WSJ Life & Arts

03/04/2026

Iran is seeking permanent leverage over the Middle East with new rules for the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran’s ability to control this international waterway, through which one-fifth of the worldwide oil supply used to pass, has become Iran’s biggest leverage against the U.S., its Gulf neighbors and the global economy.

Whether the war ends in a success or defeat for Iran depends first and foremost on whether Tehran emerges from this conflict still holding the strait—and, with it, the keys to the worldwide energy markets.

“To the Iranians, the Strait of Hormuz now matters more than the nuclear program. The nuclear program was symbolic, but didn’t provide them with any deterrence,” said Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and former senior State Department official who has been involved in informal discussions with Iranian representatives.

“Now, the only reason why they are surviving this war is because of the strait. The Iranian thinking is that, at the end, the strait must remain under their control because it is their only deterrence and only source of revenue.”

🔗 Read more: https://on.wsj.com/3OkxLhJ

02/03/2026

On a recent snowy night inside Sergeantsville Inn in the village of Sergeantsville, N.J., Sean Gray surveyed the dinner crowd from behind the kitchen door.

Many in the food world know Gray for his tenure as executive chef at Momofuku Ko, David Chang’s crown jewel, for over a decade. While working there in 2017, Gray bought a house in Sergeantsville and began to commute 1½ hours to the city. Gray often hung out at the Sergeantsville Inn, because everyone in town did. It was the town’s center of gravity.

“I was just a regular who would come in two to three times a week,” he said. “No one even knew I worked in restaurants.”

By 2021, Gray was burned out from the commute and was looking to hit the brakes. He quit Momofuku Ko but when the chef at Sergeantsville Inn left, he stepped in and was soon moonlighting in the kitchen a few days a week. In 2024, he took over full-time as executive chef.

What he may sacrifice in culinary experimentation, he more than makes up for as a tavern keeper by tapping into a sense of community he couldn’t find in the sleek kitchens of New York.

“There’s been times where I’ve been here cooking, when the power has gone out and a bunch of regulars have gone out back and started working on the generator,” he said. “No big deal.”

In recent times, taverns have faded alongside so many other relics of slow living. Thankfully, the trend is starting to reverse. Across the country, chefs like Gray are abandoning the Sisyphean task of running high-end big city restaurants and returning to why—and what—they started cooking.

🍽️ Read more: https://on.wsj.com/4r2CB0n

23/12/2025

"Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary wanted to pursue film and photography. "My stepfather had other ideas. He said, 'You’re not good enough. You think you are, but you’re not.'"

The business executive and TV personality on his nomadic childhood, learning to be a marksman and his mother’s financial secret.

30/10/2025

Looking to book a European vacation but tired of the same old destinations? Adjara, a region in western Georgia, offers adventure, cultural immersion and great food—all without giving up cushy accommodation.

The Republic of Georgia is exploding in popularity, with travelers flocking to the capital. But in this corner of the country, you can still enjoy an off-the-beaten-path vacation—equal parts adventure and tranquility.

26/09/2025

Interior designer Juan Montoya says that auctioning off about 80% of his possessions—art, furnishings, cars—made him feel regenerated and younger. He shares his other downsizing lessons, and regrets.

At 80, architect and designer Juan Montoya has shed 80% of his possessions, shifted to remote work and is being careful with his cash. What he’s learning in the process.

22/08/2025

Something special is happening in the field of car audio, as Dan Neil discovered when he test drove the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring.

Lucid Motor’s all-electric Gravity Grand Touring has a 22-speaker audio system and a cabin that’s as quiet as a concert hall.

22/08/2025

Love your Nantucket Reds? Here, two cool ways to wear them in 2025—taking inspiration from the buzziest Paris men's runway show.

In Dior’s much-hyped Paris men’s show, salmon pants akin to Nantucket Reds, those preppy East Coast staples, caught our eye. Here, how to style classic rosy pants so they read runway-cool, not stuffy.

22/08/2025

Learn from the house-paint blunders of design pros and homeowners, from exterior paint colors that turned Smurf blue to homes that require dusting—on the outside.

Steer clear of the most common errors—from color blunders to application goofs that shorten the life of your paint job. Plus, truly terrible messes that architects and paint experts are still talking about.

11/07/2025

While the market for EVs becomes a Filene’s Basement of cut-rate mobility, the all-electric Volvo EX30 Ultra arrives as a spirited contender in the compact SUV segment.

As the One Big Beautiful Bill Act shakes up the market for all-electric vehicles, the winsome Volvo EX30 arrives packing a lot of power and performance into its compact frame.

11/07/2025

Are you a Boomer seeking pants that make you look your best? A millennial who wants to look 'successful' without spending much money? We offer style advice for men of every generation.

When we quizzed more than 20 men about their wardrobe woes, common concerns emerged for each age group. How to look ‘successful’? How to avoid try-hard looks? Here, our advice—plus, some choice clothing items.

11/07/2025

"This is the brownie that doesn’t make you choose between cakey and fudgy." Meet your new go-to recipe.

Bread flour is the key to a vastly superior batch, says L.A. chef Nicole Rucker. Here, she shares a few other tips, too, that reliably produce the unicorn of brownies, both cakey and fudgy.

18/06/2025

‘Blending was difficult and the application was uneven. I had to use the ancient hack of warming the pencil with a lighter.” Four WSJ staffers tested ‘all-day’ eyeliners.

Four WSJ staffers tried two ‘long-lasting’ eyeliners: one $38, the other $5. How did they hold up after a long day in the office?