US politics

black and white river footage

Negotiating the power of the Columbia River

Many major companies rely on the Columbia River to harness power for electricity. The river is once again the focus of negotiations as Canada and the US work to revamp the treaty that governs how Canada manages dams on its portion of the river. 

Negotiating the power of the Columbia River
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shake hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in Amman, Jordan, Oct. 13, 2023.

The Palestinian political system needs to be rebuilt on ‘national consensus,’ says political activist

The Palestinian political system needs to be rebuilt on ‘national consensus,’ says political activist
people amid explosion

A timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Two men, US President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing with the arms stretched outward to wave

What to expect from Modi’s historic visit to the US

What to expect from Modi’s historic visit to the US
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives at the Foreign Office to visit Britain's Foreign Secretary in London, Friday, April 28, 2023.

Will Gov. DeSantis win his battle to dismantle DEI programs at state universities?

Will Gov. DeSantis win his battle to dismantle DEI programs at state universities?
US Army recruits in assumed position, wearing black t-shirts that have "ARMY" written across in bold yellow letters

The US military faces challenges on the homefront as recruitment shortages continue

The US Army missed its target by 25% during the past fiscal year. Other branches of the military are also seeing a drop in recruiting.

The US military faces challenges on the homefront as recruitment shortages continue
Vira Ustyanska, a 34-year-old artist, fled her home in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, soon after the war started. She now lives in San Diego, California, with a host family waiting for the war to end.

Finding home in California after fleeing war in Ukraine

Amid war and displacement, Ukrainian artist Vira Ustyanska and her daughter find home in San Diego, California, as they wait for the war to end.

Finding home in California after fleeing war in Ukraine
Venezuelan migrants board a boat in the Colombian city of Necocli that will take them closer to Panama, the next stop on the way to the United States

New Biden policy leaves thousands of Venezuelan migrants stranded

The Biden administration announced a plan that will automatically reject all Venezuelans seeking asylum at the US border with Mexico if they enter the country without authorization. The deal will only benefit a fraction of asylum-seekers.

New Biden policy leaves thousands of Venezuelan migrants stranded
man behind bars

The US is looking to free Griner in a prisoner swap. Russia wants Viktor Bout. Who is he?

Since Brittney Griner was arrested, detained, and later sentenced in Moscow, her supporters have been advocating for the Biden administration to do anything possible to secure her release. The US and Russian officials have been in talks about a potential prisoner swap. The person that has come up most frequently as the man who could be released in exchange for Griner is Viktor Bout.

The US is looking to free Griner in a prisoner swap. Russia wants Viktor Bout. Who is he?
headshot of woman

New US ambassador to Kenya arrives ahead of Tuesday's election

US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman has just arrived in the capital Nairobi ahead of the country's heated presidential elections. She gave her first press conference over the weekend. While Whitman is more known for leading Fortune 500 companies than diplomacy, she says she will leverage her experience in this new role. 

New US ambassador to Kenya arrives ahead of Tuesday's election
girls with cake

200,000 'Documented Dreamers' are literally waiting a lifetime for a green card

Many children who illegally entered the US are protected under Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA). But those who came legally on their parents’ work visas have no such protections. When they turn 21, even though they have lived in the US nearly all their lives, they are subject to deportation.

200,000 'Documented Dreamers' are literally waiting a lifetime for a green card
two men stand near each other

Experts question what the US will get out of Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia

President Joe Biden arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday for the first time since he took office. He met with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden said in the past that he would make the kingdom “the pariah that it is.” But as gas prices have skyrocketed, he has changed his rhetoric. Now, experts question what the US will get out of this controversial visit.

Experts question what the US will get out of Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia
The Department of Justice indicted six officers of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service in October 2020 on charges of hacking and deploying malware.

Russia could unleash disruptive cyberattacks against the US — but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely

Russia probably has the means to attack US electrical grids and otherwise create havoc but probably won’t go that far. Instead, watch for disinformation aimed at undermining the US and NATO.

Russia could unleash disruptive cyberattacks against the US — but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely
President Lyndon B. Johnson, right, talks with Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in his White House office in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18, 1964.

How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home

MLK’s vision for nonviolence included abolishing what he called triple evils — racism, poverty and militarism.

How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home
The Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol offers an example of how refusing to accept election results can lead to violence.

The ‘sore loser effect’: Rejecting election results can destabilize democracy and drive terrorism

False election fraud claims helped fuel the US Capitol attack — and still continue to create risks of violence and domestic terrorism.

The ‘sore loser effect’: Rejecting election results can destabilize democracy and drive terrorism