If a baby is born in the United States, is that baby an American citizen? Most of us don’t hesitate. Of course. That’s how it works. You’re born here—you’re American. It feels fundamental, almost automatic. One of those things so ingrained in how we understand this country that we rarely stop to question it. Until now. Weighing law against belonging. Because the Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments that could reshape that assumption—arguments sparked not by a new law,

In modern American politics, even the most mundane bureaucratic details can suddenly become the center of national controversy. The latest example? A small mechanical device called an autopen. If you’ve never heard of an autopen, you’re not alone. For decades it was one of the most boring tools in the federal government. An autopen is simply a machine that replicates a person’s signature. A real pen is placed into the device, and the machine traces a programmed pattern that d