A surprisingly chaste summer protest in France.

Good afternoon, TAI readers! We trust you’re enjoying your weekend. Why not take the time this Sunday to look back on what you may have missed on our site over the past week?

Our responses to the economic and political malaise that plagues us are mired in denial and debt. Our real problem is a failure to think.

The shale boom has unlocked huge new reserves of natural gas, which have in turn displaced coal as an energy source. This seismic shift in how we power our country has been good for the environment, though greens won’t want to see it that way.

The federal government is cracking down on the junk food normally sold in public school vending machines, but they’re leaving vending machines in teacher’s lounges alone. Perhaps we’ve finally stumbled upon a way to solve teacher pensions crisis.

Scientists have developed a genetic modification that kills female flies before they become adults. When introduced, it can induce the collapse of pest populations, saving crops and potentially lives.

The Obama administration finds itself in the increasingly difficult position of preserving its ephemeral gains in negotiations with Iran while facing the daunting task of figuring out a way to stabilize the Sunni world across the Middle East.

The riots in Ferguson, Missouri, raise a lot of important questions—not just about race in Ferguson but about race in 21^st-century America writ large.

The problem with “accommodating” Russia in Ukraine is that Vladimir Putin’s goal is sowing chaos as part of a plan to hold on to power in the Kremlin.

Ahead of a possible meeting with Chinese President Xi, Japanese PM Abe is trying not to inflame tensions with Beijing too greatly. To that end, he’s stayed away from a controversial Japanese war memorial on the recent anniversary of the country’s World War II defeat.