The Latest Articles by Arwa Mahdawi

I spent a month trying to smile like Zohran Mamdani – it’s no easy feat

While the New York mayor-elect is constantly smiling in the face of his detractors, having a perma-grin didn’t come so easily to me, writes Arwa Mahdawi

The Guardian - UK · Dec 16, 2025

It’s the media’s job to hold power to account. This year, too many got into bed with it instead

The lines between advertising, public relations and journalism have become dangerously blurred

The Guardian - US · Dec 15, 2025

Can you imagine raising a kid without ChatGPT? Sam Altman can’t

The OpenAI CEO gushed about the bot’s parental-assistance abilities. Is it really his best child-rearing hack?

The Guardian - US · Dec 13, 2025

Want to be hotter? Try this one weird Republican trick

The right has found a new pitch for young women: conservatives are better-looking

The Guardian - US · Dec 6, 2025

Can you be on a six-figure income and still be considered poor?

A viral essay has caused outrage in the US with its argument that the poverty line for a family of four is now $136,500. But is this so wrong, asks Arwa Mahdawi

The Guardian - UK · Dec 3, 2025

Ellen DeGeneres left Trump’s America. Will the British weather force her to return?

She’s far from the only celebrity to have declared her intention to live outside the US. As with many others though, it looks like a reverse ferret could be in the works, writes Arwa Mahdawi

The Guardian - UK · Dec 2, 2025

Trump keeps insulting female journalists

Trump has a disconcerting tendency to attack the press – but especially female reporters, whom he holds in particular ire

The Guardian - US · Nov 29, 2025

Why on earth would Meghan still want to be called the Duchess of Sussex?

She and her husband seem keen on their titles and accolades, and less enthusiastic about putting in the work that ordinarily goes with them, writes Arwa Mahdawi

The Guardian - UK · Nov 26, 2025

JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir-shaped problem?

The VP wouldn’t be where he is today without the patronage of the Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. But with voters becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s surveillance tech, could that relationship affect his chances, asks Arwa Mahdawi

The Guardian - UK · Nov 25, 2025

Why is Ghislaine Maxwell getting the Club Fed treatment?

Her privileges in America’s two-tiered legal system reportedly range from from unlimited toilet paper to puppy playtime

The Guardian - US · Nov 22, 2025