july 4 America 250: The history of semicentennial American presidential oratory is limited but Donald Trump’s upcoming semiquincentennial remarks are destined to mark a low point in the canon. The U.S. Capitol is seen through a mockup of President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington.

Politics

America at 250: An Idealist Without Illusions

by Jonathan Alter July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

For all of our understandable angst, let’s chart the good change since the Bicentennial.

Politics

New York City’s Long Winter of Discontent

by James D. Zirin February 26, 2025February 26, 2025

Magazine

Gun Without a Trace

by Jamaal Abdul-Alim June 23, 2024June 23, 2024

Newsletter

The Truth About the “Horrible” Crime in Milwaukee

by Bill Scher June 18, 2024June 18, 2024

Newsletter

Donald Trump’s 50 Years of Criminal Behavior and Criminal Hypocrisy

by Bill Scher June 4, 2024June 4, 2024

Politics

Republicans Say Inflation, Crime, and Immigration Are Out of Control. The Numbers Disagree.

by Bill Scher June 15, 2023June 14, 2023

Law and Justice

America Doesn’t Need Public Mugshots of Donald Trump or Joe Blow

by Marc Levin and Khalil Cumberbatch April 21, 2023April 19, 2023

Politics

Will Paul Vallas Be the Next Mayor of Chicago?

by Storer H. Rowley February 25, 2023February 26, 2023

Politics

Violent Crime and Mass Incarceration Must be Tackled Together

by Keith Humphreys February 6, 2023February 5, 2023

Close up of police officer at a police brutality protest in Montreal.

Political Animal

How Television Has Distorted Our View of Police and Crime

by Nancy LeTourneau June 16, 2020January 9, 2022

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crime

America at 250: An Idealist Without Illusions

New York City’s Long Winter of Discontent

Gun Without a Trace

Republicans Say Inflation, Crime, and Immigration Are Out of Control. The Numbers Disagree.

America Doesn’t Need Public Mugshots of Donald Trump or Joe Blow

Will Paul Vallas Be the Next Mayor of Chicago?

Violent Crime and Mass Incarceration Must be Tackled Together

How Television Has Distorted Our View of Police and Crime

The Feminist Was a Spy

A Fitting End for Trump’s Gaudy Ballroom

The New Normal in Kyiv, Ukraine

How to Build a Big Tent

The Swastika and the Red Hat

A Different Kind of College Ranking

After the Closures

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