The Next Targets in the Fight Against Affirmative Action

It won’t be admissions offices at selective schools but institutions and programs that use race as a plus factor in making decisions about who gets contracts, jobs, scholarships, and awards.

How Much Hotter Can Texas Get?

The state endures high temperatures, but not usually so early in the summer, or for so long. Something is different.

Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump, and the Pursuit of Low-Level Crimes

Following the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation, the former President was arraigned on felony charges stemming from hush-money payments.

Should Latinos Be Considered a Race?

A proposed change to the census faces opposition from Afro-Latino groups, and exposes conflicts among Latino communities.

Advice for Alvin Bragg from Former Trump Prosecutors

The Manhattan District Attorney faces huge legal and political challenges, but the former President’s antics could help the prosecution’s case.

The U.N. Issues a Final Warning on the Climate—and a Plan

The I.P.C.C. report contains no new data; nevertheless, it manages to alarm in new ways.

How a Decade of Pope Francis Has Changed the Church

The Pontiff has shown that Catholicism is a dynamic institution, whose leader can face unresolved questions openly.

The Latest Attack on the Abortion Pill Is Forty Years in the Making

If a Texas lawsuit prevails, mifepristone will no longer be available anywhere in the nation, even in states where abortion is legal.

The Inside Story of the U.N. High Seas Treaty

A new global agreement protects marine life in parts of the ocean that laws have been unable to reach.

Florida Takes Aim at the First Amendment

Two bills in the Republican-controlled state legislature propose radical alteration to libel laws.

Lab Leaks and COVID-19 Politics

The latest report on the origin of the virus behind the pandemic is still inconclusive, but there are lessons to be learned from it.

Why S.U.V.s Are Still a Huge Environmental Problem

The world is moving toward heavier cars at a time when it should be doing precisely the reverse.

Jessie Diggins Wins the Gold in the Toughest Winter Sport

Diggins is the first American to take an individual gold medal in Nordic skiing.

What Did We Learn About the Georgia Grand Jury’s Findings?

It’s possible that all of the jurors’ votes recommended against indictment, but it isn’t sounding like it.

A National Experiment in Refugee Resettlement

The Biden Administration’s Welcome Corps will allow Americans to sponsor newcomers to their home towns—and will test how exposure to refugees changes people’s lives.

How Do Ukrainians Think About Russians Now?

After a year of war, the struggle for cultural sovereignty has triggered complex sentiments.

Turkey’s Earthquake Response Is as Political as the Conditions That Increased the Devastation

The ethnic minorities and refugees leading the community response in Turkey already knew not to rely on the government.

The U.N. Secretary-General’s Searing Message for the Fossil-Fuel Industry

Forget diplomatic language—it’s a moment for some home truths.

How Should an Older President Think About a Second Term?

From Eisenhower to Biden, questions of age have persisted.

The Killing of Tyre Nichols and the Issue of Race

The case dispatches several assumptions associated with police reform.