January 12, 1991: Congress Votes to Send Troops to Expel Iraq From Kuwait January 12, 1991: Congress Votes to Send Troops to Expel Iraq From Kuwait
The United States had backed Saddam Hussein in Iraq’s long war with Iran, but by the time the war ended in 1988 Iraq was deeply in debt—not least to neighboring Kuwait....
Jan 12, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
Rewriting George Packer as if Mexican Lives Mattered Rewriting George Packer as if Mexican Lives Mattered
What would it look like if liberals like Packer cared about the disappearance of forty-three students in Ayotzinapa the way they cared about the Charlie Hebdo massacre?
Jan 11, 2015 / Greg Grandin
January 11, 1928: Joseph Stalin Exiles Leon Trotsky to Siberia January 11, 1928: Joseph Stalin Exiles Leon Trotsky to Siberia
A long and bitter conflict between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin over who would succeed Vladimir Lenin as the Soviet leader culminated on this day in 1928 when Stalin exiled Trots...
Jan 11, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
Why We Must Resist Simple Explanations of the ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Massacre Why We Must Resist Simple Explanations of the ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Massacre
Tidy stories reducing the atrocity to a clash of civilizations or a problem with integration are neither enlightening nor satisfying.
Jan 10, 2015 / Laila Lalami
January 10, 1946: The General Assembly of the United Nations Convenes for the First Time January 10, 1946: The General Assembly of the United Nations Convenes for the First Time
The first UN delegates could bring “any amount and type of baggage they desire,” with one exception.
Jan 10, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
January 9, 1960: Construction Begins on the Aswan Dam in Egypt January 9, 1960: Construction Begins on the Aswan Dam in Egypt
The Aswan Dam was a crucial construction project for Egypt after the 1952 revolution. President Gamal Abdel Nasser was looking to elevate Egypt as the leader of a pan-Arab unity mo...
Jan 9, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
Nous Sommes Tous Charlie: Defend Freedom of Expression in France and Around the World Nous Sommes Tous Charlie: Defend Freedom of Expression in France and Around the World
We cannot have democracy without a free press, and the robust debate it fosters.
Jan 8, 2015 / John Nichols
What’s the Real Reason Al Qaeda Attacked ‘Charlie Hebdo’? What’s the Real Reason Al Qaeda Attacked ‘Charlie Hebdo’?
The attack in Paris was all about polarizing the French and European public.
Jan 8, 2015 / Juan Cole
Big Energy Says the Future Is Bright and Full of SUVs for Everyone Big Energy Says the Future Is Bright and Full of SUVs for Everyone
Carbon companies have a new strategy: focus on the positive.
Jan 8, 2015 / Michael T. Klare
January 8, 1867: Emily Balch, Nation Staffer and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Is Born January 8, 1867: Emily Balch, Nation Staffer and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Is Born
The Nation has had many Nobel Prize winners contribute to our pages over the years. But we have had only one staff member who went on to win the Prize.
Jan 8, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac