Policy

Why Congress Will Never Reform Social Security
And who will pay the price when the trust fund runs out.

On Protests in China, Is Less More?
Plus: Kevin McCarthy mulls the math for his speakership bid, and what comes next for the January 6 committee.

Ranked Choice Voting Is Working in Alaska
Results took longer to come in, but the ultimate outcome makes sense.

The War on Bubba
Our approach to gun crime is a mix of doing nothing and going after middle-aged guys who like to shoot rifles.

An Open Letter to Those Who Think I’ve Lost My Christian Faith
Is this “how conservatism dies”?

Celebrating the World’s 8 Billionth Person With … Lots and Lots of Charts
Happy #Chartsgiving, everyone.

Explaining the Right’s Debate Over the Senate’s Gay Marriage Bill
Religious freedom advocates don’t all agree on the Respect for Marriage Act.

How to Really Turn the Screws on North Korea
Unprecedented missile tests deserve a more serious diplomatic and economic response.

Iran-Backed Militias in Baghdad Present a Test for Biden
How will the administration respond to the murder of an American citizen?

The Midterm Elections and the Things We Tell Ourselves
Could big spending packages actually have helped the Democrats?

On Inflation, Could We Be Through the Worst?
Markets jumped Thursday as official reports showed slowing inflation, although experts warned there's a long way to go.

What Happened to FTX?
One of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges has declared bankruptcy: A Dispatch Explainer.

Congratulations on a Successful Midterm Election
DDoS attacks and vote counting glitches shouldn’t shake your confidence in our amazing system.

How History Might Remember—or Forget—the Next Congress
Could this be one of the least important elections of our lifetime?