Charlotte Cowles never thought she was the kind of person to fall for a scam. Then, one day, she put $50,000 in a shoe box and handed it to a stranger. Here, she reflects on how her experience challenges the stereotype of who is vulnerable to such fraud. Read by Betsy Foldes Meiman.

The Cut is the premier destination for women with sharp, stylish minds. No matter the subject, they address people's lives head-on, with generous wit, unflinching honesty and undeniable power.


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The day I put $50,000 in a shoe box and handed it to a stranger

How can parents know what goes on when the nanny is in charge? For mistrustful New York parents who can't afford to hire pricy private investigators, "bad nanny" posts in online parenting groups fill in the gaps.

Jen Wieczner goes inside the chaos that often ensues after a parent posts about a “bad nanny” on Facebook. 

Read by Sharon McCune.

I know what you did on the playground

Should children use weight-loss drugs? Parents, activists, and doctors don’t agree about what Ozempic and its competitors mean for childhood obesity. But at age 13, Maggie Ervie became one of the first teenagers to take them. Lisa Miller explores her story and reflects on its wider implications. Read by Marni Penning.

An American girlhood in the Ozempic era

The true story behind 'Take Care of Maya'

After suing Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, a Florida jury awarded Maya Kowalski’s family $211 million. Dyan Neary examines how the case highlights the controversy and potential risks associated with child abuse diagnoses and the devastating impact of false allegations on families. Read by Betsy Foldes Meiman.

What happened to Maya

Prenuvo wants to put your mind at ease

Prenuvo - the full-body MRI scanning start-up penetrating Instagram feeds across nearly every algorithm - purports to offer its customers peace of mind. In many cases, though, it has done precisely the opposite, Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz reports. Read by Sharon McCune.

How much would you pay for peace of mind?

Caster Semenya: The Olympian fighting for her right to run

Throughout her middle-distance running career, Caster Semenya has been publicly harassed for the genetics that make her a great athlete. With her forthcoming memoir, she's finally ready to talk about it. Precious Adesina explores the Olympian's story. Read by Sharon McCune.

The Olympian fighting for her right to run

Kathryn Jezer-Morton reflects on why she’s always felt the need to be available for her children and the unintended consequence of eroding boundaries that she suddenly feels the need to reinforce. Read by Betsy Foldes Meiman.

Why are we always on call for our kids?

A building wave of social scientists, pundits, and politicians is solemnly advising American women and men—but especially women—that the answer to their assorted ills is marriage. It is not. Rebecca Traister explores the recent resurgence of societal pressure and political rhetoric advocating marriage as a solution to various social issues. Read by Jennifer Jill Araya.

The return of the marriage plot

Are you one of the many who struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Frustrated with constantly snoozing her alarm and still feeling tired, Katja Vujić reflects on her quest to fix her sleep habits, and place rest higher on her priorities list.

Confessions of a former morning person

The man of your dreams. AI-generated for just $300.

When the AI companion app Replika launched, it was marketed toward men. Now half the app’s users are women, there for safe relationships they can control. Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz tells the story of some of the women on the app that have found solace in AI boyfriends.

The man of your dreams

Losing weight could now be easier than ever. Matthew Schneier discusses the rise of Ozempic, a diabetes drug moonlighting as an off-label appetite suppressant.

Life after food?

A world without men: the S. Korean women against the patriarchy

Is fighting the patriarchy more trouble than it's worth? Anna Louie Sussman goes inside South Korea's 4B movement and the women who decided to leave the men in their lives behind for good.

A world without men

We're so obsessed with how ageing looks, that we're often unprepared for what it feels like. Following her 40th birthday, Amil Niazi explores the privileges, pleasures and regrets of reaching middle age.

We’re getting midlife all wrong

The opulent time-telling industry is becoming more crypto-like by the second.

The rich can have pretty much anything their hearts desire unless it’s a big fancy watch. It doesn’t matter how much money you have; you need to have the right connections. Alina Dizik delves into the world of luxury watch dealing.

Not even the rich can buy fancy watches

"I want to do this for someone else."

Paid gestational surrogacy is not a new phenomenon. However, it's fraught with controversy, with one side arguing that it commodifies women's bodies, while the other believes it's essential for reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights. To provide additional perspectives, Tessa Somberg meets with three New York women who chose to carry a baby for another.

Three women on carrying pregnancies after New York legalized paid surrogacy in 2021

We're addicted to swiping. 

With Tinder turning 10 in September 2022, it's clear that online dating has shaped the majority of our romantic lives. Allison P. Davis reflects on the ever-present urge to delete and redownload over the years with her experiences on the app. 

How did a dating app become my longest running relationship?

The radical decontextualization of the fetus has broken US politics.

Marjorie Dannenfelser has been a critical figure in the conservative fight to take away reproductive rights and outlaw abortion, but she started her career working for a Democrat. Now teetering on the edge of success, Kerry Howley reflects Marjorie Dannenfelser’s single-minded pursuit of an end to abortion.

The woman who killed Roe

How do we define, harness, and conquer ambition?

People are working harder than ever before. However, as proven by 'The Great Resignation' that followed the coronavirus pandemic, many are no longer willing to sacrifice their well-being for the American pipedream. Amil Niazi reflects on how this global paradigm shift has affected her attitude towards ambition, making it clear it was time to re-assess her priorities.

Losing my ambition

According to TikTok, anyone can leave behind the daily grind well ahead of their twilight years.

The switch from childhood freedoms to work and adulthood obligations is jarring for every generation. However, today's young people are more overwhelmed by debt than their parents, and the majority are unlikely to ever get on the property ladder. And now, with rising inflation and the pension age being pushed further and further back, retirement is an almost inconceivable idea. This is where the #EarlyRetirement movement comes in.

Courtney Runn meets with early retirement proponents to discover the sacrifices, including aggressive saving, investment, and frugality behind their goals and how TikTok has helped the movement gain a new audience, new traction and new ideas.

What it takes to actually retire by 30

Many of us need them to thrive.

A work best friend can become your closest ally and even a reason to stay at a less than ideal company. Yet these friendships have almost disappeared after two years of lockdown. Jessica Goodman reflects on this valuable and unique type of friendship.