Our Press Falls Down on the Job Again
Libya is no closer to stability or peace than it has been since the invasion. Western plans to bring order to the country are failing yet again. The WSJ: Forces opposed to Libya’s unity government...
View ArticleDesperate Pension Funds Mull Buyouts
Some of the nation’s most overburdened state and local governments are considering an unprecedented strategy for defusing their public sector pension time bombs: Offering workers lump-sum payments...
View ArticleThe Real Importance of the EU Defense Discussion
The New York Times reports from the first big post-Brexit EU confab which took place yesterday in Bratislava: At a moment when many voters across the Continent want national governments to reclaim...
View ArticleBarack Obama, Putin’s Patsy
Is this the end of the Kerry-Lavrov Syria deal? The New York Times: A humanitarian aid convoy was attacked in Syria on Monday after the Syrian military declared that a seven-day partial cease-fire was...
View ArticleThe Revolution Is Coming
The self-driving revolution is moving forward on all cylinders. The NYT reports: Federal auto safety regulators on Monday made it official: They are betting the nation’s highways will be safer with...
View ArticleThe Explosive India–Pakistan Situation
The explosive situation in Kashmir is getting worse, and India and Pakistan, the two nuclear powers most likely to find themselves at war with each other, are closer to armed conflict now than in many...
View ArticleThe Real Middle East Story
Peter Baker notices something important in his dispatch this morning: at this year’s UNGA, the Israel/Palestine issue is no longer the center of attention. From The New York Times: They took the stage,...
View ArticleKerry Accepts the Unacceptable
With the Syrian ceasefire deal brokered by the United States and Russia coming apart in a spectacular fashion earlier this week, Russian bombers went into action around Aleppo in support of a sustained...
View ArticleLive-Blogging the Presidential Debate
WRM 11:38 The spin is in, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of doubt about what happened: the Clinton partisans are jubilant, the Trump folk are retreating under fire, complaining about the moderator...
View ArticleThe Gray Lady Is Singing. Does That Mean It’s Over?
The New York Times has been carefully and tactfully preparing its readers for the failure of Obama’s signature piece of domestic legislation. That long process has taken another step forward with this...
View ArticleCharlie Brown to Stop Running Toward Football. Maybe.
The dismal story of President Obama’s fumbling approach to diplomacy with Russia took another lurch downhill yesterday: the White House appears to finally be losing its ability to pretend to itself...
View ArticleThailand’s King Has Died
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, one of history’s longest-reigning monarchs, was a unifying figure in a deeply polarized country. His death will not lead to a short term crisis over the...
View ArticleWhat Erdogan’s Pivot to Putin Means
The Financial Times outlines just how Turkey’s rapprochement with Russia may play out in Syria—an important read: Rebel-held eastern Aleppo looks as though it will either fall or be razed to the ground...
View ArticleAs Obama’s Clock Winds Down, Revisionist Powers Pounce
Hillary Clinton has swept her debate series with Donald Trump, and voters seem to like Trump less the harder they look at him. But as Clinton surely understands, even as she approaches the White House,...
View ArticleRussia Ready for Realpolitik?
Putin’s once-close aide, Sergey Ivanov, has a message for the United States: “We are always ready for Realpolitik,” Sergei Ivanov, a member of Mr Putin’s security council, told the FT. In his first...
View ArticleWhy the EU Is in Trouble
The EU’s trade deal with Canada is on life support. The WSJ: Until last week, few outside Belgium even knew of the existence of Wallonia, let alone that this region with a population of 3.5 million had...
View ArticleA Retirement System That Works for Workers
In a new NYT feature, Tara Siegel Bernard explains how hidden investment fees make it more difficult for public and nonprofit employees to save for retirement: Most Americans who save for retirement at...
View ArticleGray Lady Comes Clean on Obama’s Middle East Legacy
As the sun sets on the Obama administration, the New York Times is finally acknowledging what has been clear to most observers for some time: Obama has not had a very successful presidency. We’ve had...
View ArticleEgypt on the Verge of Crisis?
All is not well in Egypt, as the government implements unpopular austerity measures to shore up its floundering economy. As average citizens feel the pinch, they are increasingly blaming President...
View ArticleThai Succession Set to Strengthen Military’s Hand
Following the King’s death earlier this month, Thailand is preparing for Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to ascend the throne on December 1. As Reuters explains, the military junta stands to benefit...
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