Drones

Obama Built an ‘Infrastructure’ for Civil-Liberties Violations That Trump Will Inherit

In his farewell address, the president highlighted his legacy on national-security issues, but his actions may have opened the way for future abuses.

• Emma Green
• January 11, 2017

A Classroom Conflict Between an Officer and a Student in South Carolina

The Justice Department has opened a civil-rights investigation into an encounter between a white high-school resource officer and an African American female student.

• Krishnadev Calamur
• October 27, 2015

The Story of America's Very First Drone Strike

The CIA’s then-secret weapon missed Taliban leader Mullah Omar, starting a bureaucratic fight that has lasted 14 years.

• Chris Woods
• May 30, 2015

Unmanned

As drone warfare becomes a more familiar concept in American life, anxiety about its ubiquity—and what it means for humankind—is being explored in film, theater, and music.

• Sophie Gilbert
• May 22, 2015

When CIA Drone Strikes Kill Innocent Westerners

America's leaders are morally incoherent on the subject of targeted killing.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• April 27, 2015

Drones and the Myth of Precision

Civilian casualties are inevitable, and the U.S. appears willing to accept them.

• Matt Schiavenza
• April 24, 2015

Lost Civilizations, Found by Drones

Equipped with high-tech sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles can help archaeologists discover remnants of ancient societies.

• Nicholas St. Fleur
• March 5, 2015

'The Night I Hit Rock Bottom, My Drone Hit the White House Lawn'

A government employee who had been drinking crashed a drone on the president's property. This is his song.

• Robinson Meyer
• January 30, 2015

America's 500th Drone Strike

The 13-year-old tactic, once intended to be rare, has become completely routine.

• Micah Zenko
• November 21, 2014

Drone Strikes Never Kill 'Humans'

News organizations should stop reporting that "militants" were killed when they can confirm no such thing.

• Conor Friedersdorf
• November 20, 2014