Geographical  |  January 2026
What a year! Sometimes the world seems to shift by degrees, and
feet. Over the past 12 months, we’ve watched the latter scenario
unfold. This issue of Geographical is our attempt to take stock.
Sweeping cuts and reorganisations across US federal agencies have reshaped science, public health, climate monitoring and environmental protection (see Page 24). From the dismantling of climate research capacity to the hollowing-out of the US foreign aid budget, we trace the impact not on institutions alone, but also on the people whose work underpins them (see Page 48).
We visit Lesotho, where Tommy Trenchard and Lina Brand report on how
the sudden collapse of USAID left HIV patients stranded and community
health workers overwhelmed (see Page 33). In New York, our photo essay
follows families emerging from immigration hearings, only to be forcibly
detained by federal agents waiting in the corridors (see Page 40).
And in his Front Lines column, Tim Marshall assesses the seismic shifts in geopolitics brought about by Trump 2.0 (see Page 19). We live in turbulent times.
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Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in Geographical January 2026.