The Thread
Where policy, equity, and culture come together
Could the Iran War Accelerate the Energy Transition?
What’s In Your Wallet? If You’re a Parent, It Should Be a Library Card.
Looking Back at 9/11: Peter Bergen and David Sterman on 25 Years of the War on Terror
Beyond Nation-States: A New Reading List for Understanding Global Politics Today
Editor’s Picks
The SAVE Act Is the Wrong Way to ‘Nationalize’ Elections. There’s a Better One.
Four Ways to Protect Yourself from the Deepfakes Taking over the Internet
Is Trump Really a Fascist? Examining the Controversial Claim
The Cost of Beauty: Inside the Broken Promise of Cosmetology School
How Netflix’s ‘A House of Dynamite’ Might Change Our Thinking on Nuclear War
On-Screen Representation Means More Than Just Identity. It’s About Context.
The Latest
The Dilemma of Jury Duty in Trump and Jeanine Pirro’s DC
Policy expert Mark Schmitt reflects on civic trust and duty after jury service in DC, a city overtaken by force and fear.
No Friend to Workers: The Labor Cost of Trump’s Economy
It’s hard to imagine less of a friend to workers than Trump. For Labor Day, Mary Alice McCarthy urges unity to protect hard-won rights.
In Katrina’s America, the Storm Still Echoes 20 Years Later
Us@250 Fellow Calvin Krippner reflects on Katrina’s legacy—how the storm exposed systemic racism, government failure, and lasting distrust.
The Moral Argument for Fixing Child Care: An Excerpt from ‘Raising a Nation’
In his new book, Elliot Haspel explains how the broken U.S. child care system affects us all.
Drug Trafficking in U.S. Special Forces: Journalist Seth Harp on ‘The Fort Bragg Cartel’
New America Fellow Seth Harp discusses a dark ripple effect of American “forever wars” that he covers in his new book.
Trump Says “Make America Skilled Again”—Then Slashes Gen Z’s Path to Get There
Trump promised to “Make America Skilled Again,” but cut funding and debt relief. Gen Z is fighting back. Ivy Sullivan breaks it down.
Shutting Down the Education Department Betrays the Mission of Public Schools
As Trump targets the DOE, Zahava Stadler warns: gutting public education strikes at the heart of American democracy.
Building a Better Future Through Child Care—Vermont Leads the Way
Rebecca Gale highlights how Vermont’s Act 76 shows collective investment in child care can lift kids, providers, and businesses alike.
“Three [Kids] Is the New Six”—But Many Can’t Afford Even That
U.S. birth rates are falling. Haley Swenson explores why—and how reviving the American Dream could help reverse the trend.
Shaping the Story of America: Us@250 Fellow Caroline Klibanoff on Civic Season and the Future of Democracy
This July 4th, Us@250’s Caroline Klibanoff talks Civic Season, modern patriotism, and the power of stories in shaping our nation’s future.