What Is Syria Like 1 Year After Its Revolution?
A former leader of Al Qaeda has convinced Washington that he’s a liberal reformer. Now comes the hard part of following through.
Russia
Can America Return to Neoconservatism Without the Same Results?
Shadi Hamid’s The Case for American Power implies that true interventionism hasn’t been tried.
The Ukraine-Russia Deal That Wasn't
Plus: DOGE takes new form, inside a birth cult, and more...
Trump's Shameful Attempt to Reprise the Munich Agreement With Ukraine - and What to do About it
Trump's 28-point "peace" plan for the Russia-Ukraine War is a reprise of the 1938 Munich agreement, which dismembered Czechoslovakia for the benefit of Nazi Germany. But US and European supporters of Ukraine can do much to resist it.
Bad Deal for Ukraine
Plus: Executiongate, in defense of tradwives, New York gun case, and more...
Congress Votes To Open Up the Epstein Files
There probably is no “client list,” but the files could help answer some pressing questions—and open the door to more revelations.
Jeffrey Epstein's Secret Role in Washington's Middle East Diplomacy
Epstein was supposedly advising Arab countries on how to deal with America, had an audience scheduled with a Qatari prince, and close to Trump’s future ambassador to Turkey.
Jeffrey Epstein: Trump 'Spent Hours At My House' With Victim
Congressional investigators released emails from the late sex trafficker discussing how to leverage his relationship with the future president.
Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Could Cost $3.6 Trillion: Report
The pie-in-the-sky space system promises to be a government spending bonanza—and might be a very bad idea.
A Nostalgic Read for Foreign Policy Elites
Michael McFaul's new book feels like it was written in 2015, not 2025.
Let Europe Defend Europe
Debt-ridden and challenged around the world, the U.S. should encourage Europe to defend itself.
European Nations Again Consider Using Frozen Russian State Assets to Fund Ukraine's War Effort
Over $300 billion in Russian state assets are frozen in the West. It's long past time they were used to help Ukraine resist Vladimir Putin's war of aggression.
Trump's Ukraine Reversal
Plus: Spyware intercepted, gender desistance findings, trad discourse on those pesky working women, and more...
Why Does Trump Want U.S. Troops Back in Afghanistan?
Mike Waltz is no longer national security adviser, but his plans for Bagram Air Base seem to have stuck in the president's head.
Donald Trump Is Not a Peace President
Trump struggles to articulate any foreign policy view with much coherence, and has a fragile ego that makes world conflicts all about him.
Trump Shouldn't Take Election Advice From a Russian Dictator
While mail-in voting provides obvious logistical challenges, every serious analysis of mail-in voting results has found it to be secure.
Trump Forcibly Returns Russian Dissenters who Fled Putin
It's a new low in US refugee/asylum policy; simultaneouly unjust and counterproductive.
Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Spy Industry Connections
Leaked emails show Epstein’s attempts to dabble in security tech—across borders—in the last years of his life.
Georgia: The Possible Birthplace of Wine and Definite Birthplace of Stalin
If geography really is destiny, then the Georgian situation has understandably necessitated a stiff, perpetual drink.
Sanctions Are a Silent War on Humanity
U.S.-led economic warfare punishes the world’s most vulnerable while failing to achieve its foreign policy goals.
Trump: The Erratic but Potentially Effective Peacemaker
Can a mercurial narcissist decenter America from global policing?
Trump Critics Should Stop Treating Diplomacy Like a Gift to America's Enemies
His negotiations with North Korea and Russia should be judged by their results. But opposing those talks from the beginning is a pro-war position.
The Trump Economy Is Now Pay To Play
Plus: Trump talks with Putin in Alaska, federal troops flood D.C., a controversial Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee, and a listener question about the hosts as a band
D.C. Showdown
Plus: Showdown between mayor and attorney general, Zohran booed off Staten Island, and more...
For Ukraine, 'Losing Slowly' Might Be a Winning Strategy
Inching backward while bleeding Russia dry, Ukraine is relying on a time-tested military truth: You don’t need to outgun an invader—you just need to outlast them.
Does Donald Trump Know What a Dictator Looks Like?
He calls Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator,” but not Vladimir Putin.
Treasonous Conspiracy
Plus: Columbia settles, State Department releases murderer, and more...
Superman Is About the Anti-War Vibe Shift
Supervillains used to be foreign enemies. Now the villain is a defense contractor who wants to start a regime change war.
Liberty Fund Symposium on "The Legacy of David Boaz" Continues
There are now initial contributions by Andy Craig, Tarnell Brown, Aaron Ross Powell, Jonathan Blanks, and myself, plus response essays.
The Latest Escalation Between Russia and Ukraine Isn't Changing the Course of the War
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has a clear path to victory. The Ukrainian drone attack last week and the Russian air raids on Friday don't change that.
Ukraine's Drones Just Took Down a Chunk of Russia's Bomber Fleet. What Does That Mean for America?
When anyone can have an air force, superpowers aren't as powerful as they used to be.
Trump's Team Discovers That Diplomacy Is Hard
Diplomacy is better than war in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. But that doesn't mean it's easy.
Victims of Communism Day - 2025
May Day should be a day to honor victims of an ideology that took tens of millions of lives. But we should also be open to alternative dates if they can attract broad enough support.
ICE Is Trying To Deport a Harvard Medical School Researcher Over Frog Embryos
An immigration judge found the official document initiating Kseniia Petrova’s deportation to be legally deficient. She remains in detention, unable to further her cancer research.
Ksenia Karelina, Imprisoned in Russia for Donating $51 to a Pro-Ukraine Charity, Is Freed
The American citizen had been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony for treason.
Trump's Car Tariffs Could Drive Slovakia Into Russia's Arms
By imposing massive tariffs on foreign-made cars, Trump is punishing key allies, tanking Slovakia’s economy, and undermining U.S. influence in Eastern Europe.
Tariffs Come for Your Jerseys, Gym Clothes, and Sports Team
Plus: Formula 1, Backyard Baseball, and The Great 8 vs. The Great One.
Trump's War With the Courts
Plus: A listener asks why some American libertarians seem to unquestioningly accept everything Vladimir Putin says.
Trump's Awful Decision to Gut Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Trump is destroying a valuable source of American "soft power" and an inspiration to people suffering under authoritarian regimes.
Are Democrats Regretting Trying To Out-Hawk Trump?
Rep. Adam Smith (D–Wash.) thinks Democrats should return to their antiwar roots—and be open to negotiating with Russia.
James Pogue: What Ukraine Reveals About MAGA
Vanity Fair's James Pogue dives into the dissident right, his personal experiences with MAGA, and how Ukraine policy is unfolding.
The Bipartisan War on Elbridge Colby
Hawks from both major parties lashed out at the confirmation hearing for Trump’s nominee for top military strategist.
The Best of Reason: Inside the Russian Occupation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy's book tells the stories of soldiers, stalkers, and squatters in Chernobyl during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Trump Pauses Military Aid to Ukraine
Plus: Tariffs go into effect, inside the fact-checker industrial complex, and more...
Trump vs. Zelenskyy: Democracy Dies in Drama?
Plus: A listener asks the editors how to best determine whether Trump’s second term is good or bad for individual freedom.
U.K. Pledges To Support Ukraine After Trump Snubs Zelenskyy
One bright spot from Trump's shameful behavior in the Oval Office would be if it spurs European nations to shoulder more of the burden of supporting Ukraine.
Ukraine Will Fight On, With or Without the West
As world leaders debate, Ukrainian defenders innovate, adapt, and wage defensive war on their own terms.
Say Thank You
Plus: Change in Russia policy, Matt Taibbi interview, Dems try gun shows, and more...
