Americans Don’t Live as Long as We Should

We’re falling further behind for many reasons.

Turkey-Syria Quake Kills 1300+

A natural disaster has compounded a man-made one.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Turkey Sending Banned Munitions to Ukraine

A controversial artillery round is being used effectively against Russian forces.

An Extreme Example of the Problem with Primaries

Nobody is keeping the gate.

Hezbollah in Latin America! (Part Gazillion)

A possible murder plot in Colombia embedded into a problematic multi-decade narrative.

George Shultz, 1920-2021

The longtime public servant has died, aged 100.

Political Culture Eats Institutions For Lunch

Institutional reform is necessary, but we can’t accomplish much in the face of tribalism.

Israeli Bomb Sets Back Iranian Nuclear Program

The Natanz fuel enrichment site has been seriously damaged.

U.S. Drone Strike Hits Head Of Iranian Revolutionary Guard

An American drone strike has taken out the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a move likely to significantly increase tensions across the Middle East.

Israel Headed To Third Election In A Year

Having failed to form governments after two successive elections, Israel is headed for a third election inside of a year.

Turkish Forces Cross Border Into Northern Syria, Hit Kurdish Areas

Just days after President Trump agreed to remove American forces from the scene, Turkish forces are entering northern Syria and Kurdish forces say they ar ready for war.

Major Drone Strike Hits Large Saudi Oil Facility

Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for a massive attack on an important Saudi oil facility.

Alliance Between Netanyahu And Trump Making Support For Israel A Partisan Issue

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions toward two Democratic Congresswomen,seemingly at the bidding of President Trump, is the latest example of the growing partisan divide over policy toward Israel.

On A Day That Called For National Unity, Trump Reverted To Attacks And Division

On a day that called for national unity and empathy, President Trump couldn’t help but revert to form.

Trump’s Iran Policy Isn’t Working Because It Isn’t Supposed To Work

The Trump Administration’s policies toward Iran aren’t going to work, but that’s because they aren’t supposed to work.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church Formally Splits Away From Moscow

In a move that is likely to have political and international consequences, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has officially severed ties with Moscow.

Trump Sides With Saudis In Murder Of Jamal Khashoggi

In what has to qualify as one of the most horrifying displays of moral depravity on the international stage, the Trump Administration is saying it doesn’t really care if the Saudi Crown Prince is a murderer or not.

Will Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder Undermine The Saudi Crown Prince? Probably Not.

The investigation of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is inching closer to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, but it seems unlikely to impact his hold on power.

Saudi Arabia Finally Admits Jamal Khashoggi’s Death Was Premeditated

Saudi Arabia’s story about the disappearance and death of Jamal Khashoggi continues to “evolve.”

Eastern Orthodox Schism Grows Wider

The dispute over Ukraine between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Patriarch is widening and nearing the point of a complete break.

Saudis Acknowledge Jamal Khashoggi Is Dead, Offer Utterly Ridiculous Explanation

The Saudi Arabian Government is finally acknowledging that Jamal Khashoggi is dead. Their explanation for his death, though, is too absurd to be believed.

Jamal Khashoggi’s Final Words Should Carry Far Beyond The Arab World

Jamal Khashoggi’s final column includes a message that should resonate far beyond the Arab world it was addressed to.

Donald Trump The Saudi Apologist

President Trump is serving as a knowing apologist for a despotic regime.

Khashoggi Killers Linked To Saudi Crown Prince

Several of the men apparently tied to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi have close ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Pompeo’s Bombastic Iran Speech Reveals The Emptiness Of Trump’s Iran Strategy

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a bombastic speech on Iran yesterday that reveals just how empty and dangerous the Trump Administration’s policy toward Iran actually is.

Oliver North Named New President Of National Rifle Association

A blast from the past as Oliver North, who was once at the center of a major Washington scandal, is named President of the National Rifle Association.

Attacking Syria Without Congressional Authorization Would Be Illegal

Without Congressional authorization, any attack on Syria would be illegal, but don’t expect Congress to do anything about it.

Trump Weighs Options In Syria While His Twitter Taunting Foolishly Risks Escalation

President Trump took to Twitter this morning and decided poke a stick in the eye of the Russian bear.

There Are No Good Options In Syria, So Maybe We Shouldn’t Do Anything

The United States has several options in Syria. None of them are good and one of them would be disastrous.

Chemical Weapons Attack Puts Syria Back On The Front Burner

Just about a year after President Trump attacked Syria over the use of chemical weapons, the Assad regime has again used chemical weapons. There’s not much we can do about, nor should we.

Walking Away From The Nuclear Deal With Iran Would Be A Gift To Iran

President Trump seems intent on walking away from the nuclear deal with Iran. If he does, he’ll be handing a gift to Iran and harming American national interests significantly.

Mueller Investigating Gulf State Influence, Too

Americans actings as agents for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been working hard to manipulate the President.

Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump, And The Iran Nuclear Deal

The selection of Mike Pompeo as the next Secretary of State makes it more likely that President Trump will take the foolish and dangerous step of withdrawing the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump Administration Claims It Needs No Legal Authorization To Keep Troops In Syria

Continuing a long-standard tradition, the Trump Administration claims it doesn’t need to get legal authorization to keep American troops in Syria.

The Growing Partisan Divide Over America’s Relationship With Israel

Americans were once largely united in their opinions about Israel and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. That’s not the case anymore.

American-Backed Forces Capture Raqqa, But ISIS Is Far From Defeated

The capital of the purported caliphate declared by ISIS has apparently fallen, but that doesn’t mean the end of ISIS. In fact, it may make the group more dangerous.

Iraqi Kurds Vote Overwhelmingly For Independence, Prompting A Backlash

Kurds in Iraq voted overwhelmingly for independence in a non-binding referendum, and the result is threatening to create a new conflict in the Middle East.

Iranian President Rouhani Overwhelmingly Re-Elected

Iranian voters have re-elected Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate whose election in 2013 was largely responsible for the shifts in policy that made the international agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear research program possible.

Trump Imposes Ban On Travel From Several Muslim Countries, Halts Refugee Program

As expected, Donald Trump yesterday signed Executive Orders targeting Muslims and refugees.

Politicization of Dead Spies

The 117 CIA officers who have died in our service should not be used to score cheap political points.

United Nations Resolution Vote Leads To More Tension Between U.S. And Israel

While you were celebrating Christmas, Israel was blasting the Obama Administration and cozying up to the incoming Trump Administration.

Former Israeli Prime Minister And President Shimon Peres Dies At 93

One of the last survivors of Israel’s founding generation has passed away.

Emails Revive Issues Regarding Clinton Foundation And Clinton Led State Department

Allegations of influence peddling by Clinton Foundation donors are being rehashed thanks to the release of a new batch of emails.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali Dead at 93

The godfather of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine has passed.

Obama’s Big ISIS Speech Was A Big Nothing

For an Oval Office address delivered on a Sunday night, President Obama’s speech last night sounded more like a statement read from the podium in the press room.

ISIS is Winning

The United States and Europe are giving everything the perpetrators of the Paris attacks hoped for.

No, Americans Should Not Feel Guilty For Showing Solidarity With France

In the wake of the attacks in Paris, some people have argued that American solidarity with France, in contrast to seeming disregard for tragedy elsewhere, is something we should feel bad about. That argument is ridiculous.

Russia Confirms Metrojet 9268 Brought Down By Bomb

Confirming speculation that had already been all but confirmed, we now know that it was a bomb that brought down a Russian passenger jet on October 31st.

The Paris Attacks Have Made The Syrian Refugee Crisis Much More Complicated

The news that at least some of the men who were involved in the terrorist attacks in Paris were among the refugees who have arrived in Europe since the summer is likely to complicate an already complicated situation.