In his second term, President Trump has promised to make America meritocratic again. In his joint address to Congress, he declared: “We believe that whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer or an air-traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender.” All of the occupations the president mentioned typically require college degrees, as well as advanced professional degrees for doctors and lawyers. But no college diploma is required...

Dust off the history books and there are papal conclaves with international intrigue, royal rigging and even riots, a checkered past that belies the air of sanctity and solemnity surrounding modern papal elections. The word “conclave” comes from the Latin for “with key.” It is a church tradition that began in 1268 with a papal election that lasted almost three years, ending only when the townspeople of Viterbo locked up the cardinals, tore the roof off their palace, fed them nothing but...

As we approach Earth Day this Tuesday, it’s tempting to believe that the world is on the brink of environmental collapse. We are constantly inundated by dire predictions of climate catastrophe and warnings about the planet’s imminent destruction. But this is misleading. Rather than spiraling into panic, we should take a moment to appreciate the remarkable progress we’ve made in improving the environment, and acknowledge that a key factor is prosperity. When Earth Day was first marked 55...

The percentage of Americans who think the government should "take steps to restrict false information online" is shrinking. According to new data from the Pew Research Center, Americans are losing patience for the idea that the government should censor in the name of stopping misinformation. Pew also found decreasing support for the idea that tech companies should make such efforts on their own.

President Donald Trump “stands strongly behind Pete Hegseth,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday morning, defending the scandal-plagued Defense secretary against escalating criticism from Democrats and former senior officials. Hegseth “is doing phenomenal leading the Pentagon,” Leavitt said in a “Fox & Friends” appearance. “This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change you are trying to implement.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem was reportedly robbed while eating dinner in Washington, DC on Sunday evening. CNN reported that Noem acknowledged being robbed. Noem, who was asked about the theft at the White House Easter Egg Roll, acknowledged the incident and said the matter has not been resolved. The Secret Service, which provides security for Noem, reviewed security camera footage at the restaurant and saw an unknown white male wearing a medical...

It’s 3 a.m. as I lie sleepless on a bunk bed in Jena, Louisiana, far from my wife, Noor, who will give birth to our baby in two weeks. The sound of rain hitting the metal roof masks the snoring of 70 men tossing and turning on hard mats in this detention facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Which ones are dreaming about reuniting with their families? Which ones are having nightmares about becoming the Trump administration’s next “administrative error”?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat, this one on his personal phone and including his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

The White House on Monday blasted an NPR report that a search was underway for a new Pentagon chief as “fake news” following new reporting about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal app and criticism from former Pentagon officials.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt quickly denied a report that President Donald Trump’s administration is considering replacements for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.