FP Explainer

Why Is It So Hard to Identify the World’s Rape Capital?

How it's possible for Botswana and Sweden to top a global ranking of rape.

BY MARYA HANNUN | MARCH 4, 2013

Ice Removal

How easy is it to fence $50 million worth of stolen diamonds?

BY SCOTT ANDREW SELBY | FEBRUARY 20, 2013

Paging Bruce Willis

Whose job is it to stop an asteroid from hitting the Earth?

BY J. DANA STUSTER | DECEMBER 13, 2012

What Happens After You Label a Country a Currency Manipulator?

You ask them to stop it.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | OCTOBER 17, 2012

What Exactly Is 'Non-Lethal' Aid?

Anything not designed to kill. But that doesn't mean it can't be used for bloody ends.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | AUGUST 2, 2012

Atmosphere of Distortion

When is it OK to blame climate change for a heat wave?

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JULY 5, 2012

Is There Money In the Moon?

Maybe someday.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 18, 2012

So, How Do You Expel an Ambassador, Anyway?

Just tell 'em to get packing.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MAY 29, 2012

Can Poor People Open a Swiss Bank Account?

Bad news: You need more than a passport, some pocket change, and a healthy disdain for the IRS.

BY URI FRIEDMAN | MAY 2, 2012

Gimme Shelter

So, how do you take refuge in an embassy, anyway?

BY URI FRIEDMAN AND JOSHUA KEATING | APRIL 30, 2012

How Do You Prove Someone's a Witch in Saudi Arabia?

Call the religious police's Anti-Witchcraft Unit and get them to set up a sting operation.

BY URI FRIEDMAN | DECEMBER 13, 2011

Was the Seven Billionth Baby Really Born Today?

Perhaps, plus or minus 50 million babies.

BY URI FRIEDMAN | OCTOBER 31, 2011

Does the U.S. Tax its Billionaires Less Than Other Rich Countries?

Depends what you consider rich. (But yes.)

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

How Hard Is it for Governments to Get Rid of Their Gold?

Depends where they keep it.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Is It Legal for Americans to Fight in Another Country's Army?

For the most part, yes, unless they're fighting against America.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

When Are British Cops Allowed to Carry Guns?

Very rarely.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | AUGUST 10, 2011

What Makes Credit Rating Agencies Issue a Downgrade?

It all depends on if the country is able to pay its debts, and whether it's willing to.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JULY 14, 2011

Why Would Someone Hack the IMF?

To see how the sausage is made.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 14, 2011

Is It Legal to Try to Kill Qaddafi?

Probably.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 10, 2011

Why Is It So Hard to Figure Out What's Causing Europe's E. Coli Outbreak?

Because people don't keep their vegetables around to study.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 3, 2011

Why Is the IMF Chief Always a European?

Because Europeans choose him.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MAY 18, 2011

Does the CIA Need a Country's Permission to Spy on It?

No, but sometimes it helps.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | APRIL 13, 2011

Why Don’t Other Countries Have Government Shutdowns?

It's a uniquely American form of gridlock.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | APRIL 7, 2011

How Dangerous Is the Plutonium Leaking from the Japanese Nuclear Reactor?

Not as dangerous as the other substances it's releasing.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MARCH 30, 2011

Can Any Old Country Now Bomb Libya?

Technically, yes, thanks to a vague U.N. resolution. 

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MARCH 23, 2011

What Happens During a Nuclear Meltdown?

Not what's happening in Japan.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | MARCH 14, 2011

Do No-Fly Zones Work?

Yes, but they might not stop Qaddafi.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | FEBRUARY 28, 2011

How Do You Hire Mercenaries?

It helps to have connections in post-conflict countries.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | FEBRUARY 23, 2011

Can You Get Away With Any Crime if You Have Diplomatic Immunity?

Pretty much, unless your own government gives you up.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | FEBRUARY 15, 2011