Darrell Issa: America’s Poor Have It Pretty Good, Actually

Congressman Darrell Issa says that America’s poor are generally better off than the poor in the rest of the world. While he’s correct, he’s also incredibly tone deaf.

More Immigrants To The U.S. Come From China And India Than Mexico

The sources of new immigrants to the United States are changing, but it’s unclear if that will have any impact on the political debate over immigration reform.

Are 80 People Richer Than Half the World? Not Really.

While the issue of income inequality is quite real, Oxfam’s numbers are not.

Oil Prices Continue To Fall, But Don’t Expect It To Last Forever

The price of oil is continuing to fall, but it won’t last forever.

Obama’s Absence From Paris Rally: Egregious Diplomatic Error, Or Much Ado About Nothing?

Some are criticizing the President for not going to Paris for yesterday’s rally.

Russian Government Projects Sanctions, Declining Oil Prices, Will Lead To Recession In 2015

Russia’s own government is projecting that its economy will slip into recession next year. How that will impact Putin’s current belligerence remains to be seen.

Putin Makes Waves At G-20 Summit Over Ukraine, Reportedly Leaving Early

Vladimir Putin’s reception at the G-20 Summit in Australia has been less than warm thanks to recent events in Ukraine.

Oil Prices Have Been Falling For Months, And That’s Likely To Have Wide Repercussions

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

Good News On The Ebola Front In The U.S., But The Real Battle Is In Africa

America’s “Patient Zero” doesn’t appear to have spread Ebola very far, but continued vigilance is called for. And, we need to focus on the part of the world where there really is an Ebola Crisis.

Mind-Blowing Maps

Trending on Twitter this morning is a collection of infographics compiled by Ezra Klein under the heading “22 maps and charts that will surprise you.”

Hamid Karzai Blasts United States In Farewell Address

Before leaving office, Hamid Karzai is once again biting that hand that has fed him for the past decade.

72 Hour Gaza Ceasefire Collapses In Less Than Two Hours

A glimmer of hope in Gaza is quickly snuffed out.

Iran’s Nuclear Program And The Incentives Created By U.S. Policy

George Will has come under criticism for pointing out what seems to be an undeniable fact.

Institutional Design and Governance

A piece at Foreign Policy provides a chance to give some thought to institutions.

English Is The Most ‘Borrowed From’ Language

More than any other language, English words are being adopted, and transformed, by other languages.

Islam And World War One

The First World War played an intriguing role in the birth of the radical Islam we are dealing with today.

Obama’s New Carbon Rules Pose Political And Economic Risks For Questionable Benefits

The EPA’s new carbon rules leave much to be desired.

Is China Number One?

The USA’s 142-year streak as the world’s largest economy is ending.

OTB Caption Contest Winners

The I Went To The Animal Fair Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

The Coffee Insurgency?

The Economist reports that “The coffee insurgency” is winning.

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

We spend more per capita than any other country in the world and yet we are outperformed on a key metric, life expectancy, by a large number of countries

OTB Caption Contest Winners

The You Make Me Wanna SHOUT Edition OTB Caption ContestTM is now over.

World Safer But More Dangerous Than Ever

Robert Kagan warns of “a changing world order.” But he’s grasping at rather thin straws.

China Relaxes One Child Policy

China’s Communist Party has announced a significant change to the nation’s infamous “One Child” policy.

Progress On Iran Nuclear Deal?

Signs of some progress in the talks over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Younger Workers Don’t Use Phone

Managers want their employees to get off email and pick up the phone.

Defense Department Weighing COCOM Realignment and Rebrand

The Pentagon is considering doing away with two combatant commands—and no longer calling them combatant commands.

Civil Rights Charges Against George Zimmerman Would Be Completely Inappropriate

Evidence that George Zimmerman acted out of racial bias is completely lacking, which means the Federal Government should stay out of this case entirely.

U.S. Faces More Blowback Over Revelations Of Spying On Allies

The blowback from yesterday’s revelations about U.S. surveillance on European allies continues.

New NSA Leaks Reveal Spying On European Union, European Allies

The latest NSA leaks are likely to prove to be diplomatically embarrassing.

California Balances Budget While Expanding Aid to Poor

Jerry Brown’s second go-round as governor has been very, very good to the Golden State.