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.
Foreign Policy
Are Democrats Actually in Disarray?
Plus: A listener asks the editors whether it makes sense for a country to have a sovereign wealth fund.
Does Trump Want Lower Gas Prices or Oil Sanctions on Iran?
The Trump administration’s math on Middle Eastern energy supplies just doesn’t add up.
Trump's Shameful Betrayal of Ukraine
It's a terrible decision for both moral and pragmatic reasons.
Ayn Rand in Ukrainian Crimea
What the Russian-born author would have thought of Russia's war in Ukraine
Can Ultimate Frisbee Heal the Middle East?
The spread of Ultimate Frisbee testifies to a kind of Western soft power in the Middle East, one far friendlier than bombs or bullets.
Meaningful Pentagon Cuts Will Require Rethinking What 'Defense' Means
If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is serious about reducing military spending, he will need to embrace a narrower understanding of national security.
Cutting 8 Percent
Plus: Border update, a shift in U.S. policy on Taiwan (Beijing is pissed), and more...
Did Biden Blow the Best Chance of Preventing War in Ukraine?
While the U.S. publicly insisted on an “open door” policy, Zelenskyy says he was privately told that Ukraine couldn’t join NATO.
U.K. Demands Access to Any Apple User's Data, Anywhere in the World
The reported order from Britain's Home Office is further proof that governments pose a greater privacy risk than corporations.
U.S. Tells Europe To Handle Its Own Defense
The U.S. is no longer willing to subsidize prosperous countries that won’t defend themselves.
J.D. Vance Brings the Culture War to Europe: 'There Is a New Sheriff in Town'
The Munich Security Conference was supposed to be a foreign policy forum. Instead, the vice president lectured Europeans about democracy.
Why Is Foreign Aid Going To American Farmers?
Subsidizing American farmers is not a valid justification for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Elon Musk's 'Proof' of Government Waste Is in the Pudding
Is the fraud in the room with us right now? Yes.
Is Trump Getting Ready To Cut Ukraine—and Europe—Loose?
The push for Russian-Ukrainian peace is about more than Ukraine.
The DOGE Bait and Switch
The pretend department’s downgraded mission reflects the gap between Trump’s promise of "smaller government" and the reality of what can be achieved without new legislation.
Trump's New Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum Won't Help American Manufacturing
And it's not about "fairness." Quite the opposite, actually.
'All Hell Is Going To Break Out' in Israel
Plus: OpenAI vs. Musk, Eric Adams corruption charges dropped, and more...
5 of the Worst USAID Scandals in History
The agency's low points, from working with child sex abusers to enabling drug trafficking
Did the U.S. Provoke Russia's Invasion of Ukraine?
Antiwar.com's Scott Horton and The Free Press's Eli Lake debate U.S. foreign policy and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Washington's Debt Delusion: Economic Growth Cannot Fix the Deficit
Republicans are betting trillions on the hope that the economy will grow fast enough to cover their deficit spree.
Trump's Tariffs Require Customs Agents To Check All Mail from China
Eliminating tariff exemptions will increase import delivery times and make direct-to-consumer goods more expensive.
Trump's Foreign Policy Is a Lot of Noise
It’s hard to tell how serious his threats are—and maybe that’s by design.
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Trump's Middle East Policy: Pull Troops Out of Syria To Put Them in Gaza?
The president says he wants peace in the Middle East. But his plans are all over the place.
Trump's Tariff Threats Can't Win the Unwinnable War on Drugs
After promising to stop the flow of drugs during his first term, the president blames foreign officials for his failure.
The Best of Reason: The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary "self-licking ice cream cones."
Lawmakers Back Trump's Push To Regain Control of the Panama Canal
Retaking the canal won’t protect national security.
Trump's Role Model McKinley Tariffed His Way to Imperialism
Reviving the Monroe Doctrine and 19th century Republican adventurism is not a shortcut to peace.
The White House's 'Feverish Dream' About $50 Million for Condoms in Gaza
The Trump administration made an extreme claim about wasteful foreign aid that just wasn't true.
How a Chinese AI Company Found a Way Around America's Export Controls
DeepSeek made a more efficient product that the rules wouldn't hinder.
Trump Revives Biden's Failed Proposal To Remove Palestinians From Gaza
Trump wants Arab countries to take in Gaza’s population. The Biden administration already tried, and failed, to bribe and cajole Egypt into doing so.
Trump's Davos Speech: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
President Donald Trump doubled down on both domestic deregulation and protectionism in his speech to the World Economic Forum.
Neocons Wage a Rearguard Action Against Trump's Middle East Peace Drive
Trump wants to negotiate instead of bombing Iran. Jilted war hawks are blaming his advisers.
Vance Picks a Fight With the Bishops
Plus: Israel's ceasefire(s), Chinese AI arms race, Waymo vandalism, and more...
Trump's Orders Feature Nonexistent Emergencies, Illegal Power Grabs, and Blatant Inconsistencies
But at least he restored respect for a tariff-loving predecessor by renaming a mountain.
Age Verification Laws Meet VPNs and Lawsuits in a War Over Speech and Privacy
A new crop of restrictive laws faces a friendly reception in the courts but ongoing public resistance.
Trump's Tariffs Will Make Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians Poorer
American tariffs will increase the price of final and intermediate goods, hurting our own consumers and domestic manufacturers.
Donald Trump Turns on His First Term's Middle East Hawks
But that doesn't mean he's embracing the doves.
Trump Must Choose: Tariffs or Lower Prices
Domestic deregulation will decrease the cost of living. Trade barriers will do the opposite.
Trump Promises To Be a 'Peacemaker,' Threatens Panama
Trump is wrong to threaten an ally and prepare to tear up a treaty over a nonexistent threat.
Cutting Off Trade Will Make the U.S. Poorer and China More Totalitarian
Politicians in both major parties see the People's Republic as an economic and military threat. But the real threat is an isolated China.
Nobody Won the War in Gaza
The same ceasefire agreement was almost signed in May 2024. Instead, the pointless violence continued for several more months—at Americans’ expense.
Can the Private Sector Really Replace All Government Functions?
I can't stand big government, but I think we need something. Michael Malice says I'm wrong.
Hegseth on Defense
Plus: Who's on deck for the next round of confirmation hearings, Trump wants to create a second IRS, Cuba is no longer doing terrorism, and more...
Hegseth Faces the Senate
Plus: L.A.'s price gouging crackdown, more Rachel Maddow in your life, and more...
The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary 'self-licking ice cream cones.'
