The Economist explains

What is an earmark?

A reviled method of distributing federal spending returns

|3 min read

THE CAPE HENRY lighthouse, built in 1792 from the same Aquia Creek sandstone as much of Washington, DC, was America’s first federally funded public-works project. Though it no longer serves its original purpose, it still stands at the windswept southern entrance to Chesapeake Bay as a monument to an early political compromise. Congress delivered it to Southern legislators in exchange for their support of a bill that placed lighthouses under federal control.

Ukrainian drone operator works to correct artillery fire in the city of Bahkmut.

How drones and video-game techniques are coming together in Ukraine’s war

The idea of the body count evolves

Blue sky, mountainous landscape in the background, with a rope bridge over the Indus River. A motocyclist is crossing the bridge.

Why are India and Pakistan fighting over water?

After terror attacks India has suspended a water-sharing treaty 


A destroyed Russian tank sits on a roadside near the town of Sudzha, Ukraine

How will mines dropped by drones change warfare?

They make attacks on tanks more precise and troops easier to trap


What do Greenlanders think of being bought?

Donald Trump’s desire for Greenland, and a shabby visit by his son, reignite the independence debate

What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal?

The president-elect claims the crossing is controlled by China and rips off American consumers

Where does Santa come from?

How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas