George Packer's Blog, page 23

How Paul Ryan Got It Wrong

Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes that Paul Ryan, who announced his retirement from Congress on Wednesday, was wrong in insisting that the Trump era had not materially changed the Republican Party establishment.

Parents and Students from Stoneman Douglas High School Take Sides in the Florida Senate Race

Charles Bethea talks to parents and students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, about Rick Scott and the Florida Senate race.

The Unfulfilled Promise of the Fair Housing Act

Michelle Adams writes that the Civil Rights Act of 1968, known as the Fair Housing Act, was meant to outlaw individual acts of housing discrimination and foster integration, but by not enforcing the former it never achieved the latter.

Mark Zuckerberg���s Dorm-Room Defense in Congress

Mattathias Schwartz writes about the Facebook founder and C.E.O.���s first day of testimony before Congress, in which he answered questions about privacy, Cambridge Analytica, and election interference.

Israel Wages a Growing War in Syria

Robin Wright on the ongoing Syrian civil war and Israel���s growing role in the conflict.

Why Trump���s Threat to Make Assad Pay a ���Big Price��� Rings Hollow

Robin Wright writes about the April, 2018, deadly chemical-weapons attack in Douma, Syria, and about Donald Trump���s possible response.

Trump Sanctions Putin���s Son-in-Law, but Not Putin

Robin Wright on the announcement of U.S. economic sanctions against a group of Russian oligarchs and Kremlin officials.

Hamas and the Mass Protests in Gaza

Bernard Avishai on the protests in the Gaza Strip and what Hamas, which governs Gaza, may seek to accomplish.

The Changing Shape of Protests in the Second Year of the Trump Era

Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes about the teacher strikes in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and about the change in the tenor of liberal protest since Donald Trump took office.

Trump Defies His Generals on ISIS and Syria

Robin Wright writes that President Trump is pushing for a U.S. withdrawal from Syria that his military advisers unanimously warn could result in a resurgence of ISIS.