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John F. Kennedy

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RFK, in Arthur Schlesinger’s Words

On the 50th anniversary of RFK's death, a glimpse inside one of his closest relationships.

80 Days That Changed America

Fifty years later, Bobby Kennedy’s passionate, inspiring, and tragic presidential campaign still fascinates.
Lee Harvey Oswald mug shot.

A Birthday Party for This Patsy?

Every year, a group in New Orleans gets together to celebrate the birthday of Lee Harvey Oswald, who they believe was framed.

The Cuban Missile Crisis at 55

The bullshit, the truth… and Trump.

Trump Plans to Release JFK Assassination Documents Despite Concerns From Federal Agencies

What's still under wraps, and what it might tell us about Lee Harvey Oswald.
Richard Nixon

The Presidency Never Recovered After Vietnam

The war opened the credibility gap. What we’ve learned since has only widened it.

What the Cuban Missile Crisis Can Teach Us About the North Korean Missile Crisis

To avoid catastrophe, Kennedy turned to diplomacy. Trump would be wise to do the same.

Trumpcare Is Dead. “Single Payer Is the Only Real Answer,” Says Medicare Architect.

Max Pine, 91, believes that one day “the Republicans will leap ahead of the Democrats and lead in its enactment.”
Trump at the podium, surrounded by other officials.
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Why are Republicans Trapped on Health Care? Because Democrats Stole Their Best Idea.

When Democrats claimed the individual mandate, Republicans lost their best idea for health-care reform.

JFK’s Russian Conspiracy

Kennedy had his own secret back channel with Moscow. It may have kept the superpowers from going to war.
Still from the Zapruder film made to appear as if it is in the crosshairs of a gun
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Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate

Retro Report explores decades of conspiracy theories -- from the John F. Kennedy assassination to Pizzagate -- and what they can tell us about the world today.

The Greatest Presidents

Historians agree on the top three. Below that, there are fascinating trends in opinion.
A painting of Boston harbor, where women in dresses stand on a hill, watching ships
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Invisible Cities, Continued

The 19th century recovery of John Winthrop's sermon, "A City on a Hill."
Collage drawing of elements of US-Cuba relations, including JFK, Castro, missiles, a journalist at a typewriter, and soldiers from both sides carrying guns.

Cuba Libre

Covering the island has been a central concern for The Nation since the beginning—producing scoops, aiding diplomacy, and pushing for a change in policy.

How Medicare Was Made

The passage of Medicare and Medicaid, nearly fifty years ago, was no less contentious than recent debates about Obamacare.
Black-and-white still image from the film "Dr. Strangelove," in which a man is shouting and waving his hat in the air while riding a missile in flight.

Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was True

How Stanley Kubrick’s film “Dr. Strangelove” exposed dangers inherent in nuclear command-and-control systems.
A frame from Zapruder's film.

The Other Shooter: The Saddest and Most Expensive 26 Seconds of Amateur Film Ever Made

For many of us, especially those who weren’t alive when it happened, we’re all watching that event through Zapruder’s lens.
Johnson behind President Kennedy as they left the Hotel Texas, in Fort Worth, the day that Kennedy was assassinated.

The Day L.B.J. Took Charge

Lyndon Johnson and the events in Dallas.
A Muslim prays inside a mosque.

Texas GOP’s Anti-Sharia Crusade

You can forgive historians if they are overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu as they witness the hate and vitriol aimed at Muslims by Texas Republicans today.
The U.S. Constitution with a scrap paper over it that reads "25th Amendment".

Who Wrote the 25th Amendment?

It turns out he’s still alive, and still teaching at Fordham Law. We had some questions about an amendment that wasn’t written to meet a moment like this.