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politics + society

When a president settles his own lawsuit to create a fund for allies, fundamental questions about justice arise

When a president settles his own lawsuit to create a fund for allies, fundamental questions about justice arise

(AMHERST, MASS.) Thomas Hobbes took a very dim view of rebels and insurrectionists. He believed that insurrectionists relinquish their status as citizens the moment they seek to overthrow the government and should never be rewarded for doing so. Hobbes, one of the finest political theorists of his time, said this

For the first time in a decade, the next election could be less secure than the one preceding it

For the first time in a decade, the next election could be less secure than the one preceding it

(BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA) With the 2026 midterms less than six months away, the Election Security Group would normally be busy helping prepare the nation’s election infrastructure. The federal task force typically briefs Congress on upcoming threats and engages with state and local leaders to game out scenarios ranging from ransomware

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disagreed about the American Revolution’s meaning even as they lay dying

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disagreed about the American Revolution’s meaning even as they lay dying

Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As what was known as the “Jubilee” of American independence approached, Americans realized that the

Why a growing number of Trump supporters are experiencing voter’s remorse

Why a growing number of Trump supporters are experiencing voter’s remorse

(AMHERST, MASS.) In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly, for example – have voiced their displeasure with him on several issues. They range from Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the economy

Why Trump’s call to pull 5,000 US troops from Germany will hurt America

Why Trump’s call to pull 5,000 US troops from Germany will hurt America

President Donald Trump announced on May 1, 2026, that the United States will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany – personnel who had been deployed there as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany-U.S. tensions started after the U.S. invasion of Iran. German Chancellor

Why political gerrymandering in the South will likely continue to consider voters’ race despite Supreme Court ruling

Why political gerrymandering in the South will likely continue to consider voters’ race despite Supreme Court ruling

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) The outrage was swift and severe when the U.S. Supreme Court, by an ideologically divided 6-3 vote, recently struck down Louisiana’s majority Black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Critics lambasted the court for gutting the Voting Rights Act, the federal law that

Why a landmark Supreme Court ruling has failed to keep racial bias out of jury selection

Why a landmark Supreme Court ruling has failed to keep racial bias out of jury selection

(AMHERST, MASS.) On April 30, 2026, Texas executed James Broadnax, a Black man who was sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of two men in 2008. Before the jury was seated, the prosecutor moved to dismiss each of the seven Black people from the jury pool. Citing court