"Spam" or "Junk"? The difference is important. If "Spam", look to your email provider or anti-spam software. If "Junk" then Thunderbird is doing it. Has the sender's email address or domain been added here? '''[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Menu_differences_in_Windows,_Linux,_and_Mac Tools|Options]|Privacy|Mail Content→Exceptions''' If the sender's address is one of those awkward different-every-time formats that commercial senders sometimes use, you'll probably have to set up a filter on the subject or some other reliable and consistent indication of its origin. Note that some characters in email addresses, such as '+' are troublesome in filters. If you have any non-alphanumerics in the from: field in the NYT mailings you may need additional tools to be able to work with them. If not "Spam" nor "Junk", then what else? If you're simply not getting them. then you need to visit your email provider's webmail portal to see if they are being put away in a server folder that you can't see.