October 2024

by Barry C. Lynn,

[Miscellany]

The Fever Called Living

On the plight of environmental-illness refugees

by Evan Malmgren,

[Letter from Washington]

The Hindutva Lobby

How Hindu nationalism spreads in America

by Andrew Cockburn,

Harper’s Magazine welcomes reader response.

Email us about articles in the magazine.

[Harper’s Index]

Who “have a feeling in their bones” that they will one day win the lottery : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2011 in the amount of time U.S. 15–24-year-olds spend doing homework : +35

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2002 in the portion of U.S. high school seniors taking the ACT who received perfect scores : +1,700

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2022 in the portion of U.S. middle school students who use tobacco products : +47

[Harper’s Index]

In the portion of U.S. high school students who use nicotine vapes : −29

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. marijuana users who say they use the drug at least once per day : 35

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who say that regular alcohol use is more harmful than regular marijuana use : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Number of U.S. weather disasters in the 1980s whose inflation-adjusted damages exceeded $1 billion : 33

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of such disasters that have occurred since January 2023 : 47

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults who say that the country is the best in the world at scientific research : 16

[Harper’s Index]

Who say that American democracy sets a good example for other countries : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Israeli Jews who say that Gazans should have the right to self-governance : 8

[Harper’s Index]

Who say that Israel’s use of military force in Gaza has gone too far : 4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank who say that Hamas’s decision to attack Israel on October 7 was “correct” : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage of Gazans who have lost a family member in the Israel–Hamas war : 60

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a U.S. adult is estranged from a family member : 1 in 5

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults over 40 who say their best friend is one of their parents : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who have gotten married since 2021 who say they “almost called off their wedding” beforehand : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. Catholic priests ordained in the 1970s who say that masturbation is always a sin : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of those ordained since 2010 who say so : 75

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of approved U.S. candidates for ordination this year who were once Boy Scouts : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated portion of U.S. women aged 15–49 who in 2021 had attempted an abortion without medical supervision : 1/20

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of unsupervised abortions in the United States that involve consuming alcohol or another substance : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of popular tampon brands sold in the United States that contain lead or arsenic : 14

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase since 2018 in the portion of U.S. women who have a prescription for oral birth control : 40

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease since 2020 in the population of children under 5 in New York City : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. counties in which the population of children under 5 has decreased in that time : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of U.S. counties without any foreign-born residents : 15

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which male immigrants to the United States are less likely to be incarcerated than American-born men : 60

[Harper’s Index]

By which immigrants to the United States are more likely than American-born citizens to start businesses : 80

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults who said they were worried about keeping money in banks after Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008 : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which U.S. adults are more likely to rank the 2020s as the worst economic era in the past century than the 1930s : 39

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which the increase in the average price of a meal at McDonald’s since 2014 has outpaced inflation : 3

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who are very confident in their ability to identify scams before falling for them : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2011 in the amount of time U.S. 15–24-year-olds spend doing homework : +35

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2002 in the portion of U.S. high school seniors taking the ACT who received perfect scores : +1,700

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2022 in the portion of U.S. middle school students who use tobacco products : +47

[Harper’s Index]

In the portion of U.S. high school students who use nicotine vapes : −29

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. marijuana users who say they use the drug at least once per day : 35

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who say that regular alcohol use is more harmful than regular marijuana use : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Number of U.S. weather disasters in the 1980s whose inflation-adjusted damages exceeded $1 billion : 33

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of such disasters that have occurred since January 2023 : 47

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults who say that the country is the best in the world at scientific research : 16

[Harper’s Index]

Who say that American democracy sets a good example for other countries : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Israeli Jews who say that Gazans should have the right to self-governance : 8

[Harper’s Index]

Who say that Israel’s use of military force in Gaza has gone too far : 4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank who say that Hamas’s decision to attack Israel on October 7 was “correct” : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage of Gazans who have lost a family member in the Israel–Hamas war : 60

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a U.S. adult is estranged from a family member : 1 in 5

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults over 40 who say their best friend is one of their parents : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who have gotten married since 2021 who say they “almost called off their wedding” beforehand : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. Catholic priests ordained in the 1970s who say that masturbation is always a sin : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of those ordained since 2010 who say so : 75

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of approved U.S. candidates for ordination this year who were once Boy Scouts : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated portion of U.S. women aged 15–49 who in 2021 had attempted an abortion without medical supervision : 1/20

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of unsupervised abortions in the United States that involve consuming alcohol or another substance : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of popular tampon brands sold in the United States that contain lead or arsenic : 14

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase since 2018 in the portion of U.S. women who have a prescription for oral birth control : 40

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease since 2020 in the population of children under 5 in New York City : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. counties in which the population of children under 5 has decreased in that time : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of U.S. counties without any foreign-born residents : 15

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which male immigrants to the United States are less likely to be incarcerated than American-born men : 60

[Harper’s Index]

By which immigrants to the United States are more likely than American-born citizens to start businesses : 80

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults who said they were worried about keeping money in banks after Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008 : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which U.S. adults are more likely to rank the 2020s as the worst economic era in the past century than the 1930s : 39

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which the increase in the average price of a meal at McDonald’s since 2014 has outpaced inflation : 3

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who are very confident in their ability to identify scams before falling for them : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults who don’t know what a 401(k) is : 43

[Harper’s Index]

Who have an idea they think could one day make them rich : 33

[Harper’s Index]

Who “have a feeling in their bones” that they will one day win the lottery : 19

Readings

[Essay]

Both Roads

by Elizabeth Willis,

Anyi Di Atọ Ibi (We Become the Third Place), a mixed-media artwork by Toyin Ojih Odutola, whose work was on view last month at Kunsthalle Basel, in Switzerland.

The Archer and The Mask Experience, mixed-media artworks by Adèle Aproh, whose work was on view in July at Scroll, in New York City. © The artist. Courtesy Scroll, New York City

“Opal field, Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Country, Coober Pedy, South Australia,” a photograph by Adam Ferguson from his monograph Big Sky, which was published last month by Gost. © The artist. Courtesy Gost

“The D.C. Fencers Club, Washington, D.C.,” 1988, a photograph by Neal Slavin from his monograph When Two or More Are Gathered Together, which will be published this month by Damiani. © The artist

Anyi Di Atọ Ibi (We Become the Third Place), a mixed-media artwork by Toyin Ojih Odutola, whose work was on view last month at Kunsthalle Basel, in Switzerland.

The Archer and The Mask Experience, mixed-media artworks by Adèle Aproh, whose work was on view in July at Scroll, in New York City. © The artist. Courtesy Scroll, New York City

Anyi Di Atọ Ibi (We Become the Third Place), a mixed-media artwork by Toyin Ojih Odutola, whose work was on view last month at Kunsthalle Basel, in Switzerland.