It’s become a common refrain in US foreign policy circles that the rest of the world is free riding on American power. The accusation sounds familiar—other countries enjoy the security provided by US military spending, benefit from American technological innovation, and sell goods into the vast US consumer market, all while contributing little in return. But the story is more...

　　There is hardly a man approaching middle age whose imagination was not touched by the phrase “Black Hawk Down.” The 2001 Ridley Scott film by that name inspired notions of heroic sacrifice for a generation of suburban boys and, in conjunction with games like Call of Duty, supplied images of modern warfare that we ate up. Of course, few of...

　　The Message of the Cross 　　Your Nightly Prayer for Apr. 7, 2025 　　by Lynette Kittle 　　TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” - 1 Corinthians 1:18 　　SOMETHING TO PONDERAs Christians, how willing are we to share the Gospel with others,...

　　In front of Lexington, Massachusetts’s Town Hall is a large sign that announces, every day, the number of days until April 19, 2025, the 250th anniversary of the first battle between British Army soldiers and local militia units that began America’s War for Independence. Neither the original event’s location nor its date was entirely a surprise, either in Massachusetts or...

　　Robert D. Kaplan is one of America’s most prolific and important writers. Presidents have consulted his books, and as anexpert in geopolitics, he is a member of both the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. Astonishingly, Kaplan publishes a book most years and his latestWaste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis contends that the...

　　Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch is a rarity of a judge, and not only because he is principled, learned, and seven years an incumbent of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is also literate, funny, and imaginative—which is unusual, especially for a black-robed power. And he has written another book to prove it. 　　Over Ruled: The Human Toll of...

　　In a 2021 speech on Italy’s birth rate crisis, Pope Francis referred to the situation as a “demographic winter that is cold and dark.” As global birth rates decline and populations age, societies face economic and social challenges, but the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) could transform this crisis, potentially offsetting labor shortages—but not without new risks. At the...

　　Real Friends Show Up 　　This devotional was written by Doug Fields 　　One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. —Proverbs 18:24 　　As a pastor, I’ve come alongside my share of people who have experienced grief, tragedy, and loss. Typically, in a situation where one is hurting and/or grieving,...

　　Socialism and antisemitism are two malign phenomena that have been surging in the West of late. We rarely think to connect these two things, but in fact, they do intersect in important ways. Economic inequality has fueled resentment and a resurgence of socialist ideas. Many in the West, especially younger generations, feel squeezed by rising prices, the myth of wage...

　　Why God Doesn’t Heal Every Sickness, Disease, and Illness 　　By Chris Russell 　　Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer...

　　The biggest political event for conservatives in the last decade was Donald Trump’s slow trip down the escalator. But maybe the second biggest was the swift rise of what’s often been called the “new right.” 　　Though that collection has been understood as a hodgepodge of populists, nationalists, neo-mercantilists, post-liberals, and Catholic integralists, the components have been connected by a frustration...

　　Policy analysts often worry about the possibility of states stifling AI innovation by passing a patchwork of complex and even conflicting legislation. By way of example, SB 1047, a bill in California dictating the development of leading AI models, evoked concerns that a couple dozen Golden State legislators could meaningfully bend the AI development curve without input from the rest...