Entries
The Bloated G20 Hits Toronto
Toronto is a city under siege. Walls of concrete have divided the downtown core. Police redirect cyclists past the security barriers. All leading locals to wonder: Couldn't the G20 meet by teleconference? Toronto. As Monty Python would say: This is a city under siege. Walls of concrete have …Turkey Vows to "Annihilate" Kurdish Rebels
The Christian Science Monitor reports on how Turkey is responding to the latest attacks from the PKK: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will not stop until the PKK is “annihilated” after the Kurdish rebel group killed 12 Turkish soldiers over the weekend. The PKK …
Do Smears No Longer Work in South Carolina?
The Washington Post reports on an interesting evolution in South Carolina's politics, smears seem to be a less effective political weapon then they used to be: CHARLESTON, S.C. -- There's a whisper campaign going on in South Carolina this month, but it's not what you might think. The …
KSM Decision May Come After Midterms
Politico reports that a decision about where to hold a trial for Khalid Sheik Mohammad may not come till after the midterm elections: Attorney General Eric Holder said the decision over where to hold the trial for alleged 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was “weeks away” — three months …
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Costs Increase
The New York Times reports on the increasing cost to the tax payer of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took over a foreclosed home roughly every 90 seconds during the first three months of the year. They owned 163, 828 houses at the end of …
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade
In response to international pressure, Israel has eased its blockade of Gaza: Israel took another small step Sunday toward easing its land blockade of the Gaza Strip, announcing it plans to permit all goods into the seaside territory except those on a list of items specifically …
Sen. McCaskill Claims to have Votes to Reform Senate
Senator Claire McCaskill claims she has the votes to change the Senate rules on secret holds: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Saturday she's secured the votes to force a rules change ending the Senate's practice of secret holds. McCaskill said on Twitter that she had secured the support …
Markets React to Chinese Currency Change
Financial markets are responding to the announcement that China will change the value of its currency: HONG KONG — China’s weekend announcement of more flexibility for the renminbi triggered an across-the-board rally in Asian stock markets Monday as investors welcomed the political and …
Netanyahu to Visit Obama in July
After their first visit was canceled due to the flotilla crises, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rescheduled his meeting with President Obama for July 6: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will next meet with President Barack Obama in Washington on July 6 for talks …
Kagan Might Face Filibuster
While on Fox News Sunday, Mitch McConnell hinted that Elena Kagan may face a filibuster from Senate Republicans: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Sunday left open the possibility of a Republican filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. “We haven’t started the …
Getting Off Oil Easily is a Fantasy
President Obama is right: We can take the U.S. off oil. But he omitted to mention the fine print: Doing so will be slow, will be expensive, and will involve huge dislocations in American lifestyles and business. President Obama is right: We can take the U.S. off oil. But he omitted to mention the …FrumCast with Ayaan Hirsi Ali
For my latest FrumCast , I spoke with Ayaan Hirsi Ali about her life in America and the West's failure to acknowledge the danger of Islamic fundamentalism. For my latest FrumCast, I spoke with Ayaan Hirsi Ali about her life in America and the West's failure to acknowledge the danger of Islamic …How Many Senate Seats Will the Tea Party Cost?
The bill for the Republicans' Tea Party is about to arrive. Through 2009 and the first half of 2010, the media have buzzed with delighted horror over the supposedly unstoppable Tea Party movement. Now it's reality time. My recent article for The Daily Telegraph looks at the price the GOP will …Violence Increases in Afghanistan
A new UN report discusses the increase in violence in Afghanistan: KABUL -- Security in Afghanistan has deteriorated markedly in recent months, with a spike in roadside bombs, complex attacks and assassinations, according to a U.N. report released Saturday. The report comes as the …
Obama to Meet Saudi King
Laura Rozen reports that President Obama will meet the ruler of Saudi Arabia in Washington DC, but the meeting has not been publicly confirmed: Saudi King Abdullah will come to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama later this month following the G20 meeting in Canada, two former …
Kagan's Emails Reveal Brusque Approach
Elena Kagan's email record from when she was in the Clinton White House has gotten some attention for the brusque attitude they reveal: Rummaging through four years of e-mails can offer a pretty good window into someone’s personality. In the case of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, emails …
Angle to Speak at Tea Party Convention
Sharron Angle will speak at the next Tea Party convention: On the heels of Sharron Angle's victory in Nevada's Republican primary race for Senate, the newly-minted GOP candidate will take to the spotlight in her home state once again when she speaks at the National Tea Party Unity Conventio…
Companies Eye Afghan Mineral Wealth
News of Afghanistan's mineral wealth has attracted outside interest: WASHINGTON — Mining companies around the world are eager to exploit Afghanistan ’s newly discovered mineral wealth, but executives of Western firms caution that war, corruption and lack of roads and other infrastructure …
Times Square Bomber Indicted
Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad has been officially indicted: June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Faisal Shahzad, accused in the attempted May 1 car-bombing of New York’s Times Square, was indicted on 10 terrorism-related charges by a federal grand jury, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. …