Skip to main content

Politics

What really matters in the world of politics, campaigns, ideology, and more.

Podcasts
How the US might be using AI in IranHow the US might be using AI in Iran
Podcast
Podcasts

Are Claude and ChatGPT helping the US fight a war?

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Politics
The AI industry’s civil warThe AI industry’s civil war
Politics

What Anthropic and OpenAI really believe.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
A high-stakes Texas primary exposed the Democratic Party’s fault linesA high-stakes Texas primary exposed the Democratic Party’s fault lines
Politics

Democrats chose expanding the tent over doubling down on the base.

By Christian Paz
Politics
MAGA’s top lawyer just gave a sitting GOP senator the biggest scare of his careerMAGA’s top lawyer just gave a sitting GOP senator the biggest scare of his career
Politics

No lawyer has done more in the last decade to advance a distinctly MAGA approach to the Constitution than Ken Paxton.

By Ian Millhiser
The Logoff
The Trump administration still can’t decide why it’s doing thisThe Trump administration still can’t decide why it’s doing this
The Logoff

Four days in, Trump’s Iran explanations aren’t getting any clearer.

By Cameron Peters
The Supreme Court’s Republicans just seized the most dangerous power in constitutional law
Politics

The Court’s latest ruling invokes a power that corrupts every court that wields it.

By Ian Millhiser
Podcasts
Iran after KhameneiIran after Khamenei
Podcast
Podcasts

Can Trump bomb his way to regime change in Iran?

By Avishay Artsy and Noel King
Politics
How does the Iran war end?How does the Iran war end?
Politics

Regime change isn’t likely. Here’s what is.

By Zack Beauchamp
Future Perfect
The one question everyone should be asking after OpenAI’s deal with the PentagonThe one question everyone should be asking after OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon
Future Perfect

The US said we can’t afford to let a surveillance state like China win the AI race. Well...

By Sigal Samuel
Today, Explained newsletter
The case for — and against — striking IranThe case for — and against — striking Iran
Today, Explained newsletter

Trump says the war will protect Americans. Critics see new risks.

By Caitlin Dewey
Politics
The Texas Democrat trying to reclaim Christianity from the rightThe Texas Democrat trying to reclaim Christianity from the right
Politics

Democrats want fighters. A Texas Senate candidate is focused on faith.

By Christian Paz
Politics
World leaders are almost never killed in war. Why did it happen to Iran’s supreme leader?World leaders are almost never killed in war. Why did it happen to Iran’s supreme leader?
Politics

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could usher in a new age of assassination.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
The civilians dying in Trump’s new warThe civilians dying in Trump’s new war
Politics

What we know about the civilian death toll in the Middle East, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters
Policy
The Supreme Court appears likely to let stoners own gunsThe Supreme Court appears likely to let stoners own guns
Policy

Gun lovers may soon have the right to bear bongs.

By Ian Millhiser
Podcasts
The “Epstein class,” explainedThe “Epstein class,” explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Why Rep. Ro Khanna isn’t done talking about the Epstein files.

By Astead Herndon and Cameron Peters
Politics
Trump’s Iran war is uniting a strange new anti-war allianceTrump’s Iran war is uniting a strange new anti-war alliance
Politics

How Trump might finally be breaking the manosphere.

By Christian Paz
Politics
Americans will pay for Trump’s war in IranAmericans will pay for Trump’s war in Iran
Politics

How the war in Iran could cause an economic crisis.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
How Khamenei transformed IranHow Khamenei transformed Iran
Politics

And what could come next.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Khamenei is dead. Regime change will be much harder.Khamenei is dead. Regime change will be much harder.
Politics

The US can’t just bomb its way to a new government.

By Robert A. Pape
America After Trump
How Finland defeated fascismHow Finland defeated fascism
Play
America After Trump

What the defeat of the Lapua Movement in the 1940s can teach the US today.

By Caitlin Dewey
LIVE
US strikes Iran: What you need to knowUS strikes Iran: What you need to know
The Logoff
Trump’s war with Iran, briefly explainedTrump’s war with Iran, briefly explained
The Logoff

The US struck multiple Iranian cities early on Saturday morning.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Why did the US strike Iran?Why did the US strike Iran?
Politics

And five other questions about the latest conflict in the Middle East, answered.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Trump attacked regime change wars for years. Now he’s launched his own.Trump attacked regime change wars for years. Now he’s launched his own.
Politics

What does “America First” even mean anymore?

By Joshua Keating
Politics
The incoherence at the heart of Trump’s latest, biggest warThe incoherence at the heart of Trump’s latest, biggest war
Politics

The Iran strikes and the danger of an unbound presidency.

By Zack Beauchamp
Politics
Why India switched sides on Israel-Palestine — and why it mattersWhy India switched sides on Israel-Palestine — and why it matters
Politics

The “nationalist international” binding Israel and India.

By Zack Beauchamp
Politics
The nuclear nightmare at the heart of the Trump-Anthropic fightThe nuclear nightmare at the heart of the Trump-Anthropic fight
Politics

Should we trust Claude to stop a missile attack?

By Joshua Keating
Politics
What economists got wrong about Trump’s tariffsWhat economists got wrong about Trump’s tariffs
Podcast
Politics

The 3 big lessons we’ve learned since “Liberation Day.”

By Ariana Aspuru and Noel King
Future Perfect
Foreign aid is back from the dead — but it’s in the hands of the people who tried to kill itForeign aid is back from the dead — but it’s in the hands of the people who tried to kill it
Future Perfect

Both parties just approved billions for lifesaving aid abroad. Will Trump actually spend it?

By Pratik Pawar
Politics
A new poll shows just how quickly Israel has lost America’s sympathyA new poll shows just how quickly Israel has lost America’s sympathy
Politics

A landmark shift — and it’s not just Democrats

By Joshua Keating
The Logoff
Mamdani charms Trump (again)Mamdani charms Trump (again)
The Logoff

After a White House visit, a Columbia student is released from ICE custody.

By Cameron Peters
Future Perfect
The Pentagon’s battle with Anthropic is really a war over who controls AIThe Pentagon’s battle with Anthropic is really a war over who controls AI
Future Perfect

The most important AI story of the year (so far), explained.

By Bryan Walsh
Podcasts
Meet the toymaker who helped take down Trump’s tariffsMeet the toymaker who helped take down Trump’s tariffs
Podcast
Podcasts

Learning Resources, an Illinois toy company, says it paid more than $10 million in tariffs.

By Kelli Wessinger and Noel King
Politics
Does the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump’s wars?Does the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump’s wars?
Politics

Want to threaten Iran? You’re going to need a bigger boat.

By Joshua Keating
US democracy has repaired itself before. Here’s how we can do it again.
America After Trump

America has remade itself every few decades. Are we due?

By Lee Drutman
The Logoff
One big takeaway from Trump’s SOTU, briefly explainedOne big takeaway from Trump’s SOTU, briefly explained
The Logoff

What Trump sees in a new voter ID bill.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Why Wall Street panicked over a sci-fi blog postWhy Wall Street panicked over a sci-fi blog post
Politics

An AI doom scenario so compelling, it shaved billions off the stock market.

By Eric Levitz
Politics
How Democrats reorganized their State of the Union resistanceHow Democrats reorganized their State of the Union resistance
Politics

The Democrats tried something new to rebut Trump’s address.

By Christian Paz
Matt Yglesias said in 2015 that American democracy was doomed. Was he right?
America After Trump

A conversation with the Vox co-founder about his provocative prediction.

By Zack Beauchamp
Politics
The most important line from Trump’s State of the UnionThe most important line from Trump’s State of the Union
Politics

The president’s grim, anti-democratic address, explained.

By Zack Beauchamp