In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

Khymani James, the former Columbia encampment leader who once boasted on camera that “you’re lucky I’m not going around murdering Zionists,” reemerged this week to celebrate the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Taking to X, James praised Kirk’s murder and stood firm on rhetoric that makes political violence not just thinkable but desirable. His words weren’t fringe mutterings from a lone agitator. They reflected a broader cultural sickness that is metastasizing inside the progressive movement, where nihilism has replaced hope, and hatred masquerades as justice.