Politics Archives

An exterior view of the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

Environment

Records Show a Top DOI Official Met With His Former Employer—a Koch Brothers-Linked Foundation

A high-level official at the Department of the Interior held meetings with a previous employer, the Koch-linked Texas Public Policy Foundation, while it was involved in legal action against the department, according to newly obtained documents.

Jimmy Tobias

News in Brief

Breaking Down Colorado’s Surprisingly Productive 2018 Legislative Session

Colorado's legislature had a productive year. But, because of the state's term limits, that output probably won't last.

Seth Masket

The statue of Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and members of the alt-right on August 12th, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Dispatches: What You Need to Know About Polarizing Political Divides

News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.

Pacific Standard Staff

Rep. Jared Huffman, one of the founders of the Freethought Caucus, identifies as a "humanist." He was the second member of Congress ever to openly profess to having an ethical system that's not based on God.

News in Brief

Is It Just an ‘Atheists’ Club’? Inside the House of Representatives’ New Freethought Caucus

As religious tensions flare in the House, four Democratic congressmen are launching a new group dedicated to science-based policy, separation of church and state, and freedom for all—including atheists.

Francie Diep

The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.

News in Brief

How Gender Bias Subtly Influences Supreme Court Decisions

New research suggests male justices are more receptive to appeals that line up with gender stereotypes.

Tom Jacobs

People hold Honduran flags at the border fence during a rally with members of a caravan of Central American asylum seekers and supporters on April 29th, 2018, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Social Justice

The White House’s Decision to Terminate Hondurans’ Temporary Protected Status May Aid Lawsuits Against Its Immigration Policy

Lawsuits challenging earlier TPS cancelations charge the Trump administration was guided not by calculations over the nations' safety, but by racism.

Massoud Hayoun

Environment

Facing a Massive Pollution Problem, California Is Fighting Against the EPA’s Efforts to Roll Back Emissions Standards

California, the most polluted state in the country, is engaged in a fight with EPA to keep higher auto emissions standards.

Ashley Hackett

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends his Fidesz Party's campaign rally on April 6th, 2018, in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

News in Brief

Tracing the Roots of Hungary’s Swing to the Right

A conversation with an expert on Central and Eastern European politics about the recent rise of conservative party leadership and anti-E.U. sentiment in Hungary and Poland.

Elena Souris

A man casts a vote in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary on February 20th, 2016, in West Columbia, South Carolina.

News in Brief

How Colorado Is Trying to Bring Unaffiliated Voters Into the Primary Election Fold

Colorado is attempting an unusual style of primary election next month: allowing unaffiliated voters to choose which primary they'd like to vote in. What does that mean for politics in the Centennial State?

Seth Masket

Donald Trump attends the National Prayer Breakfast

News in Brief

How Former Members of the Trump Administration Are Working Around a Non-Lobbying Pledge

The president forced these lobbyists not to lobby as a part of taking office, but they're getting back to work using techniques that vary from the bureaucratic to the audacious.

Derek Kravitz & Alex Mierjeski