Hüsker Dü, ‘Everything Falls Apart’: The Week In One Song
Week II of of Trump II brings the chaos. Yes, “Let’s think about our actions before we do them / Everything will fall apart” The post Hüsker Dü, ‘Everything Falls Apart’: The Week In One Song appeared...
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Ending U.S. foreign aid hurts far more than aid programs
Research looks at the many ways U.S. assistance boosts America’s global influence. Pallets of USAID-supplied food, water and supplies, part of the U.S. humanitarian and disaster relief operations in...
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Trump’s push to exit the WHO could impact global disease control
A Good Chat on what you need to know about the potential U.S. withdrawal and its consequences. World Health Organization logo in Geneva, Switzerland (cc) US Mission Geneva via Flickr. On the day of his...
View ArticleSo what really determined the 2024 U.S. presidential elections? 🎧
Danny Hayes and John Sides talk about what we have learned since last November. After every election, pundits and scholars are quick to come up with reasons that explain just why the election turned...
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Trump’s NIH restrictions could cost lives and weaken defense
National Institutes of Health research is critical to American health – and U.S. military preparedness. President Trump tours the viral pathogenesis laboratory at the National Institutes of Health on...
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How Canadians see Trump’s trade war
The threat of 25% U.S. tariffs may push Canadians to set aside internal political divisions. U.S.-Canada border in Houlton, Maine (cc) Tabor Andrew Bain, via Flickr. Shortly after his reelection on...
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Colombia’s plan for peace seemed to work – until it didn’t
Renewed violence and criminal expansion reveal deep flaws in President Petro’s Total Peace plan. An ELN fighter in Colombia (cc) Brasil de Fato via Flickr. On Jan. 16, 2025, the National Liberation...
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Democrats and Republicans really disagree on U.S. foreign aid
Our December 2024 survey data reveals what divides Americans on this issue. USAID funds help ensure safe storage for global vaccination programs (cc) UNICEF/2021/Ratynski. In his first administration,...
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Republicans’ ratings of Taylor Swift are down sharply since the last Super Bowl
Swift was still fairly popular among Republicans until she endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. Oct. 2024 photo of Taylor Swift during Eras Tour (cc) by Ronald Woan via Flickr....
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The coming politics of population decline
Japan’s aging population and plummeting birth rate offer a peek at why policies need to shift around the world. Photo of older Japanese women (cc) Teo Romera via Flickr. Fifty years ago, Japan became...
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What’s next after the ceasefire in Gaza? 🎧
Barbara F. Walter discusses how Israeli domestic politics shapes what’s likely to happen now. (cc) UN Women, Voices from Gaza, via Flickr. About a year ago, I spoke with Barbara F. Walter about what...
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The misinformation on South Africa’s new land act
South Africa’s Expropriation Act mirrors eminent domain rules in the United States and other countries. Farmland near Vioolsdrift, Northern Cape, South Africa (cc) South African Tourism, via Flickr. On...
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How Democrats can bolster public support for USAID
Democrats can effectively defend the embattled agency by focusing on popular foreign aid policies – and the growing public concerns about Elon Musk’s influence. Children at Tabarre Issa Emergency...
View ArticlePEPFAR has saved 25 million lives. Without it, millions will die.
Even pausing PEPFAR programs puts millions at risk. Every delay means more lives lost. The Trump administration’s destruction of the U.S. government’s foreign aid programming began with an executive...
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The U.S. Senate has two Black women in office, for the first time
Why the election of Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester is a big deal. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) on the left, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) on the right; photos combined...
View ArticleSonic Youth, ‘Eric’s Trip’: The Week In One Song
The world is dull, but not today. The Department of Justice falls into crisis as attorneys quit in resistance to pressure to dismiss corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City. The...
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The politics behind Marc Fogel’s release from a Russian prison
The Trump administration’s negotiations with Russia may signal a bigger shift in U.S. policy. Marc Fogel (center) returns to the United States on Feb. 11, 2025, after being detained in Russia for more...
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What to make of Trump’s choice for labor secretary
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer backed pro-labor legislation. So why did Trump nominate her to join his cabinet? Secretary of Labor nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer (official photo, 118th Congress, via Wikimedia...
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Nicaragua’s revised constitution gives the president added powers
The latest changes deepen the Ortega-Murillo family’s political control – and legalize new forms of repression. Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and VP Rosario Murillo in September 2024 (cc) Consejo...
View ArticleMarco Rubio takes aim at the G20 agenda
But snubbing the G20’s framework and goals seems shortsighted. Here’s why. Foreign ministers from Group of 20 (G20) countries are meeting this week in Johannesburg, South Africa. But U.S. Secretary of...
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