Judge Mehta Shining in Unenviable Role

Applying nuanced judgement under the highest scrutiny is what we expect, but don’t often get.

Max Cleland, 1942-2021

The Vietnam War hero and one-term Georgia Senator has died at 79.

A Brief PSA on Polling Error

It isn’t unidirectional.

Election Night Scenarios

Thinking about what we might know on the night of the election.

John Prine: Holiday Cheer 2018 WFUV Benefit, 12/3/18 at the Beacon Theatre. Photo by Gus Philippas John Prine: Holiday Cheer 2018 WFUV Benefit, 12/3/18 at the Beacon Theatre. Photo by Gus Philippas

John Prine Succumbs to COVID-19

A great songwriter is gone at 73.

The Military Has A Suicide Problem

Suicide has become a bigger threat to members of the military and veterans than combat. That needs to change.

‘Florida Man’ Has Feelings, Too

Strong public records laws, not an excess of weirdness, has driven a sad meme.

No, The Buffalo Bills Didn’t Cause The Oklahoma City Terrorist Attack

Author Sam Anderson puts forward a rather strange hypothesis in Politico.

No, the Army Isn’t Refusing to Treat Combat Wounds as Combat Wounds

Fox News’ Catherine Herridge is creating a scandal where none exists.

Brian Williams and the Pressures of War Correspondents

There’s no excuse for the former NBC anchor’s lies. But there are reasons.

Russians Are Getting A Very Different Version Of The Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Story

If you live in Russia, you’re getting a different version of the story of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Maybe It Should Have Been Easier For Bowe Bergdahl To Get Out Of Combat

If someone had seen the signals, perhaps Bowe Bergdahl never would’ve wandered off base and gotten captured.

Who Broke the VA?

There’s plenty of blame to go around.

On Veterans, Crime, Timing, and “Other Than Honorable” Discharges

For veterans who get in trouble with the law, *when* they commit a crime can have profound implications on their future. Does this make sense?

WWII Vets Lobotomy Story: Tragic But Not Scandalous

Some 2000 veterans of World War II were lobotomized by the VA. That’s awful but not outrageous.

Pentagon’s Broken Payroll System

The military’s finance and accounting system has been dysfunctional for decades and is getting worse.

VA Backlog Finally Improving

The infamous VA backlog is finally dwindling. Much of it was a function of good intentions.

Feinstein: Veterans Shouldn’t Be Exempt From Assault Weapons Ban—Because PTSD

California’s senior senator comes to the right conclusion through the wrong reasoning.

‘Military’ Doesn’t Mistreat Same-Sex Spouses; US Law Does

Don’t blame the Defense Department for following a bad law.

Afghanistan Eleven Years And 2,000 American Deaths Later

The Afghanistan War is officially eleven years old today.

What About Afghanistan?

The war in Afghanistan has not been a topic of discussion in the Presidential campaign, but that’s largely because there’s not much left to talk about.

DOD Won’t Fund Promising PTSD Treatment

Anesthesiologist Eugene Lipov thinks he has found a cheap, effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Army won’t fund it.

TSA Forces Cancer Survivor To Show Prostestic Breast

Cathy Bossi, a U.S. Airways stewardess and cancer survivor, was forced to show her breast implants to TSA agents when her prosthetic implants triggered alarm during a pat-down.