Joseph Nye has been the preeminent thought leader on the issue of power dynamics and relationships connecting global actors. [...] What is the future of this American century? My guess is that among the range of possible futures, ones in which a new challenger such as Europe, Russia, India, Brazil or China surpasses the United States and precipitates the end of the American centrality to the global balance of power are not impossible, but not very likely.

The nation and the world are mourning the loss of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday in California at the age of 94. She will be remembered most as the backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan. [...] As first lady, she made an impact on the public wherever she went.

The embassy itself, an acclaimed example of midcentury modern architecture, has been rotting for just as long. In a sense, it’s a beautifully tragic metaphor for the arc of post-war American history. [...] Completed in 1953, the subtly imposing structure implied a sense of American superiority as the Space Race took off and the Cold War heated up.