Commentary
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Iran’s Protests and the Myth of Instant Solutions
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On February 28, 2026, the United States & Israel conducted joint large-scale military strikes against Iran, hitting military and nuclear targets across cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow. A number of key Iranian leaders have been killed, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, and…
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From Preclusive to Preventive: GLP-1 Accessibility
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Technological innovations often face backlash or skepticism at first before finding a place in everyday life. Famously, many believed the printing press would diminish human intellect, as the written word would replace memorization. Luddites opposed innovations during the Industrial Revolution in England, fearing that their businesses would be displaced by…
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AI mishaps are warning signs we can’t ignore
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Grok, the chatbot from Elon Musk’s xAI, sparked international controversy around the start of this year by creating millions of sexualized edits of users’ photos — including of minors. In replies to images on the social media platform X, users posted requests for Grok, such as “remove her clothes” or…
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Beyond Brain Drain: How Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Undermine the Federal Workforce
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When lawmakers debate anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, the conversation is often framed as a cultural or moral dispute. House floor speeches and twitter fights are often centered on medicine, children, sports, and freedom of speech. It is effective for grabbing attention, to the point where people have built entire careers around anti-trans…
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Why Big Oil Does Not Stand To Win From Maduro’s Capture
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On January 9th, 2026, Donald Trump hosted a meeting with major executives of American oil companies to pitch them the opportunity to invest in oil production in Venezuela. Yet, the executives did not seem eager to commit to disbursing the $100 billion that Trump wanted to secure. Indeed, quite the…
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The Carney Doctrine: How Middle Powers Navigate a Weaponized Order
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At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, two very different worlds were described. One came from Donald Trump. He spoke of America as an indispensable power, hinted again at acquiring Greenland, and told his audience that allies such as Canada owed their survival to U.S. generosity. The other…
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The Fragile Foundations of the AI Economy
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In the 1840s, Britain experienced one of the largest investment booms in modern economic history. Suddenly, an emerging, epochally transformative technology emerged, promising faster transport, lower costs, and national market integration. Railway mania was born, and capital poured in. At its peak, railway investment reached roughly seven percent of British…
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The Rise in Health Insurance Prices: How Policy Can Change American Healthcare
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Experts have been warning the public about the impending increase in health insurance prices in 2025, with even sharper increases expected this year in 2026. This anticipated increase comes with a shrinkage in coverage and a strain on low-income Americans who will not be able to afford these hiking premiums.…
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Cross-Border Politics and the Game of Cricket
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By any measure, cricket is more than just a game. Historian C.L.R. James famously wrote that “Cricket is first and foremost a dramatic spectacle. It belongs with theatre, ballet, opera and the dance.” Today, with an estimated global audience exceeding two billion, cricket is deeply embedded in the political and…
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More than a Band-Aid: Why Foreign Aid Must Evolve
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If you were born in the year 1820, your odds of living in extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $1.90 per day in today’s dollars, were greater than 75%. Today, that likelihood is just 10%. The world has made significant improvements in quality of life over the past…
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Incompetence, Fraud and Conflict of Interest: The Problems of SNAP Benefits
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Suppose it is payday and you are patiently waiting for your paycheck to hit your bank account. You do not have a particularly large cushion of savings, so the upcoming deposit will be covering groceries and other necessities, little else. Now imagine your shock: the bank has mistakenly allocated that…