Old News

Historical thinkers reflect on today's news. Receipts, not vibes.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts YouTube RSS

Italy putting nearly all major cities on highest heat alert

Saturday, August 1, 2026 · BBC News · climate

Franklin · Hypatia of Alexandria

Evidence Indicates U.S. Dropped Bomb on Residential Area in Iran, Killing 3 Civilians

Saturday, August 1, 2026 · NYT · ethics

Seneca · Marcus Aurelius

Uefa to boycott World Cups if Fifa plans approved

Friday, July 31, 2026 · BBC News · economics

Seneca · Franklin

Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant

Friday, July 31, 2026 · BBC News · climate

Hypatia of Alexandria · Seneca

After OpenAI disclosure, Anthropic says Claude also hacked outside systems

Thursday, July 30, 2026 · Al Jazeera · technology

Hypatia of Alexandria · Seneca

Cyanide in tomato pesticide killed 15 elephants, Kenyan officials suspect

Thursday, July 30, 2026 · BBC News · science

Seneca · Franklin

Spain deploys military to Ceuta after deadly migrant surge

Thursday, July 30, 2026 · Al Jazeera · geopolitics

Seneca · Franklin

Three Greek firefighters die as wildfires threaten parts of southern Europe

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 · BBC News · climate

Franklin · Marcus Aurelius

Japan turns to Canadian crude as Asia feels Hormuz supply pinch

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 · Al Jazeera · economics

Franklin · Emerson

Trump administration bans new Chinese humanoid robots

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 · BBC News · technology

Hypatia of Alexandria · Seneca

Johnson & Johnson offers up to $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 · BBC News · business

Franklin · Seneca

Houthi attacks raise fears of wider Middle East conflict and more global economic damage

Monday, July 27, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Franklin

Inside the Phone-Throwing Drama at the Troubled, Broke Democratic Party

Sunday, July 26, 2026 · NYT · culture

Franklin · Seneca

Car Plows Into Crowd at Berlin Pride Event in Suspected Terror Attack

Saturday, July 25, 2026 · NYT · ethics

Marcus Aurelius · Seneca

Pizza, pasta, potatoes, protein - how Italian children became so overweight

Saturday, July 25, 2026 · BBC News · health

Seneca · Hypatia of Alexandria

GLP-1s are changing US healthcare, should everyone be on them?

Friday, July 24, 2026 · Al Jazeera · health

Hypatia of Alexandria · Seneca

US hits dozens of countries with new wave of tariffs

Friday, July 24, 2026 · BBC News · economics

Franklin · Seneca

Is this Italy's 'George Floyd moment'?

Thursday, July 23, 2026 · Al Jazeera · ethics

Marcus Aurelius · Seneca

Google and Tesla shares plunge as AI spending rattles markets

Thursday, July 23, 2026 · BBC News · technology

Seneca · Hypatia of Alexandria

Trump's Plan for Science: More Money for A.I., Less for Universities

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 · NYT · science

Marcus Aurelius · Seneca

France passes law banning under-15s from social media

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Thoreau

Rare identical quadruplets born in Australia

Monday, July 20, 2026 · BBC News · health

Hypatia of Alexandria · Hildegard of Bingen

Women's tennis players must take one-time gene test for eligibility

Sunday, July 19, 2026 · Al Jazeera · ethics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Marcus Aurelius

What this desert city can teach the world about tackling heat deaths

Saturday, July 18, 2026 · BBC News · climate

Thoreau · Hypatia of Alexandria

Somalia races to save Radio Mogadishu's fading archive

Saturday, July 18, 2026 · Al Jazeera · culture

Hypatia of Alexandria · Thoreau

Italian officials handed jail terms for Genoa bridge disaster that killed 43

Friday, July 17, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Thoreau · Hypatia of Alexandria

Many Ukrainian soldiers outraged over removal of defence minister, troops tell BBC

Friday, July 17, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Seneca · Hildegard of Bingen

Mandela Day: What his legacy means in today's South Africa

Friday, July 17, 2026 · Al Jazeera · culture

Thoreau · Hildegard of Bingen

CDC keeps Ebola-related U.S. entry restrictions as Congo outbreak grows

Thursday, July 16, 2026 · CDC · health

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau

Celebrations as Gibraltar-Spain border fence removed

Thursday, July 16, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Emerson · Hildegard of Bingen

Argentina face action after waving Falklands banner

Thursday, July 16, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Hildegard of Bingen · Epictetus

US reimposes Iran blockade and launches fresh strikes as Hormuz war escalates

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 · Associated Press · geopolitics

Epictetus · Thoreau

Oil jumps more than 4% as Hormuz fighting re-prices energy risk

Sunday, July 12, 2026 · Al Jazeera · economics

Epictetus · Seneca

Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in eastern China after nearly 2 million evacuations

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · BBC News · climate

Krishnamurti · Hildegard of Bingen

Gas prices climb again as U.S.–Iran fighting threatens oil chokepoint

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · CBS News · economics

Krishnamurti · Hildegard of Bingen

U.S. launches fresh strikes as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after ship attack

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · Associated Press · geopolitics

Krishnamurti · Hildegard of Bingen

After Khamenei’s funeral, emboldened Iran tests Trump as succession hardens

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · The Washington Post · geopolitics

Thoreau · Hypatia of Alexandria

US demands Iran reopen Strait of Hormuz as Trump declares ceasefire over but talks continue

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Hildegard of Bingen

Iran’s new supreme leader pledges ‘inevitable’ revenge for father’s killing

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · CNN · geopolitics

Epictetus · Hypatia of Alexandria

Russian missile and drone barrage hits Ukraine, killing civilians

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · Reuters · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau

Trump administration to back heavy secondary tariffs on Russian oil buyers

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · CBS News · economics

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau

At least 12 killed, 23 missing in one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires amid European heatwave

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · The New York Times · climate

Hildegard of Bingen · Seneca

US seeks Iranian pledge to keep Strait of Hormuz open as Trump declares ceasefire over

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Seneca

Iran’s new supreme leader pledges revenge as country buries Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · Reuters · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Krishnamurti

US seeks Iranian pledge to reopen Strait of Hormuz as Trump declares ceasefire over

Saturday, July 11, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau

Canada makes largest defence procurement deal in its history, citing 'dangerous and divided world'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Thoreau · Hildegard of Bingen

Canada makes largest defence procurement deal in its history, citing 'dangerous and divided world'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Seneca · Hildegard of Bingen

Prasanna Viswanathan on India's economic resilience — measured policy, not luck

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Prasanna Viswanathan on X (via businessline) · economics

Krishnamurti · Thoreau

Ukraine to get licence to produce Patriot missiles, Trump says

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Thoreau · Emerson

Iran holds dayslong funeral for slain Supreme Leader Khamenei as US-Iran ceasefire talks pause

Friday, July 10, 2026 · CNN · geopolitics

Seneca · Hildegard of Bingen

NATO leaders convene in Ankara as Trump presses allies on defense spending and Ukraine seeks Patriot missiles

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Al Jazeera · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Epictetus

Huge crowds in Mashhad as Iran's late supreme leader is buried

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Epictetus · Seneca

Canada makes largest defence procurement deal in its history, citing 'dangerous and divided world'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Thoreau · Seneca

Prasanna Viswanathan on India's economic resilience — measured policy, not luck

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Prasanna Viswanathan on X (via businessline) · economics

Epictetus · Hildegard of Bingen

Canada makes largest defence procurement deal in its history, citing 'dangerous and divided world'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Epictetus

Oil for unity: What is the US mediation plan in Libya?

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Al Jazeera · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Seneca

French court upholds Marine Le Pen embezzlement conviction but clears path for 2027 presidential run

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Hypatia of Alexandria

Iran holds dayslong funeral for slain Supreme Leader Khamenei as US-Iran ceasefire talks pause

Friday, July 10, 2026 · CNN · geopolitics

Hypatia of Alexandria

NATO leaders convene in Ankara as Trump presses allies on defense spending and Ukraine seeks Patriot missiles

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Al Jazeera · geopolitics

Hypatia of Alexandria

NATO leaders convene in Ankara as Trump presses allies on defense spending and Ukraine seeks Patriot missiles

Friday, July 10, 2026 · Al Jazeera · geopolitics

Epictetus · Seneca

Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs and shrinks Xbox in 'significant restructure'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · technology

Krishnamurti · Epictetus

Ukrainian agent accused of murdering Monaco bomb suspect changes story

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau

French court upholds Marine Le Pen embezzlement conviction but clears path for 2027 presidential run

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Hypatia of Alexandria

French court upholds Marine Le Pen embezzlement conviction but clears path for 2027 presidential run

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Hypatia of Alexandria · Hildegard of Bingen

French court upholds Marine Le Pen embezzlement conviction but clears path for 2027 presidential run

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · ethics

Krishnamurti · Epictetus

Canada makes largest defence procurement deal in its history, citing 'dangerous and divided world'

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Krishnamurti · Hypatia of Alexandria

Iran holds dayslong funeral for slain Supreme Leader Khamenei as US-Iran ceasefire talks pause

Friday, July 10, 2026 · CNN · geopolitics

Thoreau · Seneca

Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies

Friday, July 10, 2026 · BBC News · geopolitics

Hildegard of Bingen · Thoreau