COVID has entered the chat, making a dramatic reappearance in public discourse on Wednesday when President Biden announced he has been infected. (What a month in American politics!) Seems like a good time to take a closer look at Dr. Anthony Fauci’s memoir, which happens to be our latest Instaread. Fauci Takes a Bow Many […]
A comedian’s take on the US culture wars
Between the recent attempt on Donald Trump’s life and widespread calls for President Biden to resign from the campaign, it’s an especially tumultuous election season in the United States. (And there’s less than four more months to go!) Step back from the madness and take some time to laugh with our latest release, from Bill […]
This budget doesn’t need to be balanced
Fun fact: the U.S. government can never run out of money. Its payments are made digitally, so votes are all that’s needed to authorize spending. Economist Stephanie Kelton says that, contrary to popular belief, federal deficits can be economically advantageous. Our latest Instaread examines the issue. Government Budgets Are Basically Fake Politicians often speak as […]
Is democracy dying?
The threats to US democracy have never been more real, according to Harvard political science professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Their latest work explores the Republican Party’s deviation from democratic norms, particularly during Donald Trump’s presidency. Is There a Fix? According to Levitsky and Ziblatt, the United States needs to reform its institutions to […]
How serious is the nuclear threat?
What would happen if a nuclear missile were launched toward the United States? The short answer is: nothing good. The longer answer is explored by Pulitzer finalist Annie Jacobsen in Nuclear War, where she describes a scenario based on her extensive interviews with experts and government officials. Living on the Edge The nuclear winter that Jacobsen […]
The new Cold War
Earlier this week, TikTok sued the U.S. government over the potential ban that could go into effect as soon as 2025. Experts expect this legal battle will go all the way to the Supreme Court. As various players prepare for this epic showdown, our latest Instaread considers the history of how the U.S. and China have […]
Is social justice making progress?
Modern identity politics has gotten out of hand. At least that’s the argument of Yascha Mounk, public intellectual and professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University. He says that American culture has shifted into an obsession with group identity that stifles dialogue and promotes division. A Changing World Over the past few decades, the […]
Are values more important than power?
In U.S. government, we don’t see a lot of critique of Donald Trump from the right. One exception is Liz Cheney, who was the third-most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives when she voted to have Trump impeached in 2021. The bad news is that move cost her reelection. The good news is that […]
The Founding Father who lived for drama
The United States celebrates George Washington as its first president and the Fourth of July as the country’s birthday. You hear less about Samuel Adams, the Founding Father who fomented the American Revolution. One reason? Revolutions are messy, and the guys who get their hands dirty aren’t necessarily respectable. Fake News Is Nothing New To […]
The war on wokeness
Senator Ted Cruz says that the United States has a huge problem. That problem isn’t mass shootings, or the rising cost of health care, or the wealth gap. No, the biggest threat right now in Cruz’s eyes is the “woke” — Marxist Democrats who have too much influence on American society. Our latest release looks at […]
