MARCH 18. 2026

Xi Just Can’t Shake GDP Worship

Chinese officials are being asked to do everything all at once.

Japan Should Help Sink China’s Invasion Fleet

Sanae Takaichi committing to Taiwan’s defense would help keep the peace.

Iran Isn’t Trump’s Only War

Even as Trump wages war on Tehran, he’s reigniting his economic war against U. S. trading partners.

Charade Night

A dispatch from the Art Editor

The Pros and Cons of Negotiating in Public

When Trump’s unconventional approach to diplomacy does—and doesn’t—work.

Transportation Lobbyists Have Donated Thousands to Sean Duffy’s Son-in-Law as He Runs for Congress

Industry money has been pouring into the congressional campaign of Michael Alfonso, a 26-year-old political unknown from Wisconsin. The candidate’s father-in-law happens to be the U. S. secretary of transportation.

BRICS Is Divided on Iran. So Are NATO and the G-7.

The bloc isn’t a geopolitical alliance, and it shouldn’t be expected to function like one.

How to Fix Democracy? Out With the Politicians!

Democracy scholar Hélène Landemore has a radical new proposal.

The World’s Tax-the-Rich Debate Is Heating Up

From millionaire activists to G-20 proposals, efforts to combat wealth inequality are advancing across the United States and Europe.

Books of Love

A conversation about poetry, community, and being Black in America

The Populist International Is Falling Apart

Trump’s war in Iran is blowing up MAGA’s plans for an alliance with Europe’s far right.

Washington’s Russia U-Turn Exposes the Real Logic of Sanctions

The easing of Russian oil restrictions amid the Iran crisis reveals sanctions as tools of power, not justice.

Federal Cyber Experts Thought Microsoft’s Cloud Was “a Pile of Shit. ” They Approved It Anyway.

A federal program created to protect the government against cyber threats authorized a sprawling Microsoft cloud product, despite the company’s inability to fully explain how it protects sensitive data.

An Open Letter to the Inspectors General Community

If you work in or have recently left the office of a federal inspector general, we need your insights to do important journalism.

Is your state becoming uninsurable? We have the latest data.

Home insurance is buckling under climate risk and construction trends. Find out how your state fares.

Big Oil has moved on from ‘greenwashing. ’ Here’s the new playbook.

Over a few years, oil giants went from trumpeting their climate pledges to saying fossil fuels are here to stay.

Scientists race to decode data from Europe’s vanishing glaciers

Glacier ice contains valuable information about the climates of the past. Researchers are scrambling to study it before it's too late.

The Supreme Court takes up a Guam munitions case with high stakes for CHamoru lands

The ruling won't just dictate the fate of a CHamoru beach. It could set a major precedent for Indigenous rights and federal power across U. S. territories.

Speeding towards climate breakdown

London’s car-centred transport policies turbocharge climate danger.

Illinois Results: Daniel Biss Beats Kat Abughazaleh in Blow to Left and AIPAC Alike

The Evanston mayor and insurgent activist competed for the progressive vote. Across the state, pro-Israel and AI interests saw mixed results.