
Could ISIS Have Been Averted?
Different choices by the Obama administration could have made it harder for the Islamic State to become as powerful as it did.

Meet the Venture Capitalist Who Launched a Kickstarter for War
From Syria to Ukraine, when the Pentagon needs help, Jim Hake has the answer.

At the Last Minute, Lebanon Bans ‘Wonder Woman’
Lebanon, which is still technically at war with Israel, banned the film because the lead actress is Israeli.

Trump’s ‘Secret Plan’ to Defeat ISIS Looks a Lot Like Obama’s
That's okay — so long as he sticks with it.

Wilbur Ross Just Breathed Life into the Free Trade Deal with Europe
It’s still not clear whether Europe will get on board with revived talks.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Comes to Talk Trade
On the agenda? Trade and security in the South China Sea. Human rights? Not so much.

Chinese Authorities Detain Investigators Who Found Labor Violations at Ivanka Trump Shoe Factories
Critics worry Beijing is giving Trump family businesses special protection.

Reports: Trump To Pull Out of Paris Climate Agreement
A decision to exit would leave the U.S. isolated globally.

Was Trump’s Trip to Europe a Total Disaster?
A U.S. president who has repeatedly undermined NATO just met with NATO allies. Yeah, it didn’t go great.

An surprisingly ahistorical conclusion in ‘Army,’ but some other good stuff there
If Winston Churchill had left the war to the generals, the war almost certainly would have taken longer.

Jargon watch: USMC personnel edition
One rule of thumb I have is that the more a military specialty is removed from combat, the more obscure its language becomes.

Tom in Portland tonight
Come on down to Powell’s Burnside tonight.

Hospitals Become the Front Line in the Syrian Civil War
And aid groups say U.S. budget cuts may endanger doctors and further fuel the migrant crisis.

Massive Blast Kills 80 in Kabul’s Diplomatic Quarter
The worst attack in almost a year.

SitRep: Suicide Blast Rocks Kabul, Trump Mulls Surge; Arms For the YPG; U.S. Knocks Down ICBM
Russia Fires Missiles at ISIS; Washington May Host NATO Meeting

Mexico City’s Last Living River
As urbanization spreads, pollution threatens a precious natural resource at the outer edge of the metropolis.

How Trump Backlash Is Funding a Refugee Camp School in Lebanon
The financial challenges are daunting – but Donald Trump has unwittingly spurred a wave of donations that will help educate thousands of children.

Washington’s Ministry of Preemption
To stop security breaches before they happen, U.S. intelligence agencies are surveilling everything.

Don’t Call It Brexit Radio
Union JACK Radio was supposed to celebrate the quirks of British culture, from tea and scones to Mr. Bean. Then came Brexit. Then came the angry tweets.

A Secessionist Abroad
The president of Catalonia will have the vanilla.

If Trump Dumps the Paris Accord, China Will Rule the Energy Future
The United States isn’t just forfeiting its environmental leadership. It’s shipping jobs and influence to Beijing.

As Environmental Catastrophe Looms, Is it Ethical to Have Children?
Two philosophers discuss the morality of family planning in the age of climate change.

Thoughts from Jane Goodall on How to Save the Planet
What chimpanzees and the trees of Tanzania can teach us about battling the effects of climate change.

Yeah, the Weather Has Been Weird
People already care about climate change – the trick is getting them to realize it.

The Things They Carried: The Inuit Whale Hunter
The tools and techniques of the indigenous beluga hunt.

Forget Purple Mountains’ Majesty
With corporate interests and climate change threatening America’s national parks, international cooperation and entrepreneurial competition might be the only things that keep them safe.

The Key to Saving Somalia is Gathering Dust in the British Countryside
What if there were a blueprint for climate adaptation that could end a civil war? An English scientist spent his life developing one—then he vanished without a trace.

How to Destroy the Heart of a Chinese City
Beijing is wrecking migrants' shops and lives — and the capital's spirit with them.

The Convenient Disappearance of Climate Change Denial in China
From Western plot to party line, how China embraced climate science to become a green-energy powerhouse.