Opinions
Trump's White House creates own media universe
From influencer-only briefings to memes of Donald Trump as the pope and a "Star Wars" Jedi master, the White House is creating its own alternate media reality. Since Trump's return to the U.S. presidency in January, his team has given right-wing "new media" an increasingly prominent place as it steps… Read
Pandas and politics − from World War II to the Cold War, zoos have always been ideological
President Donald Trump’s sweeping range of more than 130 executive orders and other decisions aim to upend everything from long-standing immigration policy to the control of a performing arts center. But so far, zoos are not among the many issues the Trump administration has focused on. That might no longer… Read
Australia election win seen strengthening Albanese's hand with U.S.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is likely to work more closely with centre-left governments in Britain and Canada, as well as other democratic allies, after a resounding election win strengthened his hand in dealing with the U.S., analysts said. Albanese's Labor Party rode a voter backlash against the policies of… Read
Italy’s Meloni positioning herself as bridge between EU and Trump – but will it work?
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently became the first European leader to visit the United States after President Donald Trump announced a new tariff regime on trading partners, including a 20% levy on imports from the European Union. While those tariffs are currently on hold, the ongoing threat of them… Read
Is China the new cool? How Beijing is using pop culture to win the soft power war
IShowSpeed, a 20-year-old American YouTuber and internet star, recently livestreamed hourslong tours of Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai, showcasing the locations to some of his nearly 40 million viewers. During the March events, IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr, marveled at friendly locals, spotless streets and the high-speed Wi-Fi… Read
Loss of FEMA program spells disaster for hundreds of communities and their projects
The textile mills that once served as the backbone of Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, have long been shuttered, and officials believed federal money would be key to the town's overdue revitalization. They hoped an improved stormwater drainage system and secured electrical wires — funded through a program to help communities… Read
Trump's agenda faces courtroom setbacks as Justice Department lawyers struggle to win over judges
To understand the Justice Department's struggles in representing President Donald Trump's positions in court, look no further than a quick succession of losses last week that dealt a setback to the administration's agenda. In orders spanning different courthouses, judges blocked a White House plan to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to… Read
The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago, but the battle with Agent Orange continues
The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, when the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces. But millions of people still face daily battles with its chemical legacy. Nguyen Thanh Hai, 34, is one of millions with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. Born with severe developmental challenges,… Read
International students infuse tens of millions of dollars into local economies across U.S. What happens if they stay home?
The Trump administration has recently revoked the visas of more than 1,300 foreign college students – detaining some – and launched immigration enforcement actions on college campuses across the country. This has raised concerns among the more than 1.1 million international students studying at U.S. universities. Headlines are filled with… Read
Justice Department lawyers work for justice and the Constitution – not the White House
In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon tried to fire the Department of Justice prosecutor leading an investigation into the president’s involvement in wiretapping the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters. Since then, the DOJ has generally been run as an impartial law enforcement agency, separated from the executive office and partisan politics.… Read
