Back in April, I argued in @foreignaffairs.com that US and Israel have different motives on Iran. They're rendered all the more unmanageable by Trump's wish to be seen as dictating terms. More than anything, this is the gamble that didn't pay off for Bibi.
www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/america...
Very well put. Very saddened by this news. He was a remarkably kind, generous, and sweet person
What's really astonishing is not the far right authoritarian party doing this, but the near-total lack of <loud public collective action> by university chancellors & presidents to oppose this existential crisis. Almost impossible to overstate how total a failure of leadership this is.
Pro tip: anytime Ahmadinejad’s name is mentioned, know that he’s not the real story
Marjane Satrapi has left. AFP quoted a "member of her close circle" as saying she had "died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life." Absolutely devastating loss of a brilliant artist and brave soul. Her art remains.
‘The illicit flows of money, “between 2 and 5 per cent of everything”, are such an important phenomenon in the contemporary global order that our current state of ignorance is indefensible.’
John Lanchester on money laundering.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
A Shared Enemy, but Diverging Views of Its Motives and Character.
Sure… right… ok…
Spoiler alert: this so-called “sizable share” will back a Republican of whatever approach over a Democrat 9.9/10 times.
Well, this is the end of Ahmadinejad now…
www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...
I am thrilled for this to come out.
At @liberalcurrents.com, I work through what I had to understand about how I ended up standing where I was as the postliberal moment emerged, and I try to show the way that I found forward.
It's for everyone who is where I was and needs a hand extended.
Huss/ein Banai
Mark Copelovitch
Huss/ein Banai
If it were an industry, money laundering would be the third biggest business in the world, behind commercial property...
If I've learned one thing from the 'crises of democracy' literature over the past decade it is that hyper-partisan support for the most obvious policy failures (e.g. the Iran war here) augurs a dark future for the democracy in question. This cult won't concede in Nov.
www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/u...
"I call all the shots. Netanyahu doesn't call the shots." My telephone interview with Trump this afternoon. as.ft.com/r/c4067a44-d...
It’s truly astonishing to see how comprehensively the US government is tearing down every part of the system that has made it up until now a world-leading power in science, research, and technological development. The entire world will suffer from this wanton destruction.
Classical liberals must rejoin left liberals in fighting for emancipatory politics and against the illiberal right.
US president tells FT that he ‘calls the shots’ after urging the Israeli leader not to retaliate against Tehran
as.ft.com
Just deeply shocked and saddened to hear about Raúl’s passing. He was an exceptionally generous community builder in the scholarly world. He will be sorely missed.
If you are thinking “wait, Ahmedinejad wasn’t an ayatollah, this doesn’t even make sense on its own terms” congratulations you are so much further ahead of the game than these numbskulls
Katie Mack
Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
President Trump remains overwhelmingly popular within the Republican Party, a New York Times/Siena poll found, but a sizable share wants the party’s next nominee to take a different approach.
White House proposes new rules giving political appointees final approval of research grants
These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque
www.scientificamerican.com/article/whit...
Don Moynihan
While President Trump remains overwhelmingly popular within the Republican coalition, a New York Times/Siena poll found, a sizable share wants the party’s next nominee to take a different approach.
These proposed Office of Management and Budget regulations would render the federal research grant review process opaque
www.scientificamerican.com
The New York Times
La Sociedad Mexicana de Sociología lamenta profundamente el fallecimiento del Dr. Raúl Pacheco-Vega, profesor del CIDE y FLACSO.
Nuestras más sinceras condolencias a sus familiares, amigos y colegas cercanos.
Descanse en paz
Tom Pepinsky
Dan Vergano
This is peak mid 20th century CIA-style work
www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...
