Make a release
Why is the U.S. administration trying to cancel so many Americans’ student debts? Ben Ritz on the policy merits and political calculations of an unusual government initiative.
Destination
Why is NASA returning to the moon? Joe Pappalardo on the Artemis program, the future of U.S. spaceflight, and the beginnings of a new space race.
In a name
What’s at stake in the U.S. Democratic Party’s new focus on the idea of “freedom”? David Kusnet on the new variations in one of the oldest controversies in American political life.
Movement and mirage
Is the U.S. Republican Party becoming a “multi-racial, working-class” coalition? Matt Grossmann assesses the evidence for a major political realignment.
Decentering
What’s driving so much conflict in the U.S. Democratic Party? Ruy Teixeira on identity politics, generational divisions, and the challenges of coalition building.
Judgment days
Is the U.S. Supreme Court really losing public legitimacy? Christopher W. Schmidt on the fallout from an extraordinary judicial term in Washington.
Unclassified
What accounts for the U.S. government’s revived interest in UFOs? Seth Shostak on strange events, human psychology, and alien life.
Standoffs and concessions
Why in the U.S. Congress are Democrats and Republicans working together as effectively as they are? It seems odd. Bill Scher on the limits of polarization in America.
‘The loneliest generation’
Why are American men and women moving in such different directions on public issues? Daniel Cox on how the attitudes and convictions of young adults are changing U.S. political life.
The missing
What happened to the graves of Indigenous children reportedly discovered in Canada in 2021? Terry Glavin on the elaborate confusion obscuring an ongoing mystery and longstanding injustice.
