Given the sheer number of potential candidates, the U.S. Democratic party is approaching what could be its most wide-open presidential primary season in decades, there is the distinct possibility a dark horse could emerge and upend established expectations. And no, the person in question is not (yet) a household name, not a former Vice President, California Governor, or former Biden cabinet member. A year ago, Senator Jon Ossoff seemed like he might be relegated to the politi

The idea that the American Revolution wasn’t actually all that revolutionary has long had its advocates on both sides of the ideological spectrum. Some conservatives have argued that the Revolution aimed only to restore traditional British liberties, while some on the left have claimed that it only changed the form of government but left slavery undisturbed and even reinforced social inequalities. Neither of those views gives the Revolution its due. Although it fell short of

When the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, the regime in Tehran was in an position of unprecedented vulnerability. It faced nothing less than existential economic and environmental crises, diminished defensive capabilities, and internal turmoil and external scrutiny following a brutal January crackdown on protests that killed thousands of its own people. But after 40 days of war and two months of shaky cease-fire, the Islamic Republic has m

As artificial intelligence has upended the way in which students read, learn and write, as well as how teachers evaluate and mark, professors and leaders at institutions of higher learning appear to have been largely left to their own devices to figure out how to teach in a profoundly transformed landscape. Many faculty members in the hard sciences and social sciences have pointed to the “productivity boost” AI can offer, and the research potential unlocked by its ability to

When I was hospitalized from a near death experience not so long ago and recovery was frustratingly slow, what time I had (and there was a lot of it) was filled by going through a voluminous tome on the life of St. Padre Pio. From dawn to dusk I would pore through each page driven as much by how compelling his life story was as well as a strange sense of succor, as if the words were taking me out of a calamitous predicament and transporting me to a place which brought peace.

Has there ever been more confusion about what a U.S. president is up to? In the days since Donald Trump launched his February 28th assault on Iran, it’s been virtually impossible to get a straight answer out of him or his team about what the U.S.’s ultimate goal is. Given the flurry of contradictory statements from government representatives and even the commander-in-chief himself it’s fair for all to ask if the President even has one. In fact, evidence exists that Trump does

As the Republican party approaches the 2026 congressional and 2028 presidential elections it faces a fundamental challenge. Considered to be the party of the Right (broadly classified as those who believe in conservative principles) it won the 2024 election by successfully assembling a coalition capable of competing nationally. Whether it can consolidate that power into a lasting majority is far less certain. The coalition that returned Donald Trump to the White House is begi

The 90th anniversary of Václav Havel's birth (October 5, 1936 – December 18, 2011) will be celebrated throughout 2026, featuring international exhibitions, essay competitions, and archival projects honoring his legacy as a dissident playwright, the last president of Czechoslovakia, and the first president of the Czech Republic. When he passed away, we lost a hero of our times, a friend of freedom, who lived his life with integrity and sent forward ripples of hope into the wor

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, firms shifted from a “just in time” model to a “just in case” approach that sought to strengthen resilience. With oil and gas infrastructure becoming a primary military target, energy systems must now undergo a similar transition. It is too soon to know when or how the war with Iran will end, or what its medium to long term geopolitical or economic consequences will be. But one thing is already more than obvious: what is meant by ‘en

Wars are easy to start, harder to end. Are the US and Iran any closer to a full peace agreement, much less a settlement — or is a return to all-out war inevitable? On the one hand, President Donald Trump has told multiple reporters in recent days that Iran has effectively agreed to all US conditions and that talks are going well, with Vice President JD Vance set to head out to Pakistan for more talks. On the other hand, after briefly declaring it reopened last week, Iran once

We interrupt our normal programming. For the next few minutes there will be no words about the Iran War, the Ukraine War, privation, inequity, injustice, natural disasters, social/racial, religious conflict, natural disasters, or any other source of division or stress. Imagine for a moment the following. On the evening of April Fools’ Day, while taking his daily walk, a citizen listened to the live Artemis II countdown on his phone and chatted with neighbors as they all strai

As far as announcements go, this one was pretty earth shattering, but to observers of Middle Eastern politics, it was not entirely unexpected. After all, Israel had a tradition of decapitation attacks. “After a lifetime of struggle,” a state newsreader declared, “Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei drank the sweet, pure draft of martyrdom and joined the Supreme Heavenly Kingdom.” The broadcaster praised Khamenei for being “unceasing and untiring” and for his “lofty and celest

It may be hard to believe but one day Donald Trump will no longer be President of the United States. Whether or not his Republican party crown passes to J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio, his successor will have to contend with an opposition Democratic Party likely to see resurgence in this coming November’s congressional elections. Which means that come November 4th, 2026 the day after this contest, the proverbial pistol fires for the 2028 presidential election cycle. The Democrats

Seventeen years ago, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, then the Iranian president was dominating western headlines. But even then, concentrating on his vitriolic statements was a mistake. One needed to concentrate on the pronouncements and actions of the one person who really counted in that regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was then 69 and widely believed to have cancer. As we know, Khamenei did not die then. Not until two weeks ago, when U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Pri

It's no secret that U.S. President Donald Trump is a competitive man and the world has grown used to his constant employment of hyperbole in describing his (real or perceived) achievements. This is especially true whenever he compares himself (always favorably) to his predecessors in the role. In this vein, perhaps over eager to show that he can do what no American leader has done before, Trump has chosen conflict over diplomacy and essentially gone to war with Iran. The word

No matter what they may otherwise profess, American presidents find it almost impossible not to go to war. In 1992, Bill Clinton won the presidency by famously declaring “it’s the economy, stupid,” and pontificating that the era of power politics was over. Once in office, however, he found himself ordering missile strikes in several countries, maintaining no-fly zones over Iraq (and sometimes bombing it), as well as waging a long aerial campaign against Serbia in 1999. In 200

Like a proverbial sword of Damocles the specter of conflict once more hangs over the Middle East. The Trump administration is closer to a major war in the perpetually volatile region than most Americans (and for that matter most everyone else) realize. In fact, it could begin very soon. Why should anyone care? A U.S. military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than last month's pinpoint operation in Vene

In the year after Trump began his second term with an inaugural address assertion that he was “saved by God to make America great again,” one way to measure his influence is to cast the mind forward two years from now. In January 2028, Democrats will be in the thick of their contest not simply to be the presidential nominee but to carry out what they believe is an assignment from history: ending the Trump Moment. It’s been a long journey. Assuming he serves out his full term

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