June 2026
The war in Iran – again – points to the strategic shortcomings of assassination as policy of foreign affairs
Targeted killings can disrupt an adversary, but they rarely lead to collapse — especially when the target is a nation-state like Iran.
The forgotten story of abolition in revolutionary France – the first emancipation
Decades before the United States, France outlawed slavery during the French Revolution – only to see it reimposed by Napoleon within a decade.
The 1994 World Cup helped rescue ‘the beautiful game’ from mediocrity. On its return to the US, expect more of that beauty
Global soccer was in the doldrums in the early 1990s – with poor ethics and boring defensive tactics. Then FIFA set about changing the game.
A mass killing in the Philippines sparks rare scrutiny over counterinsurgency violence – but no wider reckoning
The Philippines has been engaged in a battle against Maoist insurgents since the late 1960s.
What’s wrong with how US and Uganda plan to stop Ebola spreading
Geography may not provide meaningful protection once an outbreak is already underway.
Minnesota raises unprecedented constitutional issues in its lawsuit against Trump administration anti‑immigrant deployment
A US district judge is weighing whether the surge of ICE agents in the state violates the US Constitution or falls within the executive’s power to enforce federal law.
As government privatization efforts grow, lawsuits against federal contractors get more difficult
The Supreme Court limited the ability of people to sue government contractors in state courts.
When Washington and the states are in conflict, the ultimate winner is not always certain
Conflict between Washington and the states is perennial and by design. Lack of clarity about who’s in charge on what issue keeps power from becoming concentrated.
How America’s independence from England revolutionized US philanthropy
US charitable institutions rapidly changed in the 1780s as Americans established groups to support people in need and to reform society.
The US Constitution and laws do not protect oil companies from being sued over the harm they cause to the climate
Calls for the Supreme Court to give fossil fuel companies immunity from liability for climate-related damage misreads the Constitution, precedent and the role of courts.