Andrew Varsanyi

Articles I liked from January 20 to February 2, 2026

Each week I share the articles and essays that I found most interesting, annoying, challenging, or important. Hope that you check them out too.

Two items are bolded this week. I have recently begun a journey toward a more techno-minimalist life. Back just before Christmas, I turned off the color on my iPhone and installed dumbPhone, an app that I have configured to hide all my phone’s functions except Phone, Messages/SMS, Music, Podcasts, and Maps. That’s it, that’s all. As a result, my phone usage has dropped from around 90 minutes a day to 22. I am liking it a lot. High recommend to anyone looking to improve their relationship to technology.

• After Venezuela, the Unthinkable Enters Canadian Politics by Michael Ignatieff in The Walrus – Read here

– I Killed Color on My Phone. The Result Shocked Me. by Julia Angwin in New York Times – Read here

• The Demise of Religion Among Democrats by John Halpin in liberalpatriot.com – Read here

– We Owe It to College Students to Create Tech-Free Spaces by Colleen Kinder in New York Times – Read here

• Turning Point by Andrew Cockburn in Harper’s Magazine – Read here
• Is country-club Republicanism dying? by Michael Lind in UnHerd – Read here
• From Gaza to New York’s Mayoral Race, Jewish Identity Splits Over Israel’s Future by Emma Goldberg in New York Times – Read here
• Hey, Lefties! Trump Has Stolen Your Game. by David Brooks in New York Times – Read here