I get it. As someone who’s currently living in another country, I get the appeal of a sabbatical from the U.S. It’ll always be home, but there are some definite advantages to living abroad. And it’d be even easier if one had dual citizenship. Think about it: Traveling from country to country without restrictions. Shorter lines at the border. The right to live and work in your dream destination, or to reconnect with family roots.

That’s the dream of those who seek dual citizenship. Just ask monsieur George Clooney, who celebrated the end of 2025 by acquiring French citizenship for himself and his family. And it’s getting more and more popular these days.

Some countries are welcoming the new additions. Canada recently tweaked its dual-citizenship rule, allowing far more to apply. Afar just pointed out how to easily qualify for citizenship (either through your ancestors or your bank account) in six countries across Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa.

But in 21st-century politics, the tide may be turning against dual citizenship. CNN reports that several European countries have recently tightened requirements for citizenship by descent and so-called “golden passport” programs, which grant citizenship to big spenders. And in the U.S., Ohio’s Republican senator Bernie Moreno has floated an “Exclusive Citizenship Act” that would ban Americans from holding any other citizenships.

Curious to try? Most people qualify through one of three routes: descent, investment or naturalization. Citizenship by descent typically requires showing that your ancestors came from a particular country, with rules varying by nation on how many generations back can qualify, and whether an ancestor naturalizing in another country severs the line.

American and Iranian negotiators made progress in talks this week, moving closer to a framework agreement to end the war, but officials cautioned that a deal is not guaranteed, given the substantial differences between the two sides. Which explains why the Pentagon is sending thousands of additional troops into the Middle East in the coming days, while considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations.

According to the Washington Post, the forces moving into the region include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and several warships escorting it. About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that it’s “obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president’s demands,” which include ending its nuclear program and lifting its own lockdown on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

But Iran’s armed forces are threatening to block shipping from the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea if the U.S. continues its blockade and “creates insecurity for Iranian commercial ships and oil tankers.” And French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a conference focused on the coordination of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s hoping to bring in allies who are not involved in the war to discuss how to handle traffic once the war ends.

A jury in New York on Wednesday found that Live Nation runs an unlawful monopoly that touches multiple corners of the concert industry. But most experts agree that it will take some time before we find out the consequences. The blockbuster verdict handed dozens of states an important legal win against the ticketing giant.

You might remember that Live Nation already reached a deal with the Department of Justice last month to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices. However, a coalition of 34 states rejected the federal settlement and vowed to move forward with litigation, with New York Attorney General Letitia James describing the suit as an effort to “restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.” Billboard reports that Live Nation will, of course, ask the judge to overrule the verdict but if he declines, it’s the judge who will decide what the company should do moving forward: Pay more or change the way it does business.

Critics of Live Nation, including the state attorneys general that litigated the trial, say the remedy should be the forced sale of Ticketmaster. The states’ antitrust case rested on the theory that controlling both ticketing and artist promotion gives Live Nation an anticompetitive edge—specifically, because it threatens to withhold concerts from venues that don’t use Ticketmaster as their primary ticketer. The jury’s verdict could be interpreted as endorsing this argument. The judge could alternatively allow Live Nation to keep Ticketmaster but require the company to sell off other assets, such as certain amphitheaters it owns.

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