATCH: Trump’s Takeover of D.C., with Jed Rubenfeld and Matthew Continetti

Is it legal? Is it necessary? What are the consequences?

FP in Israel

Bari Weiss meets Palestinians | FP in Israel

Earlier this year, Bari Weiss and a team of Free Press journalists visited Israel. The result was a series of films, podcasts, and written articles called “FP in Israel.”

Ben Meets America

Have San Francisco’s ‘Harm Reduction’ Tactics Worked?

We asked police, addicts, and residents to weigh in—while people appeared to overdose in front of our eyes.

Swing State Debates

Swing State Debates Episode Five: The Youth Vote in Michigan

While talking to Generation Z voters, I discovered a troubling consequence of our political divide: Liberal students are often barely familiar with the ideas they are against.

The Free Press Live

A Dark Night for Australia’s Jews

A terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach took 15 lives. We sat down for a livestream for the latest news and analysis of this tragedy.