Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

The Crisis of Democracy

The Crisis of Democracy
Make us preferred on Google

“Democracy is in crisis,” warns a new report from Freedom House, a human rights watchdog. “Political rights and civil liberties around the world deteriorated to their lowest point in more than a decade in 2017, extending a period characterized by emboldened autocrats, beleaguered democracies, and the United States’ withdrawal from its leadership role in the global struggle for human freedom,” according to the report. (See “Hard Numbers” below for some specifics.)


The report is a sobering read, and its conclusions make clear that we must look beyond the individual abuses of power of today’s strongmen toward longer-term political, economic, cultural and technological trends to understand why rights and freedoms are increasingly under threat.

More For You

​Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2026.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on May 8, 2026.

REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov/Pool
As the war in Ukraine drags through its fifth year, Russia’s fortunes are beginning to sour. In recent months, the Ukrainian military has made its most significant gains since the summer of 2023. Kyiv’s weapons meanwhile are expanding their range, striking energy facilities deep into the heart of Russia while also pummeling the oil infrastructure [...]
​People search for casualties under the rubble of a collapsed building in Caracas following earthquakes in Venezuela, on June 25, 2026.

People search for casualties under the rubble of a collapsed building in the aftermath of earthquakes, in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25, 2026.

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria
Will the earthquake shake Venezuela’s government?The death toll from the Venezuelan earthquakes continues to rise, nearing 600 by Friday morning. The US believes that figure could rise to a staggering 10,000 once all the dead are located under the rubble. The human and economic toll are immense. But as is often the case with natural disasters of [...]
Mass layoffs inbound at Volkswagen
This is not Fahrvergnügen. The company is set to axe one-sixth of its work force. The move reflects the tough fortunes of Germany‘s auto sector, which is under pressure from the flood of lower-cost Chinese car exports, as well as the effects of the Iran war and US tariffs. [...]
A building damaged by earthquakes that hit the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25, 2026.

A view of the remains of a building damaged by earthquakes that hit the country, in Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25, 2026.

REUTERS/Fausto Torrealba
Deadly earthquakes hit Venezuela At least 164 people were killed and nearly 1,000 were left injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening. The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were the strongest to hit the country in nearly six decades. A number of buildings collapsed, Caracas’ international airport was damaged, and [...]