AUGUST 21. 2026

Oregon Is Spending More Than Ever on Low-Income Housing. A State Law Keeps the Details Secret.

The state has given developers an unprecedented $1.4 billion, and the cost of developing each subsidized apartment has nearly doubled. But, thanks to a carve-out in its public records law, Oregon doesn’t have to provide the details of that spending.

This Mysterious “Astroturf” Group Popped Up to Defend the Paramount Merger

In text messages, the newly formed “Neighbors for Strong Communities” boosted reported threats by CEO David Ellison to move Paramount out of California.

Solar buoyed Europe’s grid amid record-breaking heat and drought this summer

The season of extreme weather holds lessons for how the continent can climate-proof its energy systems.

In a drier world, some infectious diseases are unexpectedly thriving

Researchers are beginning to untangle how the "drought-disease paradox" works.

A cruelty ban without an exit plan

France legislated to end cetacean shows without securing homes for the animals left behind.

Europe's border-free zone

“Currently stuck in a huge traffic jam on my way back to Hendaye from Irun , ” messaged Gosia Szczodrowska, who answered my call for people…

AUGUST 20. 2026

Trump’s Tech Tensions

The administration’s latest strategy document tries to balance technological competition with cooperation.

The Clock Is Ticking Down on Another U. S. -Canada Trade War

Senior Canadian officials are looking to make a deal to avoid new 50 percent U. S. tariffs.

The U. S. Bond Crisis Highlights a Deeper Fiscal Rot

Scott Bessent is breaking the glass to check rising bond yields, but the fix is flawed.

The Mossad Suffers a Crushing Defeat Entirely of Its Own Making

Israel’s spy agency tried and failed to foment a popular uprising in Iran. None of the Mossad’s promises about the war have come to pass.

A Tale of Two Socialists

Why Spain’s Sánchez has succeeded while Britain’s Starmer floundered.

Bolivia’s Lithium Isn’t a Gold Mine

Despite 20 percent of global deposits, the country produces less than 1 percent of supply.

State Department to Partner With Palantir, Anduril on Free Speech Initiative

The Freedom Tech Excellence Program also includes the Bitcoin Policy Institute and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

Are We Thinking Correctly About AI Intelligence?

Computer scientist Melanie Mitchell discusses why artificial intelligence doesn’t “think” or “reason” like humans, and how we can create better methods for measuring machine cognition.

Immigrant Wants to Pay $368,000 in Fines, but Broken Payment System Won’t Let Him

The fines, for not “willfully” leaving the country, can accrue interest and harm people in immigration proceedings.

Filipino Cacao Growers Learn to Live With a Hotter Climate

In “Chocolates Melting Away” — the First-Place Winner of the 2026 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — Breech Asher Harani explores how cacao growers in the Philippines are developing new techniques to protect their crops from increasingly harsh conditions.

Israel and America Agree on Gaza’s New Leader

The Trump administration’s peace plan has invested its hopes for Gaza’s future in the little-known Ali Shaath.

This Coach Is Banned From Working With Kids. Why Is He Still Coaching?

Even though an oversight group found that Texas girls’ volleyball coach Ryan Richardson engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor, sports organizations have failed to stop him from coaching.

What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports

The public SafeSport list is one of the most powerful tools for parents looking to research their kids’ coaches. But many families have no idea it exists or how to use it. Critics also say the organization has serious flaws.

Who’s most at risk in the cyclospora outbreak? The farmworkers on the front lines.

An expert on migrant farmworker health describes how this population has been blamed and put at risk, but seldom understood.