That headline is too flippant, because this is actually a serious situation. I mentioned a few weeks ago that there were signs the Ebola outbreak was coming under control in Liberia; well, the opposite has been true in Sierra Leone: The outbreak of the Ebola virus continues to devastate Sierra Leone, where the number of … Continue reading Sierra Leone cancels Christmas

Based on comments from Iraq's Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Al Jazeera is reporting that the Iraqi military has begun preparations for an operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS control: The Iraqi government has set up an operations room for the liberation of the city, Zebari said, adding that success of the offensive depended on coordination … Continue reading Is there an operation to retake Mosul in the works?

"Running for the presidency’s not an IQ test" -- 2016 Republican hopeful Rick Perry "Whew," thinks fellow 2016 Republican hopeful Scott Walker: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has a special holiday message for his Jewish friends. In an undated letter “unearthed by the liberal group One Wisconsin Now” and first reported by the Capital Times, Walker … Continue reading Looks like you guys have come to the right place then

It's still possible for the Senate to gum up the works, but it seems like our legislature has managed the almost unprecedented feat of accomplishing the most basic act of governance while only almost screwing it all up. And it only took a few big concessions to really rich people to Get The Job Done. … Continue reading Final thoughts on The Shutdown That Almost Was

At this point it looks like there's virtually no chance that the so-called "Cromnibus" funding measure will be able to pass the House. John Boehner clearly doesn't have the votes to pass it along party lines, and Nancy Pelosi and many Democrats have come out hard against it. At issue, as we learned yesterday, is … Continue reading Shutdown Countdown III: in the home shutdown stretch

Benjamin Netanyahu dodged a bit of a bullet today when a former Likud MK, Gideon Sa'ar, announced that he would not run against Netanyahu for leadership of the party in its December 31 primary. Sa'ar was being pushed by Likud's far right to challenge Netanyahu, who is somehow too moderate for them. But a potential … Continue reading Has Benjamin Netanyahu made a major mistake?

Last night's agreement on the so-called "cromnibus" bill may have already collapsed, and at this point we're about 33 hours from the deadline to avoid a shutdown. ThinkProgress is reporting that the $1.01 trillion deal reached last night is taking serious heat from both Democrats, unhappy that it guts a key part of the 2010 … Continue reading Shutdown countdown II: the budget deal may be imploding

We don't talk much about the Philippines here, but the cleanup from Typhoon Hagupit is just getting started, and if you're of a mind to contribute please do so. The storm destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and may have killed 35 or more people (that number could have been far higher if it weren't … Continue reading Typhoon Hagupit: where to donate

The World Food Program received the money it needed to resume providing aid to displaced Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt, and then some (they needed $64 million and have reportedly received $80 million). It's not much, but for people who have lost everything it's not nothing either. I'd like to also … Continue reading A little bit of good news for Syrian refugees

The World's Worst Bicameral Legislative Body cut a deal this evening to hopefully avoid that looming government shutdown I mentioned the other day. The two Appropriations Committee Chairs, Barbara Mikulski in the Senate and Hal Rogers in the House, announced a $1.01 trillion deal to keep the government running probably until sometime next September. That's … Continue reading Shutdown countdown