Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotaged; EU Blames Russia

The CIA warned of his months ago but the Biden administration is being cautious.

When Autocrats Get Desperate

Autocrats facing defeat have all kinds of counterproductive, dangerous ideas.

Italy Expected to Elect Post-Fascist Premier

Democratic backsliding appears to be spreading to another European country.

Democracy Scholars for Proportional Representation

A lot of folks who study democracy have sent an open letter to Congress.

Fear of a White Scholar

President Biden had a meeting with some historians. The horrors.

Mikhail Gorbachev, 1931-2022

The last Soviet leader is gone at 91.

Russia’s Absurd Demands for Griner and Whalen Release

Moscow is playing a very strange game.

China’s Worrisome Behavior

The competition is slowly ratcheting up.

Biden Continuing Trump Foreign Policy?

Normalcy is not a bad thing.

On Senate Reform

A proposal by Jamell Bouie

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Why America Can’t Build

Are we too regulated for our own good?

A Fascistic and Authoritarian Response

Donald Trump and friends speak to the NRA.

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Q&A Time

Hopefully answering a reader question (but probably just making it all worse).

Want a Cheap, Disposable Razor?

Strapped for cash? Environmentally conscious?

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on ending the war in Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, in front of the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden delivers remarks on ending the war in Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, in front of the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Biden Condemns Russian ‘Genocide’

Whether deliberate or another ‘gaffe,’ he’s likely right.

Russia’s Diplomatic Isolation

The West continues to close Moscow off.

Monday Tab Clearing

Stories of note sans write-ups.

American Excess Deaths from COVID

We did much better in 2020 and worse since 2021 than we thought.

Fourth COVID Dose May/May Not Be Needed

Mixed messages from the pharmaceutical companies.

The Propagandists Among Us

Whether dupes or active participants, the damage is real (and points us back to 2016).

Iran Nuke Deal Done But Stalled Over Russian Demands

Yet another casualty of the Ukraine invasion.

Russia Sanctions Itself in Retaliation for Western Sanctions

Vladimir Putin is banning commodity exports.

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Putin’s Offramp?

It’s hard to see how this crisis ends.

West Shamed Into Action

Actions deemed unthinkable days earlier are suddenly mandatory.

Ukraine Invasion Sending History in a New Direction?

The ferocity of the global reaction to Putin’s invasion is stunning.

Biden ‘Leading from Behind’ on Ukraine

The American President is once again leading the free world.

It’s Not Time To Eulogize The Old Order

Pundits like Thomas Friedman struggle with premature prognostication.

West Accelerates Pressure on Russia

NATO has stepped up in a pleasantly surprising way to resist the Ukraine invasion.

Ukraine Updates

News and commentary of note.

Hitting Russia Where It Hurts

Sanctions are already taking a toll. But the West could do more if it had the will.

Deterring The Deterrers

Deterring Russia is a matter of principle.

It’s Like 1939, But Better In Some Ways, And Also Worse

The military threat is smaller, but the political one is bigger.

Russia Really Invades Ukraine

Putin’s forces are in Kyiv.

The Beginning of a Response to the Beginning of an Invasion

The first shoe has dropped.

Putin Invades Ukraine in Defiance of West

The much-anticipated escalation has happened. Now to see how the United States and its allies respond.

Jim Angle, 1946-2022

The veteran journalist and Fox News original is gone at 75.

US Waives Iran Sanctions as Deal Nears

The Biden administration is close to repairing the damage Trump caused.

Ukraine: Advantage Putin? Advantage NATO?

Expert opinion on the standoff differs sharply.

Stupid 2024 Fantasies

The silly season has commenced a mite early.

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Back to $4 Gas

Three dollars and change at the pump. The cost of livin’s high and goin’ up.

Should We All Be in N95 Masks?

Why are we still wearing cloth, which was an emergency measure?

Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci participates in a briefing Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West) Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci participates in a briefing Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West)

The Fauci Who Stole Christmas

You’re a monster, Dr. Grinch, Your heart’s an empty hole.

On the Number of Parties 2: Basic Counting, Part 2

This time: some multi-party examples.

On the Number of Parties 1: Basic Counting, Part 1

Counting is not necessarily as straightforward as it may seem.

Peak Fact-Checking?

Not every argument can be tested on a Pinocchio scale.

A Republic, not a Constitutional Monarchy

Barbados provides an illustration of a frequently misunderstood concept.

Defense Bill Stalled Over Amendments

Every now and again, it’s not Mitch McConnell’s fault.

Is Autocracy Really Winning?

A depressing magazine piece argues it is.