Political careers can be made (or unmade) by a single speech. Think Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic party convention address, Ronald Reagan’s at the Republican gathering forty years earlier, or Winston Churchill’s World War Two exhortations. At their best, such moments of oration can transcend the mundane, the ordinary, the workmanlike and sweep audiences following across all media to emotional places they never thought possible. Then, there are the singular speeches that span

Many Americans (and perhaps even more citizens of other countries) find themselves yearning for November 7th, 2028, the scheduled date of the next presidential election. That’s the day the Trump era effectively ends (the definitive date would be January 20th, 2027 – inauguration day for whomever the next president will be). Probably. That’s the day the Democrats will atone for Kamala Harris’s electoral 2024 failure. Possibly. That’s the day US democracy returns to greater pre

The contours of Donald Trump’s second term are now starkly clear. We are indeed seeing Trump Unleashed, but not for the democracy-threatening, dictatorial reasons Kamala Harris and the Democrats were trying to warn the American electorate about in last year’s presidential contest. Trump is moving fast, breaking things if he has to and making aggressive moves because he is trying to outrun the constitutional clock. Under the provisions of the 22 nd  Amendment he cannot run aga

For all the people who are hurting and broken. For those who feed the poor. And for all the children who should be loved always, but especially on this night, with our arms wrapped around them and a long goodnight kiss on the temple, a kiss more precious than anything that could ever be wrapped in a box. For every parent standing quietly in the darkened doorways of the bedrooms—or remembering how they stood there once many years past–watching those small, sleeping shapes tuck

It isn't much of a stretch to regard Mark Carney as a lucky man. He may indeed be one of the luckiest figures in recent political history. When Carney first started kicking the Liberal Party’s tires in late 2024, smart money was still on Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to win the next election. After all Poilievre had held an expansive double-digit lead in the polls for months, and Ottawa was bracing for the coming Tory revolution. Then came Donald Trump 2.0 with his threa

History shows that small, seemingly inconsequential events are full of portent. The docking of Chinese cargo ship Istanbul Bridge  at the Felixstowe in the U.K. on October 13, 2025, might have appeared unremarkable. Britain is, after all, China’s third-largest export market, and vessels travel between the two countries all year round. What stood out about the Bridge  was the route it had taken—it was the first major Chinese cargo ship to travel directly to Europe via the Arct

Thanksgiving is a time when families thrive, and our human movement can learn key lessons from this uniquely American tradition as we move forward together. Let’s begin with what’s best about the day: a shared table, familiar laughter, and the quiet grace of gratitude. Gratitude is not the fruit of harmony; it is the seed. Traditions renew; children grow up knowing the laugh of a cousin; and an uncle regales with stories of where the family came from. The mystic chords of mem

Richard Bruce Cheney was arguably the most consequential vice president in American history. He was also one of the most successful defense secretaries, a respected congressional leader, a congressman for twelve years, the youngest-ever White House chief of staff, a corporate leader and a champion of conservative principles. In the wake of 9/11, when many feared and no one knew what might befall the U.S., he helped lead a shell-shocked nation through those dark days, harden t

Diplomacy, when stripped of ceremony and handshakes, is really all about leverage. And this last week in Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Busan, Donald Trump appears to have rediscovered the old craft of using pressure to invite cooperation. The U.S. President, now again playing the roles of negotiator/dealmaker-in-chief, began his week-long diplomacy tour with ASEAN, then APEC nations amid high expectations — and low trust. As is their wont, Trump’s advisers are eager to claim victor

After the euphoria and relief of Monday’s prisoner exchange and ceasefire, Tuesday has brought some ominous signs for the future of the Gaza peace deal wrought by president Donald Trump. Despite the ringing words of the leaders gathered at Sharm El-Sheikh the shooting didn’t entirely stop. Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone strike on Tuesday morning in Gaza’s Shejaiya neighborhood. According to the (IDF) Israel Defense Forces, they had crossed the “yellow line”

A defeated Democratic incumbent. A charismatic Republican outsider. An election roiled by economic turmoil and violence somewhere in the...

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked a cacophony of condemnations and grief from leaders across the political spectrum within...

This year, Europe celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the beginning of what came next. The declaration of...

For more than a decade, Chinese politics has been defined by Xi Jinping. Since assuming leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)...

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Ok he’s managed to outlast both Liz Truss and the lettuce. Embattled British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer swept into office on a...

There is much unknown and unclear in the days ahead since both Israel and Iran agreed to end what U.S. President Donald Trump has dubbed...

On June 12th Israel unleashed a series of meticulously-planned strikes that damaged Iranian nuclear facilities and missile sites,...

“I’m supposed to be dead,” Donald Trump said, the day after a would-be assassin's bullet clipped his right ear at his 2024 rally in...

For decades before and after the Cold War a collective defense pact in Asia between the U.S. was neither possible or necessary. Yet,...