Ideas

Scenes from election day, Nov. 3, in New York City.

One Thing Did Actually Work Out This Year: U.S. Democracy

Not much has been going right this year. But look: In an atmosphere various...

Not much has been going right this year. But look: In an atmosphere variously described as “great uncertainty” and a prelude to civil war, the people of the United States conducted an election. It went...

Trump supporters face off with counterprotesters
near the Supreme Court, on Nov. 14 in Washington

America's Past Has Shown the Power of 'We.' Here's How We Can Revive It

Unprecedented political polarization; deep and accelerating inequality; vit...

Unprecedented political polarization; deep and accelerating inequality; vitriolic public discourse; a fraying social fabric; public and private self-centeredness--Americans today seem to agree on only one thing: this is the worst of times. But we've been...

Iranian mourners attend the burial ceremony of slain nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh at Imamzadeh Saleh shrine in northern Tehran, on Nov. 30, 2020.

Iran's Hopes for New Nuclear Talks, and an Economic Boost, Rest on the Biden Administration

A terrible year for Iran got worse when the country's top nuclear scientist...

A terrible year for Iran got worse when the country's top nuclear scientist was killed. As the architect of Iran's nuclear weapons program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was a national hero, and his Nov. 27 assassination has...

Even the Pandemic Hasn’t Made Public-Health Icon Paul Farmer Lose Hope

"Am I allowed to be a normal human and say, 'How are you?'" asks Dr. Paul F...

"Am I allowed to be a normal human and say, 'How are you?'" asks Dr. Paul Farmer as soon as our Zoom call connects. It's an apt introduction for a man who became a living...

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speak virtually with the Covid-19 Advisory Council during a briefing at The Queen theatre on Nov. 9, 2020 in Wilmington, Del.

What the Biden Team Needs to Do Now to Fight COVID-19

On January 20, 2021—exactly one year after the first case of COVID-19 was c...

On January 20, 2021—exactly one year after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United States—Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th U.S. President. Once he takes office, he will be able...

Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wave party flags as they arrive a day before the groundbreaking ceremony of the proposed Ram Temple, in Ayodhya on August 4, 2020.

Laws Against 'Love Jihad' Are Yet Another Serious Attack on India's Once Secular Democracy

In the new India, Hindus are more equal than others

Joshua Wong, activist, speaks with members of the media outside the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020.

All Seems Lost for Hong Kong's Democracy Movement as Joshua Wong Faces Jail. But There Are Still Reasons for Hope.

Hong Kong's activists may seem vanquished, but the city has made fools of f...

Hong Kong's activists may seem vanquished, but the city has made fools of forecasters before argues Jeffrey Wasserstrom

One Thing Did Actually Work Out This Year: U.S. Democracy

America's Past Has Shown the Power of 'We.' Here's How We Can Revive It

Iran's Hopes for New Nuclear Talks, and an Economic Boost, Rest on the Biden Administration

Even the Pandemic Hasn’t Made Public-Health Icon Paul Farmer Lose Hope

What the Biden Team Needs to Do Now to Fight COVID-19

Laws Against 'Love Jihad' Are Yet Another Serious Attack on India's Once Secular Democracy

All Seems Lost for Hong Kong's Democracy Movement as Joshua Wong Faces Jail. But There Are Still Reasons for Hope.

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AROUND THE GLOBE