George Washington portrait

A Presidents’ Day Roundup

Who—or what—do Americans celebrate on the third Monday of February?
A couple gazes over the Nile River on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.

Valentine’s Day in Egypt

In recent decades, celebrations of Valentine’s Day have become common in Egypt. But, as anthropologist Aymon Kreil found, opinions on the holiday are mixed.
Aerial view of the lithium mine of Silver Peak, Nevada

The Art of the Deal or the Dirt?

Will so-called Trump Tariffs ensure that the United States has the minerals it needs to transition to sustainable energy?
A handbag with a United States flag coloring

The Power of the Purse

The first time a president withheld funds for something approved by Congress, it led to the Impoundment Control Act. We’ll soon find out if that law has teeth.
Vintage American History print of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln shaking hands

Praising Washington in Lincoln’s Day

At the time of the Civil War, many Americans revered the nation’s Founding Fathers, and both supporters and opponents of slavery recruited them to their sides.
A toy T Rex

Dinosaurs, Divas, and St. Augustine

Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Vox, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Primary school designed by Diébédo Francis Kéré in Gando, Burkina Faso

Pondering the Pritzker Prize

It’s the Pritzker’s ultimate challenge: highlighting the important contributions of architects working today without knowing how their legacies will play out.
A map of North America

The Making and Meaning of Greenland: A Reading List

A selection of research reports and peer-reviewed articles offers insight into the history and potential future of the autonomous territory of Greenland.
Greenland village of Kulusuk in winter

Greenland: Polar Politics

Though it may seem like a new topic of concern, the glaciated landscape of Greenland has floated in and out of American politics for decades.
Meeting of 'Big Five' (US, UK, France, China and the USSR), part of the delegates of fifty nations agreeing upon the Charter of the United Nations and the Statute of the New International Court of Justice, San Francisco, California, May 29, 1945

Origins of the UN: The US and USSR

The genesis of the United Nations came from the nations united as Allies against the Axis powers, but who really pushed the institution into being?