The Russo-Ukrainian war has been marked by mutual short-range missile and drone attacks, but Ukraine has struggled to gain a significant advantage in aerial warfare. In November of 2024, former President Biden approved the discretionary use of long-range missiles by Ukraine in the ongoing war against Russia. Since then, how have long-range missiles altered the nature of the war?

The first 2024 presidential debate between Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump reaffirmed the disenchantment of many with contemporary American politics. An oft-stated grievance of voters and pundits alike is the uncivil speech and conduct of political candidates, which may no longer be “unprecedented” but ubiquitous in our system. The bitter aftertaste of the debate provokes the question of whether common decency has been abandoned by our politicians.

But is this perception accurate? And can we assess how the behavior of political candidates has changed, not only within the past ten years but also since the first televised presidential debate took place between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon almost six and a half decades ago?