FEBRUARY 2. 2026

Why South America’s Right Won’t Align With Trump on China

Even the most MAGA of the region’s leaders can’t abandon their motor of economic development.

Trump Calls His Enemies Terrorists. Does That Mean He Can Just Kill Them?

From boat strikes to killings in the streets of Minnesota to NSPM-7, the White House leans on the word “terror” to justify its violence.

Why Israel Courts the Far Right in Europe

The parties include some with a history of antisemitism.

Welcome to the Jade Helm Presidency

Conservatives once panicked about a supposed federal plot to invade their communities and quash dissent. Now they’re cheering it.

Europe’s Budget Gamble: Why Cutting Cohesion Funds Will Backfire

The EU's proposed long-term budget sacrifices the very regional investment and social resilience that underpin competitiveness.

Trump’s ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ for polluters faces its latest test in court

The president exempted about 40 medical sterilization companies from Biden-era emissions standards. A new lawsuit challenges his authority.

Turmoil at FEMA adds to the revolt against Kristi Noem

Lawmakers, disaster response experts, and disaster survivors say her policies have slowed emergency response and delayed recovery funding.

Will Rio Tinto leave Madagascar a toxic legacy?

Rio Tinto might be considering selling off its share of operations at a massive ilmenite mine in Madagascar this week. But will it walk away from its history of contaminations?

What It Took for George H. W. Bush to Invoke the Insurrection Act

The president’s decision to send troops to Los Angeles received broad national, bipartisan support.

FEBRUARY 1. 2026

“Melania” Is as Vacuous as Its Subject

The Amazon movie about First Lady Melania Trump reveals next to nothing about its subject other than her complicity.

Visiting Oregon? You may soon have to pay a tax to protect its wildlife.

A bill in the Oregon Legislature would tax tourists for conservation.

My Elsewheres

I’m a Black American woman who was formed in the twentieth century, amid the cold war and racial segregation that was entrenched even in the Bay Area. But

An American Citizen Has Been Stuck in El Salvador’s Prison System Since the Biden Administration

Before Trump sent Kilmar Ábrego García to CECOT, Bukele arrested a U. S. citizen for his tattoos. The Biden administration didn't intervene.

JANUARY 31. 2026

Sparkle and Status

“Biography is a wonderful way into the past, because it’s life as experienced, day to day, subtly influenced by what is happening in politics or the movement of ideas. ”

New Hampshire Republicans want to raise taxes on homes with solar

The proposed repeal of a property tax break for solar owners is sparking fierce opposition from those who say the benefit barely dents tax rolls.

He Witnessed an Earlier Shooting. Feds Arrested Him at the Scene of Alex Pretti’s Killing

A man who contradicted the government narrative about a prior shooting found himself pinned to the ground and detained after Alex Pretti’s death.

The Farcical Case Against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for Protest Reporting

The Justice Department is weaponizing a law intended to protect those seeking abortions to punish reporters covering anti-ICE activism.

JANUARY 30. 2026

China Is Building a Better, More Modern Military

Xi’s purges are part of a generational reshuffling of generals.

Panic buying ahead of the winter storm isn’t preparedness. Here’s who it hurts.

While some hoard bread, milk, and eggs, others face bare shelves — and the planet pays too.

Moscow Agrees to Halt Kyiv Attacks Until Feb. 1 at Trump’s Request

But Russian forces continue to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid sub-zero temperatures.