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Thomas Gift

Lecturer of Political Science and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Programme, UCL
Thomas Gift is a Lecturer of Political Science at UCL, where he teaches on Public Policy Economics and Analysis and is the Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Programme. His research lies at the intersection of comparative politics and political economy, with a focus on applications of experimental methods. He is especially interested in voters attitudes toward public policymaking in advanced, capitalist democracies. Gift's writings are published or forthcoming in journals such as Political Behavior, Electoral Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Annual Review of Political Science, and World Economy, among others. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the British Academy, and he has contributed to popular media outlets like the Washington Post and the BBC. Previously, Gift was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University.

US under Trump Series

Trump v Harvard: why this battle will damage the US’s reputation globally

May 28, 2025 14:41 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Harvard University is suing the Trump administration over its unprecedented attempt to bar international students from its campus. The latest salvo is that the administration has said it is cancelling all federal funds,...

How Elon Musk has become a powerful figure in US politics

Oct 25, 2024 12:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX recently made history by catching a Starship rocket booster as it careened back to Earth, wants you to vote for Donald Trump for many reasons. That includes not just what Trump will do here...

Kamala Harris: here’s what we’ve found out so far about the presidential nominee

Aug 26, 2024 23:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Who is Kamala Harris? Thats the question the Democratic nominee for president tried to answer in her highly anticipated acceptance speech at the partys national convention in Chicago. Although she has been...

US election: why it’s not the protesters’ votes that the Democrats should worry about

May 02, 2024 06:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As hundreds of New York police officers in riot gear were called in to clear away a student protest at Columbia University on Tuesday night, the university president Nemat Shafik was saying she had no choice but to take...

US election: turning off TikTok is a big risk for the Democrats

Mar 22, 2024 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Popular social media platform TikTok stands accused of holding US data in China, fostering censorship, and spreading disinformation. Its popularity poses a dilemma for US politicians, but especially Democrats who have...

US under Trump Series

Five reasons why Trump’s Republican opponents were never going to beat him

Feb 20, 2024 11:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Donald Trumps inexorable march to the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has sparked plenty of second-guessing. What could his opponents, including former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and Florida governor Ron...

Joe Biden could still stand down before the election – here’s how and what would happen next

Jan 27, 2024 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When Joe Biden took the oath of office in January 2021, many expected him to be the placeholder president. His mandate: heal the countrys wounds after four turbulent years of Donald Trump. Dont try to be a transformative...

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Economy

Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Lift Asian Markets as Oil Prices Retreat

Asian equities are on track for a second consecutive week of strong gains as easing tensions in the Middle East push oil prices further below the $100-per-barrel threshold. Investors are growing increasingly optimistic...

U.S. Stock Futures Hold Steady After S&P 500 and Nasdaq Hit Record Highs

U.S. stock index futures traded with little movement on Thursday evening following a second consecutive session of record-breaking gains for major benchmark indexes. Improved geopolitical sentiment and easing Middle East...

Gold Prices Dip Slightly But Hold Weekly Gains Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes

Gold prices edged lower during Asian trading hours on Friday, though the precious metal remained on track to post modest gains for the week. Investor sentiment continued to be shaped by ongoing diplomatic developments...

U.S. Dollar Steadies Near Multi-Week Lows Amid Iran Peace Talk Hopes and Global Market Shifts

The U.S. dollar held relatively steady on Thursday, trading near its weakest point since March as investors closely monitored developments surrounding potential U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. The U.S. Dollar Index edged up...

Oil Prices Dip as Middle East Peace Hopes Grow Amid Iran-U.S. Talks

Global oil prices edged lower in early Friday trading as optimism surrounding a potential resolution to the Middle East conflict weighed on crude markets. A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel taking effect,...

Politics

Myanmar Grants Amnesty to Over 4,000 Prisoners Under New President Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmars newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing has approved the release of 4,335 prisoners, according to state broadcaster MRTV, marking the third amnesty issued in the country within six months. The announcement did not...

France and Britain Lead 40-Nation Talks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

France and Britain are set to co-chair a high-stakes diplomatic meeting bringing together approximately 40 nations to address the growing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. The gathering signals that key U.S. allies are...

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to Exit Federal Government at End of May

Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is set to depart from federal service on May 31, 2026, transitioning to the private sector. The announcement came from Department of Homeland...

Iran-Lebanon War: Ceasefire Reached as U.S. and Iran Edge Closer to Nuclear Deal

A fragile but significant ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect Thursday, as President Donald Trump signaled that a broader peace agreement with Iran may be within reach. The development marks a pivotal moment...

Trump Administration Moves to Deport Iranian Academic Yousof Azizi Over Alleged Visa Fraud

Yousof Azizi, an Iranian academic and media commentator known for his appearances on Sky News, BBC Persian, and the Middle East Institute, is facing deportation after being arrested by U.S. immigration authorities on...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

OpenAI's $20 Billion Cerebras Deal Signals Massive AI Infrastructure Push

OpenAI is reportedly set to spend over $20 billion with AI chip startup Cerebras over the next three years, marking a significant expansion of an already substantial computing partnership. According to The Information, the...

Tesla's Terafab: AI Chip Factory Eyes Taiwan's Semiconductor Talent

Tesla is actively recruiting semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its ambitious Terafab project a fully vertically integrated AI chip manufacturing facility that aims to consolidate logic, memory, packaging, testing, and...

Japan to Subsidize Sony's Image Sensor Plant in Kumamoto with $380 Million

The Japanese government has announced plans to provide Sony with subsidies of up to 60 billion yen, equivalent to approximately $380 million, to support the construction of an image sensor manufacturing facility in...

NiSource Signs Long-Term Energy Deals with Alphabet and Amazon to Power Indiana Data Centers

NiSource, a U.S. utility company, has secured a long-term energy supply agreement with an Alphabet subsidiary to power a major data center in northern Indiana. The announcement also included an expanded partnership with...

TSMC Posts Record Q1 Profit Fueled by AI Chip Demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM), the worlds largest contract chipmaker, delivered a record-breaking first-quarter profit in 2026, surpassing analyst expectations as artificial intelligence continues...