Dispatches: Obama's Science Adviser on the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
Barack Obama
The Roots of Trump's Deportation Policy
The bureaucratic machinery pulling families apart was built long before the sitting president assumed office.
Fear of Coming Minority Status Drives White Opposition to Welfare
New research shows whites are less supportive of government benefits if they believe the recipients will primarily be people of color.
PS Picks: Nigerian Creatives and the Art Scene in West Africa
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
The Norms We Won't Miss
Donald Trump has upended our view of the presidency. Are there some conventions that are better off dead?
Inside the Last Days of Obama's Foreign Policy
Director Greg Barker talks about following Obama all over the globe while filming The Final Year.
For Some Americans, the Gun Is a Sacred Object
New research finds a sub-group of white male gun owners feel symbolically empowered by their weapons.
House Republicans Announce Investigation Into Obama-Era Russian Uranium Deal
The House Intelligence Committee will investigate an alleged racketeering scheme, dating to 2009, perpetrated by Russian commercial nuclear executives.
The Language Ta-Nehisi Coates Taught Me
Coates' new book shows how he developed a set of linguistic tools that have opened up new ways for black Americans to describe the world.
The Secret to Presidential Humor: Lessons From Obama's Funniest Speechwriter
A conversation with David Litt about the Obama White House, his new book, and the funniest joke that Obama never delivered.
The Broken Promise of 'Never Again'
If liberal democracies categorically reject genocide as the pinnacle of human evil, why don't they do anything to stop it?
Number of Americans Who Believe Racism Is a 'Big Problem' Has Doubled
Fifty-eight percent of Americans believe racism is a pervasive issue.
Federal Court Rules Against an Obama-Era Regulation Supported by Trump Administration
The regulation would have prohibited the use of hydrofluorocarbons.
America Set Seven Big Drug-Control Goals in 2010. It Failed All of Them.
Researchers point to the opioid epidemic as a major reason for the policy setback.
Betsy DeVos Faces Pushback After Scaling Back Investigations Into Civil Rights Complaints
More than 30 "disappointed and alarmed" senators penned a letter chastising civil rights enforcement at the Department of Education.
Why the Fossil Fuel Companies Won't Defend the Government in Court
Twenty-one young Americans are suing the U.S. government for ignoring climate change—and industry groups now seem terrified.
Study Shows Obamacare Has Truly Made a Difference
New research finds big increases in both the rate of insured people and their self-reported health.
The Ghosts of Government Shutdowns Past
With the potential of a government shutdown looming, here’s a primer on the shutdowns of years past.
Sixty-Seven Numbers That Define the Obama Era
Health care, drone strikes, and a shrinking unemployment rate: a look at the figures that will define Obama’s legacy—for better and worse.
Obama’s Tree-Hugging Presidency, by the Numbers
Conservationism will likely serve as more than just a footnote in Obama’s presidential legacy.
The ‘Collateral Damage’ of Obama’s Cuba Policy
How the closure of a little-known program linked to “wet foot, dry foot” could impact Miami’s medical landscape.
The Beauty of Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s Bromance
A reminder that public servants are, in fact, still human beings.
The Slow and Complicated Return of Clemency
On Wednesday, President Obama commuted the sentences of 214 people, the most issued in a single day since 1900.