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A man in construction clothes and a safety helmet picks up reddish-brown soil
A man in construction clothes and a safety helmet picks up reddish-brown soil

Why Rare Earths Are About to Cost a Lot More

Contrary to Trump’s claim, diversifying the supply chain won’t drive down prices. This article has an audio recording

An illustration shows a tech-textured shape being pulled down to include the Southern hemisphere.
An illustration shows a tech-textured shape being pulled down to include the Southern hemisphere.

How to Make AI More Useful

The obsession with powerful large language models overlooks the developing world. This article has an audio recording

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump meet with fellow G-7 leaders in Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump meet with fellow G-7 leaders in Canada.

Canada Seeks New Trade Partners in Asia After Trump’s Blowup

Prime Minister Mark Carney hopes to decrease Ottawa’s dependence on Washington.

Four camouflage military vehicles with missiles perched on their surfaces are seen from above on a lined concrete lot.
Four camouflage military vehicles with missiles perched on their surfaces are seen from above on a lined concrete lot.

Is the U.S. Ready for War With China?

U.S. military planners are caught in an impossible dilemma. This article has an audio recording

A tight shot of a a Labubu character's face.
A tight shot of a a Labubu character's face.

Plush Power

How Labubu dolls became China’s first contemporary cultural export.  This article has an audio recording

A protester from the group GENZ212 chants slogans through a megaphone during a demonstration in Rabat, Morocco.
A protester from the group GENZ212 chants slogans through a megaphone during a demonstration in Rabat, Morocco.

What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of Oct. 18: Japan swears in its first female prime minister, Russia conducts military drills, and a museum heist stuns France.

Two people dressed in military gear in the cockpit of an airplane, flying above cloud cover.
Two people dressed in military gear in the cockpit of an airplane, flying above cloud cover.

‘A House of Dynamite’ Isn’t Explosive Enough

Kathryn Bigelow’s nuclear thriller is terrifying—but falls short of true provocation.

Henry Kissinger holds papers under one arm as he looks out of a tall window with drapes on either side.
Henry Kissinger holds papers under one arm as he looks out of a tall window with drapes on either side.

It’s (Still) Henry Kissinger’s World

A new documentary argues Nixon’s secretary of state learned the wrong lessons from his experiences with Nazi Germany.

An Uzbek woman stands behind a cotton plant covered with puffy white cotton balls ready for harvest. The woman wears a green headscarf and gloves. Other cotton plants are visible in the field extending out behind her.
An Uzbek woman stands behind a cotton plant covered with puffy white cotton balls ready for harvest. The woman wears a green headscarf and gloves. Other cotton plants are visible in the field extending out behind her.

Trump’s Anti-Worker Foreign Policy

By cutting U.S. support for labor rights around the globe, Washington is hurting workers at home and abroad.

A woman is seen in mid-thigh deep water on a flooded street. Other people are behind her with buses on either side.
A woman is seen in mid-thigh deep water on a flooded street. Other people are behind her with buses on either side.

Even Doomsday Will Divide Us

Megha Majumdar’s “A Guardian and a Thief” interrogates how the have-nots get by in a climate catastrophe.

A farmer looks at a field of paddy crops that are submerged in water.
A farmer looks at a field of paddy crops that are submerged in water.

Indian Farmers Struggle as Climate Change Warps Landscape

Once-thriving crops are poorly adapting to new temperatures. This article has an audio recording

Wearing a suit with no tie, Rodrigo Paz waves at something or someone out of frame. Behind him is a woman wearing an orange vest.
Wearing a suit with no tie, Rodrigo Paz waves at something or someone out of frame. Behind him is a woman wearing an orange vest.

Is Bolivia Ready for Paz?

The conservative president-elect has an economic crisis in his inbox.

Chinese President Xi Jinping at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with the President of Congo in the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, on Sept. 4.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with the President of Congo in the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, on Sept. 4.

Xi May Have Miscalculated on Rare Earths

China’s complex new rules take on the entire world at once—and give Trump an opportunity. This article has an audio recording

A photo illustration shows a candle going out on a birthday cake with the U.N. logo on top of it.
A photo illustration shows a candle going out on a birthday cake with the U.N. logo on top of it.

For Its 80th Birthday, the U.N. Needs More Than a Reset

Going back to first principles has until recently spooked many diplomats. This article has an audio recording

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Oct. 22.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on Oct. 22.

The Difficult Art of Bibi-Sitting

The Trump administration is working to uphold the fragile Gaza cease-fire.

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