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People walk around a model of a globe.
People walk around a model of a globe.
Lyndon B. Johnson is surrounded by soldiers in this black-and-white photo as he visits U.S. troops in Vietnam. Johnson smiles as he shakes hands with a service member wearing uniform. He is flanked by security officers in dark suits.
Lyndon B. Johnson is surrounded by soldiers in this black-and-white photo as he visits U.S. troops in Vietnam. Johnson smiles as he shakes hands with a service member wearing uniform. He is flanked by security officers in dark suits.

Why U.S. Presidents Really Go to War

As a new book shows, it’s not always about strategy.

A macro image of dozens of tiny semiconductor chips on a circuitboard from inside a cell phone.
A macro image of dozens of tiny semiconductor chips on a circuitboard from inside a cell phone.

Let There Be Microchips

The semiconductor and its near-divine creation story.

An illustration shows a figure laying down beneath the pavement, palms facing up, underneath a Russian tan with the word prisposoblenchestvo, referring to conformism, written in Cyrillic letters.
An illustration shows a figure laying down beneath the pavement, palms facing up, underneath a Russian tan with the word prisposoblenchestvo, referring to conformism, written in Cyrillic letters.

Wartime Russians Fall Back on an Ancient Survival Strategy

Conformism and acquiescence have a long tradition in a culture of chaos and repression.

A colorized rendering shows a cross-section of the ocean that reflects the topography of the sea floor.
A colorized rendering shows a cross-section of the ocean that reflects the topography of the sea floor.
A protester demonstrates in support of Spanish soccer athlete Jenni Hermoso in Madrid.
A protester demonstrates in support of Spanish soccer athlete Jenni Hermoso in Madrid.

Spanish Soccer Chief Luis Rubiales Charged With Sexual Assault

The accusations coincide with a women’s league union strike demanding more equal pay.

Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arévalo speaks during a ceremony where he receives his presidential election winner certificate at the Supreme Electoral Court in Guatemala City.
Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arévalo speaks during a ceremony where he receives his presidential election winner certificate at the Supreme Electoral Court in Guatemala City.

What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of Sept. 2: A new development in Guatemala’s election, China’s charm offensive, and African leaders’ call to the international community.

Three men wearing suits and ties sit at a table in front of a wall displaying the logo of the New Delhi G-20 summit, which stylizes the zero in G-20 as the globe. The man sitting in the middle has his mouth open as he speaks into a microphone.
Three men wearing suits and ties sit at a table in front of a wall displaying the logo of the New Delhi G-20 summit, which stylizes the zero in G-20 as the globe. The man sitting in the middle has his mouth open as he speaks into a microphone.

Can the G-20 Be a Champion for the Global South?

The group needs to embrace new ideas and more inclusive leadership.

Tourists ride a boat in a canal off the Hau River in Can Tho.
Tourists ride a boat in a canal off the Hau River in Can Tho.

Biden’s Vietnam Deals Should Center on the Mekong

A vital regional river can be a route for U.S. diplomacy.

A view of a sign for the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A view of a sign for the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Do Policy Schools Still Have a Point?

Reflections of a career-long public policy professor at a time of global upheaval.

An illustration shows overlapping cannons or missile barrels pointing in different directions coming out of a map of Taiwan. A U.S. flag is in a barrel on one side and a China flag in a barrel on the other.
An illustration shows overlapping cannons or missile barrels pointing in different directions coming out of a map of Taiwan. A U.S. flag is in a barrel on one side and a China flag in a barrel on the other.

Deterrence in Taiwan Is Failing

The United States has committed to keeping the peace but isn’t doing enough to stop the war.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador participates in a parade to celebrate the 112th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador participates in a parade to celebrate the 112th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City.

Why the U.S.-Mexico Relationship Could Get Even Worse

Next year’s near-simultaneous elections and a spiral of escalatory rhetoric spell danger, but there is a way out.

Military personnel wearing protective suits remove a police car and other vehicles from a public car park as they continue investigations into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.
Military personnel wearing protective suits remove a police car and other vehicles from a public car park as they continue investigations into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.

Russia’s Would-Be Assassins Still Stalk Europe’s Streets

Moscow’s regular spies have been expelled. Their kill squads are still active.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros smiles after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Investor and philanthropist George Soros smiles after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

The Economic and Political Evolution of George Soros

His foundation is shifting away from Europe, while his own approach to China has hardened.

This aerial photo shows rescuers evacuating residents down a flooded street using a kayak after heavy rains in Xiamen, in China's eastern Fujian province
This aerial photo shows rescuers evacuating residents down a flooded street using a kayak after heavy rains in Xiamen, in China's eastern Fujian province

Climate Change Could Drown China’s Food Security

China has a fifth of the world’s population but just 9 percent of its arable land—and that bit is increasingly underwater.

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