Turnbull selfie with Xi, Trump, Quang

The Middle Kingdom and the U.S. Economy

In the poker match between President Donald Trump and China’s new all-but-emperor, Xi Jinping, it’s widely assumed that Xi holds the best hand. Yet President Xi’s hand may not be as awesome as it appears, while the United States, even under this very flawed president, may hold some fine cards.

Suburbs Flip Democratic

The Democrats Finally Won the Suburbs. Now Will They Destroy Them?

The Democratic Party’s triumphal romp through suburbia was the big story of the midterms. In affluent suburban districts once controlled by the GOP—long-held GOP seats flipped and are unlikely to flip back unless Democrats alienate their new constituents by seeking to destroy suburban life.

Emmanuel Newsom?

A youthful and handsome appearance, the blessings of the autocrats and clerics…and a fawning media — all these belonged to French President Emmanuel Macron just a year ago. Today, Macron’s presidency is adrift. Is this the fate that awaits our new governor, Gavin Newsom?

President Donald Trump at 2017 CPAC

What Will Come After the Era of Trumpism?

If this undisguised reality series played by Hollywood rules, it would have already been canceled. The President Trump show has failed to grow its audience, and the reviews, even from the mildly sympathetic, are consistently bad.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

The Past and Future of Latino Politics

Perhaps nothing will define our future politics more than the dispensation of Latino voters. Once limited to a few states, Latino voters are now an important and growing factor in many parts of the country beyond the Southwest or New York.

Downtown LA - Luxury highrise apartments

The Next Housing Crisis

Little over a decade ago, the housing sector almost brought down not only the American but the world economy. Today the reprise of the housing crisis will be playing a very different tune: the biggest problems are emerging at the upper-end market, particularly the new multi-family construction that is considered “luxury.”

Hermann Park

Texas’ New Hipsters Threaten the Environment That Lured Them There

The prospect of a purple and eventually blue Texas thrills progressives who see the Lone Star State as the key to their drive for post-Trump domination. Before draining their champagne glasses and filling their bongs, the coastal crowd should sober up enough to consider what happens if the Texas miracle comes to an end.

Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Jackets) Protest in France

The First Shots in the Climate Wars

In the now successful protests against President Emmanuel Macron’s gas hike, the French rebellion may well foreshadow a bitter, albeit largely avoidable, battle over how to address the issue of climate change.

Katie Porter speaks in Tustin, CA on election night.

The Soul of the New Machine

Thirty-five years ago Tracy Kidder electrified readers with his “Soul of a New Machine,” which detailed the development of a minicomputer. Today we may be seeing the emergence of another machine, a political variety that could turn the country toward a permanent one-party state.

"Gig" Economy, Uber app screen

The Gig Economy, Americans and the Future

The rise of the “gig economy” has many Americans worrying about their jobs, and certainly those of their children. Gig workers lack many basic protections that full-time workers might have, for example, in enforcement of civil rights laws.