Go to video Related The Nobel Peace Prize isn't for surrenders.

Lawmakers say Rubio distanced US from peace plan. Members of Congress attending an international security forum said Secretary of State Marco Rubio called them to say the Americans did not instigate the proposal. Related

The democratic party is falling behind while Trump accelerates technology innovation. Related: The surprising issue driving a wedge between Trump and his MAGA base

The administration sidestepped skeptical lawyers across national security agencies as it pursued a military campaign against alleged narcotraffickers, officials say.

The distinguished historian says the U.S. isn’t like other nations and never has been. There is no U.S. ethnicity to back up the state.

Why did Grok say he’s better than Jesus?

DM How do you define miasma? A miasma is a historical term for a noxious atmosphere or vapor believed to cause disease. The "miasma theory" dominated medical thinking from ancient times through the mid-19th century, holding that illnesses like cholera, plague, and malaria arose from foul-smelling air emanating from rotting organic matter, swamps, or other sources of "bad air." The word comes from Greek, meaning "pollution" or "defilement." You can see its influence in the na

The concentration of wealth among the richest Americans is unlike anything in history — and so is billionaires’ influence in politics. Related prior post on this topic Related post today

The White House is giving Putin permission to try again. Related Also related

In a revision that has left medical experts stunned, the health agency’s website plays into anti-vaccine rhetoric with a 'quirk of logic' Related Also related

Government-spec’d glory projects produce tech demos. Enduring progress demands a better way forward. Counterpoints KEY TAKEAWAYS OF FIRST LINK ABOVE: In this op-ed, Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, argues that government-led “glory projects” ultimately hurt the aerospace industry they were meant to advance. He writes that both the Apollo and Concorde programs chased prestige over practicality, producing technological marvels with no sustainable path forward. Scholl belie

At the foundation of America’s progress movement are immigrants who still believe this country can build. KEY TAKEAWAYS In October, the Roots of Progress Institute organized Progress Conference 2025 to connect people and ideas in the progress movement. In this dispatch from the conference, writer and RPI fellow Afra Wang explores how immigrant founders are driving America’s new era of “physical dynamism.” She finds that America’s capacity to build — and to believe in building

Before we can build the future, we have to imagine it. KEY TAKEAWAYS In this op-ed, Beatrice Erkers argues that progress begins with culture: the stories, symbols, and shared visions that make certain futures feel worth building. She explores how cultural forces like memes and movies act as “invisible infrastructure,” shaping technology, policy, and ambition long before they materialize in the real world. According to Erkers, we must deliberately invest in a culture of hope —

Hated by some in the U.S., the warplane has tilted the balance in the Middle East Quick Summary Israel’s military advantage, largely due to its F-35 fleet, is threatened by a potential US sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Israeli officials fear F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia could lead to sales to other nations like Turkey, eroding Israel’s air superiority. Israel acquired 25 more F-35s in June 2024, bringing its total to 75, and seeks advanced US technology to maintain its military

The NIH is picking up Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s argument that a healthy immune system can keep even pandemic germs at bay. Related

Beijing’s strategy, known as ‘the pen and the gun,’ employs a domestic media campaign and aggressive rhetoric toward Taipei’s friends Quick Summary China is intensifying its “pen and gun” strategy against Taiwan, using state media to shape domestic opinion while lashing out at Taiwan’s supporters. Beijing is targeting Taiwan’s supporters, notably Japan, through diplomatic threats and military posturing near disputed territories and Taiwan. China aims to coerce Taiwan into cap

Ken Burns new series provides our history, as only he can And Walter Issacson on the greatest sentence ever written

DM Please offer your perspectives on these excerpts from Joe Manchin's recently published autobiography, "Dead Center:" Here's the first excerpt for your consideration: "Throughout our nation’s history, extreme party politics have repeatedly threatened to destroy the United States, even though the existence of political parties was deliberately omitted from our Constitution. President George Washington grew so disillusioned with the squabbling of his era that he declined to r

After a decades long hiatus, nuclear weapons surge back to the forefront of global politics Somewhat related? The U.S. bid to control the western hemisphere Also related: comparing U.S. and China drones

FCC chair Brendan Carr is on a crusade to manipulate the airwaves.