WorldcrunchStay updated with comprehensive news on the United States from Worldcrunch. Discover insights on American politics, economic strategies, societal issues, and cultural landmarks with translations from top international sources. Highlights include Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and cultural events.
The United States has seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, attacking the country’s main source of income in an escalation of pressure aimed at bringing down the Maduro regime. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, supports the U.S.’s pressure tactics. But our Americans ready to revive imperialism?
As the U.S.-China standoff sways, President Donald Trump’s administrative stance toward Chinese students has wavered. In the U.S., they’re at times branded as potential spies; in China, coming home can carry the stigma of disloyalty. Caught in the middle, many are weighing life-changing decisions with no safe choice.
Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of Europe, calling it “weak” and “ decaying,” and of Ukraine, which he said has no chance because Russia is “bigger.” Why so much hatred?
As Iran faces one of its worst droughts in decades, President Masoud Pezeshkian has revived a long-debated plan to move the capital city Tehran. But the country needs to address first the root causes of its water bankruptcy.
The National Security Strategy, an official document released Friday in Washington, delivers a sharp attack on Europe while echoing far-right themes. It signals a break with the Europe we know, one that threatens support for Ukraine and the continent’s security.
From Ukraine to global power shifts, the certainties that once shaped our world have collapsed, forcing Europe to rethink what is still achievable in a rapidly changing reality.
Trump’s interventions seem to correspond less to a conventional impulse toward peacemaking than to an attempt to secure strategic advantages for his country.
A 34-year-old programmer from Braunschweig is wagering that Michael Saylor’s debt fueled Bitcoin empire cannot withstand a crash, setting up an unlikely duel between a small investor and crypto billionaire.
A string of political defeats, legal setbacks and economic backlash is eroding Trump’s grip on power, raising cautious hopes that America’s democratic resilience is finally reasserting itself.
A new study found that even tiny amounts of ingested plastic can be fatal to marine animals, with lethal doses far lower than previously believed. More than ever, this highlights the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution to protect vulnerable ocean species.
Instead of bringing home knickknacks, some travelers choose to collect tattoos — etching their memories into skin rather than stowing them on a shelf. Whether carefully planned or struck by impulse, these journeys suggest that ink itself has become a kind of passport. And sometimes, the whole point of the trip.
Ukraine’s president must confront demands to concede occupied territories while navigating red lines set in Kyiv and mounting pressure from both Washington and the Kremlin.
Exclusive reports by Bloomberg show transcripts of two secret phone calls involving the Trump administration’s apparent collusion with the Kremlin on the 28-point Ukraine plan Donald Trump seeks to impose on Volodymyr Zelensky.
As natural disasters intensify, insurers are withdrawing from high-risk regions, mortgages are failing, and real estate values are weakening. Analysts fear a chain reaction that could resemble, or surpass, the 2008 crisis.
“Peace won’t be made by failed diplomats or politicians living in a fantasy land” tweeted Vice President Vance to explain why professionals are being dismissed, both on Gaza and Ukraine. The delegitimization of expertise is a major trend of our time.
The reality is that Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to Israel, but rather to the Lebanese state itself; whereas Israel represents an existential threat to the state, to Hezbollah, and to Lebanese society as a whole.
In a new book, Steve Ramirez explores the potential of memory manipulation to ease depression and other afflictions.
From embryo editing to dreams of eternal life, Silicon Valley’s new faith in machines blurs the line between progress and eugenics, raising the question of what humanity is willing to sacrifice for perfection.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected in Washington on Tuesday, a visit that is preceded by a series of contradictory signals that reflect the kingdom’s current standing with the U.S. president. Every detail of the trip will be closely examined, especially in Israel.
Why do a few U.S. megachurches boom while most barely survive? A decade of data reveals the secrets — and limits — of evangelical growth.
Regulations make it hard to introduce organisms that quash invasive species. Some experts see missed opportunities.
They’re both named Juliette. One is American, the other French. Each lost her father to a terror attack — the first in 9/11 in New York, the other in Paris, ten years ago. Out of shared grief, a rare friendship was born between the two Juliettes across the Atlantic.
Ahmed al-Sharaa is the first Syrian president to make an official visit to the United States, but more importantly, he is the first former member of Al Qaeda to enter the White House. It marks Donald Trump’s bold bet on the Saudi-led Sunni consolidation in the Middle East.
Chatbots weren’t designed for mental health, but they’re increasingly used for therapy. What are the risks and benefits?
As Democrats secured a series of victories across the country on Tuesday, what lessons will Donald Trump draw? Or will he instead be tempted to take an authoritarian leap forward, as many of his opponents fear? Three key lessons from an election that may have changed everything in the United States.
It tracked my every move and kept me disciplined, but also kept me chained. What began as motivation slowly turned into addiction and invasion.
Donald Trump has ordered renewed testing of nuclear weapons, while Vladimir Putin is touting the power of his nuclear-capable missiles and underwater drones. Why all this noise about nuclear weapons?
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have negotiated a truce in their trade war, delaying China’s planned restrictions on rare earth exports. Yet Trump has been forced to back down in the face of a strong Chinese response, a miscalculation that could have long-term consequences, also for Taiwan.
Beyond U.S. tariffs, the deeper economic drag in China is domestic: weak demand, a deflationary price war, debt laden local governments mortgaging assets, and collapsing trust between private business and the state.
“Every French person should be able to find a McDonald’s within 20 minutes of their home.” This was the fast-food giant’s goal by early 2025. In Tessancourt-sur-Aubette, a town under 1,000 inhabitants northwest of Paris, the rural area is now under American influence. Most locals are happy.
Like two centuries ago, Tehran is caught between two competing powers: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the West, led by the U.S. and UK.
As ChatGPT learns your habits and starts spending on your behalf, the future of online shopping may belong to the bots.
Donald Trump’s ultimate battle isn’t abroad — it’s at home. From campuses to city halls and the military, resistance is rising as America’s institutions push back against his power grab.
China is now wielding a U.S.-style extraterritorial law on rare-earth trade. It has tilted the balance of power in its favor, but rattled global markets and left the rest of the world caught in the crossfire.
A week of record highs flipped to panic with new China tariff talk, exposing fragile nerves as experts warn that a fast growing $2.2 trillion private credit market with light oversight, risky PIK structures, and bank and insurer exposure could turn the next shock into a chain reaction.
On five separate occasions, the U.S. Navy has sunk ships in the Caribbean accused of drug trafficking — yet no evidence has been presented. Acting without the approval of Congress or the backing of the international community, Donald Trump is pushing ahead. This return to power politics is causing alarm across Latin America.
When a child’s blunt questions about death collide with the sudden loss of a neighbor, glass marbles in hand, lessons on fragility and presence take shape in unexpected ways.
Ask your neighbor whether they have sought out a psychic for advice or a message from a dead loved one. You might be surprised by what you hear.
From political folly to looming crises, investors are betting on collapse — and turning to gold as their safe haven.
China has halted purchases of U.S. soybeans, cutting American farmers off from billions of dollars in revenue. It is a crucial example of how amid Donald Trump’s trade war is hitting his own voters, and feeding geopolitical rivalries beyond traditional diplomatic or military areas.