Entries
Medvedev Rules Out Putin Contest
The BBC reports: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he finds it "hard to imagine" that he and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would run against each other at next year's presidential election. Competition between them could, he said, "be harmful". But, speaking to the Financial …
Assad: "Saboteurs" To Blame
Voice of America reports: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says "saboteurs" are trying to exploit legitimate calls for change, and there can be no reform in his country through vandalism. President Assad said during a televised speech to the nation Monday there can be no developme…
More States Require IDs to Vote
USA Today reports WASHINGTON — State legislatures across the country have passed a record number of laws this year requiring photo identification to vote, a controversial move pushed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats. Proponents say the measures prevent vote fraud. Opponents …
Bloomberg's Mother Dies at 102
AP reports MEDFORD, Mass (AP) — Charlotte Bloomberg, whose only son grew up to be a billionaire media mogul and then the mayor of New York City, died Sunday. She was 102. She was a petite woman but a huge presence in the life of her son, Michael Bloomberg, who gave away millions of …
Huntsman Makes Obama Nervous
The New York Times reports Mr. Obama’s decision to name Mr. Huntsman his ambassador to China in 2009 was hailed by members of both parties as another act of political wizardry, a chance to show that the president was trying to infuse his administration with a bipartisan spirit. The …
Douthat: GOP Foreign Policy Unclear
Ross Douthat writes On domestic policy, the Republican candidates in last week’s primary debate seemed to speak with one voice: Cut taxes, cut spending, repeal Obamacare, declare victory. On foreign policy, though, they sounded a more uncertain trumpet. There were flashes of the old …
Greek Aid Deal Delayed until July
The New York Times reports Europe’s finance ministers unexpectedly put off approval early Monday of the next installment of aid to debt-laden Greece, delaying the decision until July and demanding that the Greek Parliament first approve spending cuts and financial reforms that include a …
Fear of interest rate hikes cloud deficit talks
The Hill reports Lawmakers are worried that uncertainty over a national default and concern over deficit spending could swell interest rates and cost the government over a trillion dollars in the next decade. The wild card of interest rates has added a wrinkle in the debate over how …
Crook: U.S. Flirts With Fate Like Japan
Clive Crook writes in The Financial Times: The stalling of the US recovery raises big, scary questions. After a recession, this economy usually gets people back to work quickly. Not this time. Progress is so slow, the issue is not so much when America will return to full employment but …
Report Highlights Nuke Plant Chaos
The Associated Press reports: A new report says Japan's tsunami-ravaged nuclear plant was so unprepared for the disaster that workers had to bring protective gear and an emergency manual from distant buildings and borrow equipment from a contractor. The report, released Saturday by plant …
Half Greek Loan May Be Withheld
Bloomberg reports: European governments weighed withholding half of Greece’s next 12 billion-euro ($17.2 billion) aid payment, seeking to keep the country solvent while maintaining pressure on the government to slash the debt that pitched the euro area into crisis. Euro-area finance …
Palestinian Unity Talks On Hold
The BBC reports: A scheduled meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has been postponed, officials say. Tuesday's talks in Cairo, Egypt, had been aimed at reaching consensus over a new reconciliation government. But continued disagreements …
Gifts Fuel Thomas Ethics Debate
The New York Times reports: Harlan Crow, a Dallas real estate magnate and a major contributor to conservative causes ... has done many favors for the justice and his wife, Virginia, helping finance a Savannah library project dedicated to Justice Thomas, presenting him with a Bible that …
Taliban Targets German Troops
The Associated Press reports: A suicide attacker blew up his explosives-laden car next to a German military convoy in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing three Afghan civilians, officials and witnesses said. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack. …
The Dirty Secret Of Energy Subsidies
Before we can have a rational debate on America's future energy needs, both parties need to acknowledge the role tax preferences and other subsidies play in the marketplace. See, it’s still possible for Republicans and Democrats to work together on energy legislation. On Thursday, the ethanol …Dems Try To Move Beyond Scandal
The Hill reports: With Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) all but out the door, Democrats have wasted no time trying to shift the conversation back to the economy, healthcare and other issues of greater national consequence. Party leaders think they have a winning hand in their opposition to …
U.S.,Taliban Talks "Very Preliminary"
Reuter reports: It could be months before efforts to broker a peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban bear fruit, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in an interview aired on Sunday. Gates, who steps down at the end of the month, said there had been contacts between …
Israeli PM: Let Spy Attend Funeral
The Associated Press reports: Israel's prime minister has asked the Obama administration to let a former U.S. navy intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel leave prison to attend his father's funeral, an aide said Sunday. The White House had rebuffed Israeli requests to let …
Syria Cuts Off Refugee Supplies
Agence-France Presse reports: The Syrian army has cut off a border village supplying people fleeing to Turkey, closing its only bakery and setting fire to surrounding forests, residents who managed to escape said Sunday. Speaking near the Turkish-Syrian border, witnesses said Bdama …