JUNE 25. 2026

The drag artists defying queerphobia in the South Caucasus

This year’s ILGA report on LGBTQ+ rights in Europe is out, and the South Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – sits at the very bottom. Alongs

Meet Norway, the quiet war profiteer

Oslo's argument is clear: Arctic oil and gas should be viewed as part of Europe's energy-security strategy. As the US-Israel war on Iran disrupts traf

JUNE 24. 2026

The Left Is Unstoppable, According to Republicans

Socialist victories in New York inspired a mixture of panic among some on the right, while Trump delighted in the downfall of Rep. Dan Goldman.

Will Pakistan’s Iran Gamble Pay Off?

Islamabad could leverage its success as a mediator to secure its own interests.

Can Rutte Sweet-Talk Trump Enough to Soothe NATO Tensions?

The NATO chief seeks to manage the U. S. president while appeasing other alliance members.

Will Congo’s President Push a Third Term?

As Kinshasa faces multiple crises, a bill risks plunging the country further into instability.

The Intercept Sues to Uncover Secretive Government Anti-Protester Database

The Department of Homeland Security refuses to comply with FOIA requests over its unlawful efforts to stifle the First Amendment.

Treasury Chief Bessent Defends Trump’s Iran Deal

Vice President J. D. Vance isn’t the only one being trotted out to sell an unpopular deal.

The Middle East’s Great Divergence Is Underway

With economic and security interests split between great powers, the region is beginning to consider a third path.

The Expansiveness, the New Air

It’s like he saw it coming. “The Numbers, ” the first poem in the vast first volume of the Poems of J. H. Prynne, opens: The whole thing it is, the difficult matter: to shrink the confines down. Prynne died in April, aged 89.

What Is Iran’s Nuclear Status Quo?

Before diplomacy can move forward, U. S. negotiators face the daunting task of reestablishing a baseline.

Trump’s Iran War: The Midwife To A Renewable Energy Future

Complex systems can engender the opposite outcome of intentions.

Why the Iran Deal Might Endure

Both Washington and Tehran need it.

The New Geography of the World Cup

Migration, colonial history, and elite academies have redefined today’s national teams.

China’s De-Dollarization Drive Has Hit a Wall

Beijing can create financial instruments, but it cannot decree demand.

Washington’s Middle East Military Presence Is Uniquely Counterproductive

Rather than ensuring the free flow of energy, U. S. intervention has only interrupted it.

Blue Balloon in White Pine

A meditation on Mylar, maggots, and the compulsion to pay attention

Safety Is When There’s No One Dying

The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund is based in the Blue Building, a medical center across from the American University of Beirut, in the city’s Hamra

Orbán Is Gone, but His State Machine Remains

After 16 years of illiberal rule, Péter Magyar must rebuild Hungarian democracy without breaking its own constitutional rules.