International Law

The director of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Vishal Prasad (2nd R), speaks to the media in The Hague on July 23, 2025. The world’s highest court on July 23 declared that states have a legal obligation to tackle climate change and that failing to do so was a “wrongful act” that could open the door to reparations.

The World Court Adds Muscle to the Climate Fight The World Court Adds Muscle to the Climate Fight

After a “landmark” ruling from the International Court of Justice, journalists can expect more lawsuits against fossil fuel companies.

Jul 31, 2025 / Mark Hertsgaard

Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu, center, delivers a speech ahead of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) session tasked with issuing the first advisory opinion on states’ legal obligations to address climate change in The Hague on July 23, 2025.

How Climate Justice Reached the UN’s Top Court—and Won How Climate Justice Reached the UN’s Top Court—and Won

The International Court of Justice’s ruling that countries have a legal duty to curb climate change was the result of a yearslong campaign that began with university students.

Jul 23, 2025 / Panthea Lee

A member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus holds a picture of Kilmar Abrego Garcia during a news conference to discuss Abrego Garcia's arrest and deportation d at Cannon House Office Building on April 9, 2025,

The Trump Administration Is Reviving Institutionalized Torture The Trump Administration Is Reviving Institutionalized Torture

The ambient threat of torture is a form of social control, encouraging everyone else to comply with and bow down before the regime.

Jul 17, 2025 / Rebecca Gordon

Commentary editor John Podhoretz sits in front of a microphone with “Book Expo” written on it.

Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism

From the Cold War till Donald Trump, there’s always been a special dispensation for hawkish bigots.

Jul 14, 2025 / Jeet Heer

Anti-war protesters rally in Los Angeles on June 22 after the Trump administration bombed Iran with the largest B-2 bomber strike in US history.

“No Kings” Has to Become “No More Wars” “No Kings” Has to Become “No More Wars”

Donald Trump killed the anti-war right—but offers a chance to revive the anti-war left.

Jun 23, 2025 / Jeet Heer

People march in Times Square during a rally calling for the Trump administration not to go to war with Iran, on June 18, 2025, in New York City.

The Time to Stop Donald Trump’s Iran War Is Now! The Time to Stop Donald Trump’s Iran War Is Now!

America’s TACO president needs to fear popular backlash as much as he does hawks.

Jun 20, 2025 / Jeet Heer

A migrant child sits in the back of a border patrol vehicle after being apprehended by US Customs and Border protection officers on June 24, 2024, in Ruby, Arizona.

Denying People Freedom of Movement Is a Form of Global Apartheid Denying People Freedom of Movement Is a Form of Global Apartheid

Forcing people to move or prohibiting their mobility are two sides of the same colonial or neocolonial coin.

Jun 19, 2025 / Aviva Chomsky

Smoke rises from the area where Israeli forces struck the Iranian state television building in Tehran, Iran, on June 16, 2025. The Iranian Radio and Television Broadcasting Corporation reported in a statement that its building in the capital Tehran was targeted by Israel.

The Iranian People—Abandoned at Home and Abroad The Iranian People—Abandoned at Home and Abroad

“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” Donald Trump just boasted on Truth Social. The key word here being “We”—meaning Netanyahu and Trump.

Jun 18, 2025 / Tara Kangarlou

Shujun Wang on “60 Minutes.”

Chinese Transnational Repression Is a Real Issue—but Shujun Wang Is a Bad Example Chinese Transnational Repression Is a Real Issue—but Shujun Wang Is a Bad Example

Our government spent almost a decade chasing a professor they thought was a spy. The case raises questions about our ability to pursue real perpetrators of China’s crimes.

Jun 17, 2025 / Timothy McLaughlin

Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg speaks during the opening night of the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University on March 27, 2025.

How Jeffrey Goldberg and “The Atlantic” Blew “the Biggest Story of the Year” How Jeffrey Goldberg and “The Atlantic” Blew “the Biggest Story of the Year”

Given advance warning of an impending war crime, the former cheerleader for the Iraq war decided his priority was to protect his scoop.

Jun 13, 2025 / JoAnn Wypijewski

x