Politics + Society
Articles
Voting in Georgia runoff went better than June's disastrous primary, but trouble still lingers
2021 Jan 06
Voting in Georgia was easier in January 2021 than in June 2020, but could still get more difficult in the next election.
Why Trump's Senate supporters can't overturn Electoral College results they don't like – here's how the law actually works
2021 Jan 05
The 1887 Electoral Count Act spells out the process for Congress to convene and review election results on Jan. 6, and it requires both the House and Senate to uphold any challenges to Biden's win.
Legalizing marijuana, once a pipe dream on Capitol Hill, takes an important step forward
2021 Jan 06
A cannabis decriminalization bill approved by the House is a sign from Congress that sentiment around the drug is evolving, but it misses a chance to regulate marijuana for the good of all Americans.
Populism erupts when people feel disconnected and disrespected
2021 Jan 04
Donald Trump has been a populist president. Understanding populism's roots in the US and elsewhere is essential for addressing its rise and threat to democracy.
The 'gateway drug to corruption and overspending' is returning to Congress – but are earmarks really that bad?
2021 Jan 04
Banned in 2011, pork-barrel spending may return to Congress, where Democrats want to resurrect the practice to make passing budgets easier – and help keep their narrow majority in 2022 elections.
Mississippi just got rid of its Electoral College-like election process
2021 Jan 05
Since 1890, Mississippi has required candidates for statewide office to win not only more votes than opponents across the whole state, but also in every legislative district.
Trump's 'smoking gun' tape is worse than Nixon's, but congressional Republicans have less incentive to do anything about it
2021 Jan 05
After release of tape recordings in which Nixon ordered the Watergate coverup, he resigned under pressure by congressional Republicans. Today's GOP had a different response to the Trump tape.
America's newest voters look back at the 2020 election – and forward to politics in 2021
2020 Dec 29
A three-month-long group conversation with some of the newest American voters yields insights both worrisome and promising.
The Sunburst hack was massive and devastating – 5 observations from a cybersecurity expert
2020 Dec 29
Cyberwarfare is more like cancer than bombs and bullets. Cybersecurity experts are just beginning to make their diagnosis of the Sunburst hack.
Can Joe Biden 'heal' the United States? Political experts disagree
2020 Dec 22
Biden's winning campaign message was one of unity. But even the people who study polarization can't agree on whether it's possible to unify the United States.
Obama book offers key insight about how laws really get made
2020 Dec 21
Many former legislators offer accounts of their service – but few analyze the institutions in which they served.
Oppression in the kitchen, delight in the dining room: The story of Caesar, an enslaved chef and chocolatier in Colonial Virginia
2020 Dec 21
There's a bittersweet history to chocolate in America. At one plantation museum in Virginia, the story of enslaved chocolatier Caesar shows the oppression that lay behind the elite's culinary treat.
Granny's on Instagram! In the COVID-19 era, older adults see time differently and are doing better than younger people
2020 Dec 18
Older adults – despite their awareness of increased risk of COVID-19 – are not reporting more feelings of anxiety, anger or stress than younger age groups.
President Trump's use of the authoritarian playbook will have lasting consequences
2020 Dec 17
Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has exposed the fragility of democratic institutions, mirroring a global trend in authoritarianism, and that will have a lasting effect on the United States.
Cuba cracks down on artists who demanded creative freedoms after 'unprecedented' government negotiations
2020 Dec 17
Talks with the government ended with accusations that the dissenting artists were 'paid by North American agencies' – an age-old way to discredit dissent in Cuba. But these protests are homegrown.
Black candidates can win in swing districts
2020 Dec 17
Evidence shows Black candidates can win elections in majority-white congressional districts.
Cuba redobla el acoso a quienes piden libertades creativas después de diálogo 'inédito' con artistas
2020 Dec 17
Negociaciones con el gobierno terminó con acusaciones de que los artistas contestarios son agentes de Estados Unidos. Pero esta protesta de artistas fue un movimiento de cocecha propia cubana.
In Trump election fraud cases, federal judges upheld the rule of law – but that's not enough to fix US politics
2020 Dec 18
President Trump's populist control of his party didn't extend to control in courtrooms where he challenged election results. That's where the rules of politics met the rules of law, and politics lost.
When families of murder victims speak at death penalty trials, their anguish may make sentencing less fair
2020 Dec 18
Victim impact statements give survivors a voice in the criminal justice process. But research shows their wrenching personal testimonies may not bring closure and can add racial bias into sentencing.
Why retired generals rarely lead the Pentagon
2020 Dec 17
President-elect Joe Biden's intent to nominate a recently retired general to lead the Pentagon would require an exception to federal law.
The reality of Black men's love lives and marriages is very different than what's usually shown on TV – I spent years actually talking to them
2020 Dec 16
The image of Black men in the US is distorted by the media and selective academic studies, says a scholar who has studied Black men's romantic lives. 'Black love matters' is his counter to that image.
Ancient Greek desire to resolve civil strife resonates today – but Athenian justice would be a 'bitter pill' in modern America
2020 Dec 15
Homer and Aeschylus turned to the divine to write their happy endings. But no gods are conspiring above the US, ready to swoop down and save humankind from itself.
Puerto Rico wants statehood – but only Congress can make it the 51st state in the United States
2020 Dec 14
Lawmakers are unlikely to grant Puerto Rico's request for admission into the Union – unless, perhaps, the Democrats win both Senate seats in Georgia's Jan. 5 runoff election.
Masks and mandates: How individual rights and government regulation are both necessary for a free society
2020 Dec 11
The absence of effective government policy doesn't make citizens free. It takes away their power, leaving them less able to act to address their needs. That's especially clear during the pandemic.
A century ago, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black person to head the NAACP
2020 Nov 24
The influential civil rights group got its start following a wave of brutal white-led violence against Black people in Springfield, Illinois.
Republicans didn't lose big in 2020 – they held onto statehouses and the power to influence future elections
2020 Nov 24
State legislatures, which will draw congressional districts that last through 2030, are dominated by the GOP.
'My vote will be Black' – A wave of Afro-Brazilian women ran for office in 2020 but found glass ceiling hard to break
2020 Nov 24
The 2018 murder of Rio city councilwoman Marielle Franco inspired record numbers of Black women to get involved in politics. Winning proved harder – but it isn't the only point of their campaigns.
James Baker's masterful legal strategies won George W. Bush a contested election – unlike Rudy Giuliani's string of losses
2020 Nov 30
James Baker, the high-powered lawyer chosen by George W. Bush to lead his fight over the contested 2000 election, delivered victory. A new book reveals three crucial reasons why.
Parler is bringing together mainstream conservatives, anti-Semites and white supremacists as the social media platform attracts millions of Trump supporters
2020 Nov 27
Millions of supporters of Donald Trump have flocked to the far-right social media platform Parler, where hate speech thrives.
How Biden and Kerry could rebuild America's global climate leadership
2020 Nov 24
Choosing former Secretary of State John Kerry as climate envoy is the first step. To regain trust, the U.S. will also have to take concrete actions to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions.
Cicely was young, Black and enslaved – her death during an epidemic in 1714 has lessons that resonate in today's pandemic
2020 Dec 02
US monuments and memorials have overlooked frontline workers and people of color affected by past epidemics. Will we repeat history?
Socialism is a trigger word on social media – but real discussion is going on amid the screaming
2020 Dec 01
An analysis of social media commentary about socialism versus capitalism shows that people are talking past each other, but some are engaging in more nuanced discussions as well.
Peru's democracy faces greatest trial since Fujimori dictatorship after two presidents are ousted in one week
2020 Dec 01
After becoming Peru's third president in six days, Francisco Sagasti must both lead the country into elections and build a better democracy. It's a test Peruvian leaders largely failed 20 years ago.
Wisconsin's not so white anymore – and in some rapidly diversifying cities like Kenosha there's fear and unrest
2020 Dec 04
New research on Wisconsin's changing demographics suggests that racial integration and political polarization were a combustible combination in Kenosha, where violence erupted in August.
How to fight Holocaust denial in social media – with the evidence of what really happened
2020 Dec 03
As social media platforms fight Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, online archives offer another possible approach: direct links to the historic truth.
How a troop drawdown in Afghanistan signals American weakness and could send Afghan allies into the Taliban's arms
2020 Dec 02
Pulling out roughly half the U.S. troops in Afghanistan is part of an effort to find peace, but may unbalance a precarious stalemate.
Brazil's president rejects COVID-19 vaccine, undermining a century of progress toward universal inoculation
2020 Dec 07
A 1904 revolt against mandatory smallpox inoculation taught Brazilian health officials a deadly lesson on how to vaccinate a skeptical public. Today President Bolsonaro seems to ignore that history.
Donors grow more generous when they support nonprofits facing hostile environments abroad
2020 Dec 07
Many countries, ranging from Hungary to Brazil, are using violence and legal measures to control, intimidate and shut down independent organizations – including foreign ones.
Nigerians got their abusive SARS police force abolished – but elation soon turned to frustration
2020 Dec 08
The story of Nigeria's #EndSARS movement shows just how durable law enforcement institutions are – and why the road to reform goes straight uphill.
New electoral districts are coming – an old approach can show if they're fair
2020 Dec 07
Most methods of determining whether electoral maps are fair require a lot of math and some tough computation. But there is an easier way.
Substack isn't a new model for journalism – it’s a very old one
2020 Dec 07
High-profile media figures are defecting to Substack, where readers will have to pay a subscription to read their work. Could Substack remind news consumers that paying for journalism is worth it?
Foreign policy is Biden's best bet for bipartisan action, experts say – but GOP is unlikely to join him on climate change
2020 Dec 09
A survey of 800 foreign policy experts identified four international issues where Republicans and Democrats may actually cooperate to get something done – and one area of severe disagreement.
The Electoral College system isn't 'one person, one vote'
2020 Dec 09
The Electoral College ignores a key democratic principle: one person, one vote.
Can Joe Biden win the transition?
2020 Dec 08
In order to establish his legitimacy, President-elect Joe Biden has to accomplish several big tasks.
Why does the Electoral College exist, and how does it work? 5 essential reads
2020 Dec 10
Five scholars explain different aspects of the history, workings and effects of the Electoral College.
Oregon just decriminalized all drugs – here's why voters passed this groundbreaking reform
2020 Dec 10
Possessing heroin, cocaine, meth and other drugs for personal use is no longer a criminal offense in Oregon. The idea is to get people with problem drug use help, not punishment.
5 years after Paris: How countries’ climate policies match up to their promises, and who's aiming for net zero emissions
2020 Dec 10
Bold visions for slowing global warming have emerged from all over the world. What's not clear is how countries will meet them.
Why do so few clergy serve in Congress?
2020 Dec 11
It would seem like a natural fit: Americans are still very religious, while members of the clergy often possess the rhetorical skills and community ties that can launch political careers.
Scientists suggest US embassies were hit with high-power microwaves – here's how the weapons work
2020 Dec 10
High-power microwave weapons are useful for disabling electronics. They might also be behind the ailments suffered by US diplomats and CIA agents in Cuba and China.
Why do people believe con artists?
2020 Feb 21
People everywhere have always had a sweet tooth for the unreal, enthralled by what should be taken as too good to be true. Why do people ignore the obvious and believe the bizarre?
They're all fabulous and wonderful! How to figure out what's real in an inflated letter of recommendation
2020 Feb 21
Letters of recommendation have grown supersized and one-sided in their praise. In one study, only 1-2% of letters fell below the good-to-excellent range. How can a reviewer find out who's really good?
The Culinary Union of Nevada takes a pass on endorsing – here's why that may be a winning political strategy
2020 Feb 21
An ugly spat involving some supporters of Bernie Sanders harkens back to old tropes about the labor movement. But the Culinary is showing itself to be a model for unions in the 'right-to-work' era.
After US and Taliban sign accord, Afghanistan must prepare for peace
2020 Feb 21
A peace deal with the Taliban has been signed. But rebuilding Afghanistan after three decades of conflict will take much more than an accord, says a scholar of peacebuilding.
The ancient Greeks had alternative facts too – they were just more chill about it
2020 Feb 24
Is making sense of a story more important than getting at its truth? Looking at the treatment of myth in ancient Greece may help us navigate what is true, and whether that matters.
Trump White House goes 300+ days without a press briefing – why that's unprecedented
2020 Feb 24
A longtime White House reporter describes what's lost when the relationship between the press and the president is bad and once-routine press briefings aren't held.
Albania's plan against disinformation lets Facebook and powerful politicians off the hook
2020 Feb 24
New laws in Albania show one approach to dealing with disinformation – and highlight some pitfalls of selective regulation.
Americans are drowning in a sea of polls
2020 Feb 25
Polls have become an essential component of the news coverage of presidential campaigns. That may affect who voters decide to back on an election day.
The census goes digital – 3 things to know
2020 Feb 25
Collecting census data online creates new risks to the accuracy and integrity of the information. Here's what to be aware of.
Nuclear war could be devastating for the US, even if no one shoots back
2020 Feb 26
The US could only safely use a fraction of its nuclear stockpile without harming Americans through an environmental event called 'nuclear autumn.'
4 ways to protect yourself from disinformation
2020 Feb 26
As the 2020 elections near and disinformation campaigns ramp up, an expert on media literacy offers advice you can use to develop habits to exert more conscious control over your news intake.
A guerrilla-to-entrepreneur plan in Colombia leaves some new businesswomen isolated and at risk
2020 Feb 26
Small business grants are supposed to help Colombia's disarmed FARC fighters start new lives as entrepreneurs. But interviews with 12 female ex-insurgents suggests the government plan may fail women.
Indigenous people may be the Amazon's last hope
2020 Feb 27
Native Brazilians are among the Amazon's most effective defenders against logging and mining, because they're fighting not just for the environment but for their people's very survival.
Calling someone a 'jackass' is a tradition in US politics
2020 Feb 27
For more than two centuries, one particular epithet has resonated through US politics – and even helped inspire the unofficial mascot of a major political party.
How socialism became un-American through the Ad Council’s propaganda campaigns
2020 Feb 27
Bernie Sanders is a Democratic Socialist, a potential problem for the presidential candidate. A Cold War campaign to link American-ness and capitalism helped create popular distrust of socialism.
Why federal judges with life tenure don't need to fear political attacks from Trump or anyone else
2020 Feb 28
If President Trump's attacks on the justice system are meant to intimidate, there's one class of employees who are immune to that: federal judges who have lifetime tenure.
How one man fought South Carolina Democrats to end whites-only primaries – and why that matters now
2020 Feb 28
South Carolina's black community has a long history of fighting for democratic rights.
Trump treats the military as his own – and the troops could suffer
2020 Mar 02
If President Donald Trump were to start a conflict, many Americans would likely view as it a misguided effort. What would that mean for the troops?
The two-party system is here to stay
2020 Mar 02
Despite the fact that only 38% of Americans say they think the Democratic and Republican parties are doing 'an adequate job,' they're unlikely to disappear.
Coronavirus unites a divided China in fear, grief and anger at government
2020 Mar 02
Public criticism of the Chinese government's handling of coronavirus shows that the Chinese people can overcome both strict censorship and a gaping class divide when they get angry enough.
The worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century: 5 questions on Syria answered
2020 Mar 02
The war in Syria has reached a crisis point, with close to 400,000 deaths and more than 11 million people displaced.
There’s no easy exit for the US in Afghanistan
2020 Mar 04
The US is taking an untraditional approach in its peace talks with the Taliban. The new deal does not contain many of the elements that are typically key to a successful peace negotiation.
Could a dog pick the next president?
2020 Mar 03
A dog psychologist looks at the presidential candidates' relationships with dogs.
Super Tuesday results show how Latino voters, moderate Democrats and Trump supporters are shaping the election
2020 Mar 04
As the race for the Democratic nomination narrows to Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, what does it all mean for November? We asked three scholars to closely analyze the Super Tuesday results.
Biden's resurrection was unprecedented – and well-timed
2020 Mar 04
Joe Biden's swift return as a strong candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination was a dramatic shift never seen before in the modern history of Democratic presidential primaries.
Cartel kingpin El Chapo is jailed for life, but the US-Mexico drug trade is booming
2019 Jul 19
The conviction of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who evaded justice in Mexico, is a win for US officials. But it's a pyrrhic victory in the war on drugs.
Why the federal government isn't prosecuting the officer who choked Eric Garner
2019 Jul 19
The US legal system often gives the police the benefit of the doubt.
Justice Stevens, Babe Ruth and the best law clerk assignment ever
2019 Jul 19
Former US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens passed away on July 16. One of his former law clerks recalls her most memorable assignment.
Trump wasn't the first president to confront the Supreme Court – and back down
2019 Jul 19
President Trump hinted that he would defy a Supreme Court ruling recently, though he later yielded to its authority. Andrew Jackson – Trump's hero – likewise challenged the rule of law in the 1830s.
Counting 11 million undocumented immigrants is easier than Trump thinks
2019 Jul 19
Demographers have figured out a simple and effective way to estimate the number of unauthorized immigrants – even without information on citizenship.
When migrants go home, they bring back money, skills and ideas that can change a country
2019 Jul 19
Deportees and other migrants return home wealthier, more educated and with more work experience than people who never left. This 'brain gain' benefits the whole community, financially and politically.
War's physical toll can last for generations, as it has for the children of the Vietnam War
2019 Jul 19
The Vietnam War ended in 1975. But it's still harming the health of Vietnamese people born after the conflict ended.
What is the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty? Here's why it's still important
2019 Jul 19
Nearly 50 years old, the treaty has been signed by 190 countries – more than any other arms limitation treaty. But now Iran is threatening to withdraw.
In divided Alaska, the choice is between paying for government or giving residents bigger oil wealth checks
2019 Jul 19
How did Alaska, one of the richest states in the Union, end up with budget cuts that lawmakers on both sides say could wreck the state's future? One answer's found in three letters: PFD.
Erdoğan's control over Turkey is ending – what comes next?
2019 Jul 19
Turkey's authoritarian leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was handed a big defeat recently when his party's candidate lost a crucial election contest. Is this the beginning of Erdogan's demise?
The Trump administration wants to dismantle the agency overseeing 2 million federal workers – and weaken safeguards against partisanship
2019 Jul 19
It's dismantling the Office of Personnel Management and relocating hundreds of USDA research jobs on short notice.
An invisible government agency produces crucial national security intelligence, but is anyone listening?
2019 Jul 19
The National Intelligence Council works inside government but is little understood outside. Yet it has helped respond to almost all the major foreign policy challenges of the last 40 years.
Mexican president López Obrador has a woman problem
2019 Jul 19
Mexico is the second most dangerous country for women in Latin America. Yet the new government is slashing funding for programs meant to protect and empower women.
4 questions answered on sex trafficking in the US
2019 Jul 19
While there's still a great deal that is unknown about sex trafficking, research studies and nonprofits have been able to gather telling data on this industry's victims and perpetrators.
The long, bipartisan history of dealing with immigrants harshly
2019 Jul 19
Trump has expanded and escalated the most punitive policies he inherited from his predecessors.
New York's new rental protections won't end the outsize influence of big developers who pay the city's bills
2019 Jul 19
New York City's municipal budget relies heavily on the property taxes of extremely high-value real estate. That drives gentrification and distorts local policy in other ways that hurt residents.
Hong Kong protests continue as China asserts more control over the island territory
2019 Jul 19
Protests in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition law are the largest in the territory's history. But not all of the people out in the street share the same tactics or goals.
A long-running immigration problem: The government sometimes detains and deports US citizens
2019 Jul 19
Children can be especially vulnerable to being wrongly subjected to immigration enforcement actions.
Roberts rules: The 2 most important Supreme Court decisions this year were about fair elections and the chief justice
2019 Jul 19
Conflict made its way to the Supreme Court this past session with two cases – one about the census, the other about gerrymandering. A court scholar says the two cases are intimately connected.
Without parking, thousands of Americans who live in vehicles have nowhere to go
2019 Jul 19
Many cities have no standard method for counting the number of people who live in their cars. This means that their issues are often overlooked in policies designed to help the homeless.
Mexicans in US routinely confront legal abuse, racial profiling, ICE targeting and other civil rights violations
2019 Jul 19
A new report on Mexicans in the US paints a troubling picture about the treatment of the country's largest immigrant group.
Why do rebel groups apologize?
2019 Jul 19
Organizations try to hide mistakes and evade responsibility, studies show. But two scholars analyzing militant and terrorist groups say they are willing to acknowledge their mistakes – sometimes.
It takes years to fully recover from big storms like Sandy
2019 Jul 19
Getting everyone whose lives were thrown off-track back takes a lot of personal effort, paired with work done by a constantly shifting mix of nonprofits and governmental agencies over many years.
Russian Twitter propaganda predicted 2016 US election polls
2019 Jul 19
An analysis of social media troll activity during the 2016 election campaign shows that exposure to Russian propaganda may have helped change American minds in favor of Republican candidate Trump.
Al-Qaida is stronger today than it was on 9/11
2019 Jul 19
Bin Laden's extremist group had less than a hundred members in September 2001. Today it's a transnational terror organization with 40,000 fighters across the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
How dogs help keep multiracial neighborhoods socially segregated
2019 May 22
American cities are getting more diverse, but neighbors of different races don't necessarily socialize with each other. A sociologist in North Carolina discovered one surprising reason why.
Hate heaped on black heroines of the French Resistance would look familiar to AOC and Rashida Tlaib
2019 May 22
Women of color in public office often face great scrutiny and hostility. New research shows how France's first black female senators used their experience fighting Nazis to pass landmark legislation.
Women take a hit for reporting sexual harassment, but #MeToo may be changing that
2019 May 22
By chance, a sociologist started an experiment the day sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein became public. As the #MeToo movement gained steam, people's responses changed.
Same-sex couples have been in American politics way longer than the Buttigiegs have been married
2019 May 22
Long before Chasten Buttigieg became a 'not-so-secret weapon' in his husband Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, another same-sex couple profoundly reshaped American social policy.
Populist alliances of 'cowboys and Indians' are protecting rural lands
2019 May 22
By appealing to the hearts and minds of their white neighbors, Native Americans are carving out common ground. Together, these different groups are building unity through diversity.
Why are there so many candidates for president?
2019 May 22
The number of candidates in presidential primaries has skyrocketed since the 2016 election. Divisions inside political parties and easy ways for candidates to raise money are among the reasons why.
Secrecy versus sunshine: Efforts to hide government records never stop
2019 May 22
Government produces millions of pages of records every day: studies, reports, memos, emails, budgets and more. These reports belong to the public, but increasingly, lawmakers are trying to hide them.
Buttigieg's call for universal public service would mark a big departure from historically small volunteer programs
2019 May 22
No matter how well-intentioned, volunteers who may be inexperienced can't solve the entrenched and complex social problems low-income communities endure.
When Americans go to the polls, they look to the past – not the future
2019 May 22
Americans' votes in 2020 will likely be a statement on what they think of Trump – rather than a measured choice between him and the Democratic candidate.
Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize? Japan's nomination is part of a strategic plan
2019 May 22
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe needs the US to confront North Korea, revitalize Japan's economy and boost his standing at home. And he knows flattery is the way to this president's heart.
Worried about sexual harassment – or false allegations? Our team asked Americans about their experiences and beliefs
2019 May 22
Since #MeToo, the number of women and men who say that they've been sexually assaulted or harassed in recent months has not changed much.
Charging asylum application fees is the latest way the US could make immigrants pay for its red tape
2019 May 22
Only two countries charge people who seek asylum fees. The rationale for not doing that is clear.
Truth, justice and declassification: Secret archives show US helped Argentine military wage 'dirty war' that killed 30,000
2019 May 22
Traveling death squads. Sadistic torture techniques. Stolen babies. The US helped it all happen by aiding Argentina's military regime in the 1970s, according to newly declassified documents.
Will Trump's use of executive privilege help him avoid congressional oversight? It didn't help Richard Nixon
2019 May 22
President Trump has invoked executive privilege to stymie congressional investigators. Another president, Richard Nixon, did the same thing. It helped Nixon hold onto power – but only for a while.
US 'foreign terrorist' designation is more punishment than threat detector
2019 May 22
A terrorism expert exposes the quirks, inconsistencies and foreign policy strategy behind the State Department's terrorist watchlist.
From 'Total exoneration!' to 'Impeach now!' – the Mueller report and dueling fact perceptions
2019 May 22
How can a community decide the direction it should go, if its members cannot even agree on where they are? Two political scientists say the growing phenomenon of dueling facts threatens democracy.
What geology reveals about North Korea's nuclear weapons – and what it obscures
2019 May 22
North Korea is a major military threat to the US and its Asian allies, but exactly how powerful are its nuclear weapons? An earth scientist explains why it's hard to answer this question.
Most of America's rural areas are doomed to decline
2019 May 22
Since the Great Recession, most of the nation's rural counties have struggled to recover lost jobs and retain their people.
Brazil's long, strange love affair with the Confederacy ignites racial tension
2019 May 22
The Confederate flag debate has arrived to Brazil, pitting black activists against the Brazilian descendants of soldiers who fled the South after the Civil War.
Why the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan shouldn’t be released
2019 May 22
About the only thing the Trump administration’s peace plan has going for it is the fact that no one expects it to work. And the plan's likely failure could trigger more Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López seeks refuge with Spain after failed uprising
2019 May 22
Venezuela's most famous political prisoner, freed from house arrest by soldiers who turned against President Maduro, now faces arrest after leading an April 30 rebellion against Maduro's government.
The Kentucky Derby has a secret Latino history
2019 May 22
Many immigrants come to the United States chasing the 'American dream.' So do immigrant racehorses, who literally carry the hopes of their trainers and riders on their backs.
Dutch Memorial Day: Maintaining colonial innocence by excluding people of color
2019 May 22
The Dutch holiday on May 4 that commemorates the country's dead from World War II and after reveals how Dutch policy divides people along racial lines and ignores the Indonesian dead in that war.
Jimmy Carter's lasting Cold War legacy
2019 May 22
Former President Jimmy Carter's foreign policy efforts may have been far more effective than critics have claimed.
Trump's dirty tricks: Unethical, even illegal campaign tactics are an American tradition
2019 May 22
Amid all the Mueller report uncertainty, one thing is clear: Donald Trump did some wildly improper things to win the presidency. So did Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, JFK and George W. Bush.