Blog

From removing a House speaker and expelling an indicted member, it was not a great year for America’s representatives Before House Republicans left for their holiday recess this month, they addressed one last matter of business. They did not take up an aid package for Ukraine or pass an appropriations bill to fully fund the … Read more

Duolingo is ‘pausing’ its Welsh course despite high demand – we need robust forms of learning that aren’t driven by profit Every 14 days, a language dies. Within the next century, about half of the 7,000 languages spoken on Earth today will have disappeared, taking with them a unique lexicon, culture and way of seeing … Read more

After receiving multiple indictments in 2023, here’s what to know on the civil and federal cases Trump faces going into the year of the next presidential election.

The conversation is stuck: you’re either ‘playing the race card’ or ‘in denial’. But here’s a way to break through The national conversation on racism seems to be stuck in an endless loop. We all know the routine: a public debate is sparked by a news story that features a case of alleged bigotry. It … Read more

Empiricism, algorithms and smartphones are out – astrology, art and a life lived fiercely offline are in Cultural upheavals can be a riddle in real time. Trends that might seem obvious in hindsight are poorly understood in the present or not fathomed at all. We live in turbulent times now, at the tail end of … Read more

President faces pressure from Republican critics and Democratic allies as he struggles to address what both sides agree is a crisis Heading into the heat of the 2024 election season, Joe Biden is weighing major changes to US immigration policy that would toughen border enforcement and address an issue that has emerged as one of … Read more

UN high commissioner for human rights says there is ‘rapid deterioration’ of rights in West Bank. Plus, how instant noodles took over the world Good morning. A UN report published today deplored what it said was a “rapid deterioration” of human rights in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and urged Israeli authorities to end violence against … Read more

Democrats in Pennsylvania — President Biden’s birthplace — are flipping to the Republican Party in droves, according to the swing state’s recent voter registration data. Pennsylvania holds crucial importance for Biden’s reelection bid. He notably hailed Philadelphia campaign donors as the “backbone” of his presidential campaign earlier this year. As of Dec. 18, 35,589 Democrats … Read more

The Biden administration issued numerous energy efficiency regulations in 2023 that it said would lead to reduced carbon emissions and lower prices, but which experts say would lead to higher costs and restrict consumer choice. The regulations, which were largely crafted and finalized by the Department of Energy (DOE), mainly targeted popular home appliances including … Read more

Amid soaring rents, some are turning to the UK’s many vacant properties for shelter. Could this be a return to the 70s and 80s? The postcode was an exclusive area of London and the four-storey, period building was something an estate agent might describe as “magnificent” and “imposing”. A man escorted me to a side … Read more