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Politics-The Conversation
FBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices
The FBI investigates everything from terrorist threats to cybercrime to public corruption. What does the presidentially nominated, Senate-confirmed he...
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Why Quincy Jones should be prominently featured in US music education − his absence reflects how racial segregation still shapes American classrooms
Composer Quincy Jones, who died in November 2024, was a titan of 20th-century American music. So why don’t music majors study his work?
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Stop and think: An undervalued approach in a world that short-circuits thoughtful political judgment
Responsible political judgment requires reflection − and reflection takes time.
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Santa, maybe? Why we have different names for who ‘hurries down the chimney’ on Christmas
You may call him Santa Claus, but the bearded guy in the red suit is a man known by many names. That doesn’t make him disreputable, just a reflection ...
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South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy
In 1972, a South Korean president instigated a self-coup and succeeded. Understanding why – and why the latest attempt failed – helps explain how far ...
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‘Administrative law’ sounds dry but likely will be key to success or failure of Trump’s plans for government reform
Changes in how government operates, and adjustments to rules and regulations, must go through an open democratic process whose steps and results can b...
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What the US Supreme Court will consider when it rules on gender-affirming care for trans children
The Supreme Court’s decision about a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical care for trans youth will determine how strongly the equal protect...
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US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power
The US has been involved in Syria in several important ways, including sanctioning Bashar al-Assad’s government for more than a decade.
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Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region
Lebanon – home to thousands of Syrian refugees – has long suffered at the hands of the Assad family’s 54-year rule.
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Hamas – hemmed in and isolated – finds itself with few options for the day after the Gaza war
The Palestinian militant group has engaged in talks with rival Fatah over a unity committee to govern Gaza. It reflects Hamas’ diminished prospects fo...
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Syrians rejoice in a new beginning, after 54 years of tyranny
The Syrian revolution is profoundly significant to those who suffered suffocating repression, surveillance and everyday indignities under a brutal dic...
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Syrians, in a triumph of hope, turn the page on the horrors of Assad
The Syrian revolution is profoundly significant to those who suffered suffocating repression, surveillance and everyday indignities under a brutal dic...
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Links between gender stereotypes and American patriotism date from the Cold War − but weren’t true then either
Traditional ideals of gender roles hark back to a time of extreme American nationalist sentiment in the face of a significant international threat.
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I’m a scholar of white supremacy who’s visiting all 113 places where Confederate statues were removed in recent years − here’s why Richmond gets it ri...
Protesters toppled and damaged a statue of Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, in 2020. It is now displayed at a museum just as they left it: prone...
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Abu Mohammed al-Golani may become the face of post-Assad Syria – but who is he and why does he have $10M US bounty on his head?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, with origins in the terrorist group Nusra Front, spearheaded the rebel advance that ousted longtime Syrian President Bashar al-A...
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In 2024, independent voters grew their share of the vote, split their tickets and expanded their influence
Postelection analysis of 2024 voters’ behavior reveals several ways self-described political independents differ from those who say they are Republica...
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Why does Colorado have so many ballot measures?
Colorado voters considered 14 ballot measures in the November 2024 election, the most of any state.
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Trump’s plans for tougher border enforcement won’t necessarily stop migrants from coming to US − but their journeys could become more costly and dange...
Fluctuating rates of illegal migration to the US over the past few decades show that the government’s approach of trying to stop migrants with more se...
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Assad leaves behind a fragmented nation – stabilizing it will be a major challenge for fractured opposition and external backers
Opposition forces marched into Damascus on Dec. 8, seemingly ending the half-century rule of the Assad family. But what happens next?
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Assad leaves behind a fragmented nation – stabilizing Syria will be a major challenge for fractured opposition and external backers
Opposition forces marched into Damascus on Dec. 8, seemingly ending the half-century rule of the Assad family. But what happens next?
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Trump attacks diversity, but a fellow New Yorker − US Rep. Vito Marcantonio − worked to represent all Americans in a multiracial democracy
The U.S. congressman from East Harlem promoted compassion in a district marked by ethnic, racial and class differences. It’s a story worth remembering...
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Love it or hate it, nonliteral ‘literally’ is here to stay: Here’s why English will survive
Language changes because of how it finds itself most gainfully employed by speakers through time. So it’s OK to say “The movie literally blew my mind”...
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Protests, sectarian violence and a growing spat with India: Bangladesh’s new leaders are beset with challenges to its democracy
Restoring democracy will be a tall order for the interim government as it grapples with security, economic and geopolitical crises.
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What is a self-coup? South Korea president’s attempt ended in failure − a notable exception in a growing global trend
There have been 46 attempted self-coups since the end of World War II – 80% have succeeded. So what went wrong for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Ye...
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White and Black activists worked strategically in parallel in Detroit 50 years ago, fighting for civil rights
As Detroit civil rights leaders in the 1960s deliberated how to harness white support for the movement, they struck upon an innovation that would stre...
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Long-standing American principle of birthright citizenship under attack from Trump allies
Since the earliest days of the nation, any person born on US soil is a US citizen.
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‘Lebanon wanted us gone … it was a risk to leave’ − Syrian refugees who fled Israeli bombs face hostility and uncertainty on return
For many of Lebanon’s 1.5 million Syrian refugees, temporary crossing back into their war-torn homeland was a risk they felt they needed to take.
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How a director of national intelligence helps a president stay on top of threats from around the world
The director of national intelligence is the president’s principal adviser on intelligence. A former White House intelligence official explains the ro...
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America’s counties are less purple than they used to be
Showing just red and blue states doesn’t paint an accurate picture of national politics.
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Notre Dame reopens in Paris 5 years after fire – its reconstruction preserves the past and illuminates France’s modern ambitions
For the French, the 850-year-old Gothic cathedral has been both a source of inspiration and a symbol of the nation’s glorious past.
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How right-wing media is like improv theater
Improv theater is known for improvisation, audience participation and riffing on memes and stories circulating on social and traditional media – all h...
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What short-lived martial law says about South Korean democracy and the position of President Yoon
In the space of just a few hours, South Korea’ looked to be backsliding toward autocratic rule.
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Rape survivors like Gisèle Pelicot are choosing to speak out, refuting the idea that they should feel shame
The high-profile rape case of Gisele Pelicot in France speaks to a possible shift following the rise of the #MeToo movement
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Threatening texts targeting minorities after election were vile − but they might not be illegal
The First Amendment might complicate plans to prosecute the people who sent up to 500,000 anonymous messages in November calling Black people ‘slaves,...
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Why you should talk to people you disagree with about politics
Conversations don’t immediately change people’s minds, but they can eventually. And in the meantime, they help forge real connections across a diverse...
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Are trans women ‘biologically male’? The answer is complicated
Republicans are seeking to define ‘sex’ in federal law. But after centuries of debate, doctors, scientists and judges haven’t come to a clear consensu...
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Noam Chomsky at 96: The linguist, educator, philosopher and public thinker has had a massive intellectual and moral influence
Noam Chomsky’s notion of the human instinct for freedom ties together his many intellectual pursuits, from educating creative, independent citizens to...
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Wildland firefighters face up to $20,000 pay cut if Congress doesn’t act − that’s taking a toll on a workforce already under stress
Firefighters work long hours to protect communities, often in dangerous conditions and for low starting pay. Surveys show the impact that can have on ...
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What is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And how did the Islamist group evolve into a key player in Syria’s civil war?
The Islamist group had previously pivoted away from global jihadism and toward {local government} attaining local power?.
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Pardon who? Hunter Biden case renews ethical debate over use and limits of peculiar presidential power
Despite the controversy surrounding them, presidential pardons can provide a service – the question is how they are used.
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The apocalypse that wasn’t: AI was everywhere in 2024’s elections, but deepfakes and misinformation were only part of the picture
Like it or not, AI is now part and parcel of elections, from helping with mundane campaign functions to enabling politicians to speak to constituents ...
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US attorney general’s professionalism can protect Americans’ privacy, former federal judge explains
A former federal judge explains a key power the US attorney general has, and why it’s useful to the public for the Justice Department to operate in a ...
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Why Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire now − and what it means for Israel, Lebanon, Biden and Trump
Under the terms of the deal, Israel will gradually withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah isn’t allowed to rebuild near the border. But will the cease...
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‘Insurrection,’ ‘equity’ and more − these are the words that trigger Trump supporters
Understanding the common terms that Trump supporters scorn can help decrease polarization in the country
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Trump’s next HUD secretary would have a lot to do to address the history of racist housing policy – and Trump’s own comments and history suggest that’...
Donald Trump’s false claims about Haitian immigrants echo an enduring element in the history of American housing − that certain people don’t belong in...
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Taxpayers spend 22% more per patient to support Medicare Advantage – the private alternative to Medicare that promised to cost less
Rather than finding efficiencies and saving money all around, the private companies that administer the Medicare Advantage option to Medicare are prof...
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Amid lull in tit-for-tat missile exchange, Iran and Israel seek to control the online narrative
The longtime foes have so far been able to put the lid on an all-out war. But their mutual battle over narrative and information is raging hot as ever...
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Election reform was on the ballot – voters largely said ‘no’
Voters proved hesitant to overhaul the election systems they were already familiar with, as almost all of the reforms in nine ballot measures across s...
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I am a scholar of the Rosenberg case. I didn’t always think Ethel was innocent − but I now believe she was not a spy
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 for conspiring with the Soviets. A newly declassified memo debunks the government’s case against Ethe...
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Polling in the age of Trump highlights flawed methods and filtered realities
Democrats’ surprise at the results of the 2024 presidential election is partly a result of pollsters’ inaccuracies and partly of partisan filter bubbl...
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In a world where political polarization and disengagement are denting democracy, does Botswana’s ‘kgotla’ system hold the key?
Botswana’s recent election saw a high level of voter turnout and resulted in a smooth transfer of power.
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As Trump touts plans for immigrant roundup, militias are standing back, but standing by
Some militia groups may see it as their duty to assist with immigration-control efforts. Some may even be deputized for this purpose by local law enfo...
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