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The Graphic Truth: Are you democratic enough for Joe Biden?

The Graphic Truth: Are you democratic enough for Joe Biden?
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The Summit for Democracy, which the Biden administration has been playing up for months, kicks off Thursday. The invite-only event with representatives from 110 countries is Biden’s baby: it’s a chance for the US president to “rescue” democracy, which is in global decline. What’s less clear, however, is why some states with poor democratic records have a seat at the table, while others with better democratic bona fides don’t. Is this a real stab at strengthening democracy, or rather a naked attempt to alienate those who cozy up to foes like China and Russia? We take a look at a selection of invitees, as well as some who didn’t make the cut, and their respective democracy ratings based on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.

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This week, I unpack Germany’s political upheaval, talk to historian Nicole Hemmer and reporter Molly Ball about Trump’s unencumbered power, and answer your questions on the Russia-North Korea axis, Japan’s new government, and COP29. Plus, your weekly rec from my dog Moose.Let’s get to it.- IanWant to understand the world a little better? Subscribe [...]
America’s long arm of counterterrorism
Natalie Johnson
In the 25 years since 9/11, the US has pursued counterterrorism operations in dozens of countries around the world. Brown University’s Cost of War Project tracked operations in nearly 80 countries between 2021 and 2023, or roughly 40% of countries worldwide. In most countries where the US conducted operations, it trained or assisted local security [...]
Palestinian youth look at a new Israeli settlement from the Palestinian village of Duma, near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Palestinian youth look at a new Israeli settlement from the Palestinian village of Duma, near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 24, 2026.

REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Middle powers take on Israeli West Bank settlements The UK, Canada, and France announced sanctions on exports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday, later joined by nine additional European countries. In a speech announcing the sanctions – which have significant cross-party support in the UK – Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned [...]
The cascading consequences of 9/11 for America and the Middle East
“This will devastate America and the region!” I howled as I watched the second plane slam into the Twin Towers in New York from my distant Beirut living room. Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011, a decade after the September 11th attacks, and al-Qaeda’s core leadership was dismantled. But my fears were not misplaced. Bin Laden achieved something [...]