Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

Donald Trump’s pivot to blasphemy

To celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, President Donald Trump appears to have decided that blasphemy might be the best option. Late Sunday evening, Trump posted a wordy attack of Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, saying the first American-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church was “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” […]

Eric Swalwell’s downfall, explained

This story was first featured in the Today, Explained newsletter. Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day. Sign up here. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday after a series of disturbing accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal had drawn a fierce […]

Eric Swalwell’s downfall, explained

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday after a series of disturbing accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal had drawn a fierce response from Democrats nationwide as they tried to force him out and keep the fallout contained.  Just days ago, Swalwell was one of the frontrunners in a crowded […]

How MAGA’s favorite strongman finally lost

Viktor Orbán, the European Union’s only autocrat, has fallen. Results from Sunday’s election in Hungary show that the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has defeated Orbán’s Fidesz party — the first election the party has lost in 20 years. Orbán called Magyar to concede the race within hours of the polls closing. There […]

New data suggests Trump’s assault on democracy may be stalling out

The status of American democracy feels paradoxical: somehow both damaged and well-functioning at the same time. On the one hand, the United States has a president who is acting like a dictator: threatening to wipe out an entire civilization, menacing allies with threats to annex their territory, targeting domestic enemies with spurious criminal investigations, and […]