Politics
What ancient animal fables from India teach about political wisdom
What ancient animal fables from India teach about political wisdom The “Pañcatantra” offers three political theories for leaders: (1) Do what is right, with the right measure, at the right time, which emphasizes virtue ethics and self-restraint. The first theory, pure morality, can be unwise as it may lead to blind obedience or a lack […]
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The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength
The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength The author argues that the US trade deficit is not an emergency, but rather a sign of America’s financial and technological dominance. A trade deficit simply means foreigners are investing more in the US than Americans are investing abroad, which is a […]
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American liberators of Nazi camps got ‘a lifelong vaccine against extremism’ − their wartime experiences are a warning for today
American liberators of Nazi camps got ‘a lifelong vaccine against extremism’ − their wartime experiences are a warning for today American liberators of Nazi camps, including Mauthausen, got a “lifelong vaccine against extremism” from their wartime experiences, which serves as a warning for today’s threats to democracy. The liberators, who included soldiers like Frank Hartzell […]
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The hidden power of marathon Senate speeches: What history tells us about Cory Booker’s 25-hour oration
The hidden power of marathon Senate speeches: What history tells us about Cory Booker’s 25-hour oration Sen. Cory Booker walks toward reporters after delivering a record-setting 25-hour speech for the U.S. Senate at the Capitol on April 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey made history […]
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The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters.
The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters. Venezuelan immigrants, whom the Trump White House says are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, arrive in El Salvador on March 31, 2025. El Salvador Press Presidency Office/Anadolu via Getty […]
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The problem with Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center isn’t the possibility of ‘Cats’
The problem with Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center isn’t the possibility of ‘Cats’ Donald Trump visits the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 17, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images When President Donald Trump announced that he was assuming control of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he described […]
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Myanmar military’s ‘ceasefire’ follows a pattern of ruling generals exploiting disasters to shore up control
Myanmar military’s ‘ceasefire’ follows a pattern of ruling generals exploiting disasters to shore up control Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, called for elections on March 27, 2025 – a day before an earthquake devastated the country. STR/AFP via Getty Images After a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. 2025, the country’s military […]
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How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works
How a lone judge can block a Trump order nationwide – and why, from DACA to DOGE, this judicial check on presidents’ power is shaping how the government works The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to limit judges' power to issue what legal experts call 'nationwide preliminary injunctions.' Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images When presidents […]
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Lessons from El Salvador for US university leaders facing attacks from Trump
Lessons from El Salvador for US university leaders facing attacks from Trump Salvadorans participate in a procession on Nov. 14, 2015, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the murder of the Rev. Ignacio Ellacuría, five other Jesuit priests and two employees at Central American University in San Salvador. Marvin Recinos/AFP via Getty Images Even before […]
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With its executive order targeting the Smithsonian, the Trump administration opens up a new front in the history wars
With its executive order targeting the Smithsonian, the Trump administration opens up a new front in the history wars A portrait of President Donald Trump in the 'America’s Presidents' exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery. Win McNamee/Getty Images I teach history in Connecticut, but I grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas, where my […]
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In Israel, calls for genocide have migrated from the margins to the mainstream
In Israel, calls for genocide have migrated from the margins to the mainstream A Palestinian woman cries while sitting on the rubble of her home, which was destroyed in an Israeli strike on March 18, 2025. Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images Thirty years ago in Israel, advocating for genocide could land you in prison. In […]
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Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed – churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades
Christian Zionism hasn’t always been a conservative evangelical creed – churches’ views of Israel have evolved over decades Participants in a 'United for Israel' march, led by The Pursuit NW Christian Church, stand on the University of Washington's campus in May 2024. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images During confirmation hearings, Mike Huckabee, President Donald Trump’s […]
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Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion
Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion A Mulberry Harbour for the 21st century. Image from video posted on Weibo via Chinese state media. Is China intent on a D-Day style invasion of Taiwan? Certainly that has been the tone of some of the reporting […]
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Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment
Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment No president other than Franklin D. Roosevelt has held office for more than two terms. Walter Leporati/Getty Images Only one person, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, has ever served more than two terms as president of the United States. This […]
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GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices
GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices A shopper who gets SNAP benefits shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2023. AP Photo/Allison Dinner Congress may soon consider whether to cut spending on the […]
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America the secular? What a changing religious landscape means for US politics
America the secular? What a changing religious landscape means for US politics Conventional wisdom about nonreligious Americans' voting misses some important distinctions. Sarah Rice/Getty Images After climbing for decades, the percentage of Americans with no religion has leveled off. For the past few years, the share of adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing […]
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How your brain reacts to buying groceries can reveal your politics
How your brain reacts to buying groceries can reveal your politics A new study reveals that how your brain reacts to food purchasing decisions can be used to determine your political affiliation with almost 80% accuracy. Researchers used brain imaging techniques to examine adults purchasing eggs and milk with various prices and produced in different […]
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What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise?
What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise? A meeting of top diplomats from China, Iran and Russia – three so-called revisionist powers. Photo by Getty Images Once upon a time, “revisionist power” was a term reserved for nations trying to overturn the postwar liberal order – the usual suspects being […]
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Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court
Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court Prisoners stand in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 26, 2025. AP Photo/Alex Brandon A federal […]
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As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church
As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church In recent years, euthanasia and assisted death rates have risen worldwide. Cavan Images / Raffi Maghdessian via Getty images An individual’s “right to die” is becoming more accepted across the globe. Polls show that most Americans support […]
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Who gets to brand Puerto Rico: Its tourism agency or its biggest star?
Who gets to brand Puerto Rico: Its tourism agency or its biggest star? The Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny is one of the biggest stars of the music world. After becoming Spotify’s most-streamed artist for three years in a row – the first and only artist ever to do so – he sold out all […]
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US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections
US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections The United States is no longer a democracy. At least, that’s the verdict of one nonprofit, the Center for Systemic Peace, which measures regime qualities of countries worldwide based on the competitiveness and integrity of […]
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Ukraine will need major rebuilding when war ends − here’s why the US isn’t likely to invest in its recovery with a new Marshall Plan
Ukraine will need major rebuilding when war ends − here’s why the US isn’t likely to invest in its recovery with a new Marshall Plan Europe after World War II? No, it's the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in 2023, after a year of Russian bombardment. AP Photo, File President Donald Trump wants Ukraine to repay […]
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Trump’s desire to ‘un-unite’ Russia and China is unlikely to work – in fact, it could well backfire
Trump’s desire to ‘un-unite’ Russia and China is unlikely to work – in fact, it could well backfire Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Getty Images Is the U.S. angling for a repeat of the Sino-Russian split? In an Oct. 31, 2024, interview with right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson, President Donald Trump argued […]
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Trump is not a king – but that doesn’t stop him from reveling in his job’s most ceremonial and exciting parts
Trump is not a king – but that doesn’t stop him from reveling in his job’s most ceremonial and exciting parts President Donald Trump speaks with Elon Musk next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Heads of state are the symbolic […]
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National monuments have grown and shrunk under US presidents for over a century thanks to one law: The Antiquities Act
National monuments have grown and shrunk under US presidents for over a century thanks to one law: The Antiquities Act Over 730,000 people visit Colorado National Monument each year. It was established in 1911 under the Antiquities Act. Gordon Leggett, CC BY-SA America’s public lands, from its majestic national parks to its vast national forests, […]
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Myanmar’s civil war: How shifting US-Russia ties could tip balance and hand China a greater role
Myanmar’s civil war: How shifting US-Russia ties could tip balance and hand China a greater role Myanmar's civil war involves a range of different ethnic groups fighting the military. Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images While the United States talked military assistance and minerals with Ukraine, Russia did the same with one of its few remaining […]
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Mae Reeves used showstopping hats to fuel voter engagement and Black entrepreneurship
Mae Reeves used showstopping hats to fuel voter engagement and Black entrepreneurship Mae Reeves and her husband, Joel, pose with her hats at Mae's Millinery in Philadelphia, circa 1953. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture/Gift from Mae Reeves and her children Donna Limerick and William Mincey Jr. Lula “Mae” […]
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From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools
From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools President Donald Trump re-renamed Denali as Mount McKinley in 2025. Tim Rains/National Park Service, CC BY Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and […]
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From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books
From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on Nov. 10, 2024. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia In January 2025, while doing research at the Vatican archives, I heard Pope Francis’ Sunday prayers in St. Peter’s Square. […]
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