As I type this, President Obama is filling everybody's TV screens with Important Foreign Policy News. Apparently, after negotiating a prisoner release/swap with Havana, Obama is prepared to announce that the U.S. is taking steps toward normalizing relations with Cuba, putting us on a path to ending an embargo that took effect over 54 years … Continue reading On Cuba, and the role of sanctions

There's a lot of buzz being invested in a new WAPO-ABC poll on the idea of torturing detainees in the name of fighting terror. A majority of Americans believe that the harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were justified, even as about half the public says the treatment … Continue reading Cherry picking polls

Apparently some men will never take women seriously, even if those men are trained diplomats and the woman in question is the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power: Here is what happened, according to Osnos' story: Gérard Araud, the current French Ambassador to the US and at the time French ambassador to the UN, sent … Continue reading Seriously, what the hell is wrong with men?

How can you process something like this? Militants from the Pakistani Taliban have attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 141 people, 132 of them children, the military say. Officials say the attack in the north-western city is over, with all the attackers killed. Seven militants took part in all, according to the army. 132 … Continue reading Pointless atrocities

I don't know about you, but I've been pretty glued to the news coverage from Sydney, well into the night last night and for most of the day today. There are no words to express the tragedy at the loss of the two hostages who were killed during the ordeal, or the mental anguish that … Continue reading Please don’t let Sheikh Haron win

Does Fox News employ anyone who might broadly be considered a "fact checker"? Because it never really seems like it: Seated in front of a glittering backdrop of New York City, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly began a “Taking the Religion Out of Christmas” segment on her prime time show, “The Kelly File.” “Well, it … Continue reading Happy Sparkle Day to Megyn Kelly and Fox News!

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