This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. The term “fog of war” usually describes the murkiness that combatants experience in conflict zones. For our purposes, it might also apply to the messages coming out of the White House over the past […]

Tuesday night will deliver much more than the conclusion of the first round of voting in the feisty Texas Democratic Senate primary. It brings with it the first major opportunity to take stock of lessons ahead of the 2026 midterms, about what kind of fighter Democratic voters are looking for and what kind of message […]

Your Mileage May Vary is an advice column offering you a unique framework for thinking through your moral dilemmas. It’s based on value pluralism — the idea that each of us has multiple values that are equally valid but that often conflict with each other. To submit a question, fill out this anonymous form. Here’s this week’s question from a […]

The Israeli bombing that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday not only brought the demise of one of the central global political figures of the last half century, it also represented something almost unprecedented in modern warfare: the successful killing of an enemy head of state by a foreign military. You have […]

The US war in Iran, joined by Israel, is in its third day, with no sign of slowing. On Monday, President Donald Trump estimated that it could last about four weeks — “and we’re a little ahead of schedule,” he said. Already, the US has accomplished some of its military objectives, including sinking part of […]