Politics
Why thousands of federal lawyers leaving government service matters for everyone in the justice system
More than 10,000 attorneys who worked for the US government have left their jobs during the second Trump administration; a former federal judge analyzes the impact of that exodus.
The danger of US‑Iran ceasefire agreement is what it leaves out
A strong deal would build in real penalties for going back to war: automatic, reversible costs that fall on anyone who restarts the fighting.
Pennsylvania coroners refuse to release autopsy reports – and that hinders research on deaths in custody
When coroners shield their records from public view, they’re not just violating the public trust. Often, they’re also breaking the law.
How the US Supreme Court decides its cases – a step‑by‑step guide
Grasping how the nation’s highest court makes policy requires stepping into an exceptionally regulated and sometimes hidden routine.
I study the Declaration of Independence, and here’s why the colonists’ grievances are surprisingly relevant, 250 years later
A partisan judiciary, arbitrary power, officials beyond the reach of the people – these are the grievances that drove a revolution.
Trump doesn’t own the government – even though he acts as if Congress is not his equal in constitutional power and authority
In President Donald Trump’s public language, Congress rarely appears as a coequal branch of government. It appears as an obstacle, an audience, a pressure point, a rubber stamp or an afterthought.
Medication abortion: Decisions from federal courts, the FDA or Trump’s Department of Justice could try to end access via telehealth
This year, decisions from the courts, FDA or DOJ could all shut down telehealth for medication abortion, which is how most people in states with bans get care.
In deep‑red Idaho, even Republicans break with Trump on farm labor
A statewide survey finds majorities in farm country at odds with the deportation push reshaping their workforce.
How local communities are challenging Big Tech data centers’ noise, pollution and rising electricity bills
Local needs, political tensions and corporate power all get involved in the democratic processes by which Americans govern their communities.
Americans keep voting for scandal‑prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win
Polarization and negative partisanship have lowered the standards for whom Americans are willing to support.