Elbridge Gerry: More Than 'gerrymandering' Elbridge Gerry is often remembered because his name got attached to the word 'gerrymandering', but that one association flattens a fuller public life. He served in key positions when the new nation was finding its

Your Critic’s First Butterfly Net Prize: This Month’s Craziest Moment There’s a short list of things that grab attention and refuse to let go, and this month the headline belongs to one of those wild, unmistakable moments. Plus, your critic’s

When Oversight Collides with the Courts: Strategy and Risk Republicans have long argued for strong oversight of government, including judges whose rulings reshape policy and commerce. That oversight matters because courts now decide questions that affect elections, enforcement and daily

NASA’s new Mars plan corrects vendor-driven wish lists The agency’s new Mars plan reverses the problem of entertaining vendor-driven wish lists that yield little benefit. The previous approach invited a laundry list of contractor wants that often boosted costs without

Social Media and Children: Why Lawmakers Need to Step In Social media may be toxic for children, but it is up to legislatures to debate what to do about it. Parents, teachers, health experts and lawmakers all see the same