How decisions reshape people’s lives.
Explore the laws, government actions and institutional decisions that change the terms of everyday life. We explain what a decision does, who it reaches and what to watch as it takes effect.
The billionaire is financing a massive effort to elect Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate while his companies benefit from billions in Texas tax incentives. The money trails are documented. What remains unanswered is how corporate interests and political influence intersect.
The Tennessee Republican says the AI-generated recreation of Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was just fun. Her record on hip-hop, her push for AI protections for artists and questions about permission have made the 12-second clip a much bigger conversation.
At a Georgia rally, Donald Trump celebrated the financial gains American energy producers are seeing during the Iran war, even as gasoline prices remain elevated. His remarks exposed a fundamental tension between corporate profits and the costs households are being asked to absorb.
The government is proposing new rules that would require officials to identify who benefits, who pays and what a policy is expected to accomplish before putting it into effect.
Stephen A. Smith has defended his White House dinner with Donald Trump as a chance to advocate for Black Americans. Rachel Lindsay and Van Lathan are asking whether the conversation produced anything meaningful.
Eight days before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump is promising a seven-figure reward for information leading to voter fraud convictions. But the administration has not explained how the program would operate, where the money would come from or how it would distinguish credible evidence from unsubstantiated allegations.
The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit against one of America’s first municipal reparations programs. The legal fight could determine how far local governments can go in compensating residents for documented racial discrimination.
Most democracies hold national elections on weekends or public holidays. The United States remains among a minority that routinely votes on ordinary weekdays, raising questions about whether an outdated tradition creates unnecessary barriers to participation.
From the birther conspiracy against Barack Obama to the attacks on Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, racial and religious identity keep shaping American campaigns. The accusations change, but the message stays familiar: some candidates must prove their loyalty before voters will even consider their policies.
Early voting is running ahead of the 2022 midterm pace in several states, while new polling finds Americans motivated by economic pressure, political dissatisfaction and control of Congress. But high early turnout doesn’t necessarily tell us who will win—or how many people will ultimately vote.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a historic fourth term Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.79% of the vote. But Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, refused to concede and announced plans to challenge the election over a controversial two-hour extension of voting. Lula’s victory comes four years after Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings following his father’s 2022 defeat. Despite winning by more than 4 million votes, Lula faces a difficult term ahead, with a Congress strengthened by right-wing lawmakers and an opposition unwilling to accept the outcome. The result also represents a setback for Donald Trump, whose administration supported the Bolsonaro family’s return to power.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a historic fourth, nonconsecutive term Sunday, defeating conservative Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. With nearly all ballots counted, Lula received approximately 51.8% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 48.2%, completing an unexpected comeback after finishing behind his challenger in the October 4 first round. The victory makes Lula the first Brazilian president elected four times and keeps Latin America’s largest economy under left-of-center leadership as several neighboring countries have moved toward conservative governments.
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