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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.
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from Asia Times Online
The US Department of Defense’s decision to drop an 11-ton Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb over a remote Islamic State (ISIS) redoubt in Afghanistan does not reflect a coherent counterterrorism policy. As many commentators have pointed out, it was yet another case of tactics swallowing strategy – a mode of policymaking that was auditioned a week earlier in Syria and that could lead to catastrophe if tried on, say, the Korean Peninsula.
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from The Atlantic (& CityLab)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
“Somewhere at Google there is a database containing 25 million books and nobody is allowed to read them.”
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from BBC News (UK)
Scientists hope they have found a drug to stop all neurodegenerative brain diseases, including dementia. In 2013, a UK Medical Research Council team stopped brain cells dying in an animal for the first time, creating headline news around the world. But the compound used was unsuitable for people, as it caused organ damage. Now two drugs have been found that should have the same protective effect on the brain and are already safely used in people. The best known drug of the pair is trazodone [trazodone hydrochloride], which is already taken by patients with depression. The other, DBM [dibenzoylmethane], is being tested in cancer patients.
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from The Boston Globe
The next recession will likely force the Federal Reserve to once again buy up large amounts of assets to boost the supply of money and stimulate the economy, a move that nearly a decade ago was considered drastic and unconventional, according to Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren.
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from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Rep. Ellison: Obama’s ‘True Legacy is In Danger’, ‘Could Have Been A Better Party Leader’
Earth Day 'Science' March Dominated by Criticism, Liberal Infighting
Thousands of people have expressed interest in attending the “March for Science” this Earth Day, but internally the event was fraught with conflict and many actual scientists rejected the march and refused to participate. While some scientists support the march, others called it a “terrible idea” and warned it may further enforce the “liberal scientist in ivory tower” stereotype. Liberals themselves were fighting about the march, demanding to know how it would compensate for scientific fields being a “white men’s club.”
African Development Requires Economic and Legal Reforms, Affordable Energy
In a new CEI report, Iain Murray and I discuss three key building blocks of economic development that would best empower African nations to succeed: securing strong property rights, reducing the burden of government, and utilizing affordable energy. These are all crucial reforms that embrace the kind of economic freedom that has brought wealth and prosperity all over the world.
Rep. Ellison: Obama’s ‘True Legacy is In Danger’, ‘Could Have Been A Better Party Leader’
Earth Day 'Science' March Dominated by Criticism, Liberal Infighting
Thousands of people have expressed interest in attending the “March for Science” this Earth Day, but internally the event was fraught with conflict and many actual scientists rejected the march and refused to participate. While some scientists support the march, others called it a “terrible idea” and warned it may further enforce the “liberal scientist in ivory tower” stereotype. Liberals themselves were fighting about the march, demanding to know how it would compensate for scientific fields being a “white men’s club.”
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from Competitive Enterprise Institute
In a new CEI report, Iain Murray and I discuss three key building blocks of economic development that would best empower African nations to succeed: securing strong property rights, reducing the burden of government, and utilizing affordable energy. These are all crucial reforms that embrace the kind of economic freedom that has brought wealth and prosperity all over the world.
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from Conciliar Post
Over the last few months, “fake news”—fraudulent journalism passed off as factual—has become one of the hottest topics in cultural debate. Though deceptive news stories are certainly nothing new, their power to reach massive audiences (thanks to social media) has only grown over time. In an era dominated by confirmation biases, fake news can rapidly lead to misperceptions of reality.
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from The Daily Princetonian
The fall of the Roman Empire ushered in a dark age, replete with decay and barely worth studying. Or so scholars thought until history professor emeritus Peter Brown invented the field of late antiquity, which spans 250–800 A.D.
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from EUobserver
Russia-linked fake news floods French social media
Almost one in four of French social media users are sharing links to anti-EU fake news that promote candidates such as Le Pen, amid marked Russian influence, a new study says.
Brussels and Delhi's shared interests in the Indian Ocean
The EU and India must pool their efforts to strengthen maritime security and stability in their extended neighbourhood.
China and EU push for global free trade
Top diplomats from the EU and China have pledged closer cooperation on trade and geopolitical issues amid concerns about US protectionism under president Donald Trump.
Meet Le Pen's friends at Trump Tower
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen met wealthy people at a cocktail party hosted in the new US president's building in January. The event spotlights the National Front's longstanding US connections.
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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Mass Protest against Socialism in Venezuela: Minute by Minute
Venezuela’s mega-protest against the Maduro dictatorship: Venezuelans take to the streets again today for a march of potentially historic proportions. The PanAm Post is blogging live about the event both here and on our Spanish site.
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from First Things
According to Francis, the world is divided into haves and have-nots, and the impoverished circumstances and dismal prospects of the latter are principally caused by the former. Pope Francis is given to the characteristic vice of the democratic historian: identifying general causes and slighting particular ones.
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from The Heritage Foundation
[Information from this site may be unreliable.]
Evidence in Favor of School Choice Continues to Mount
A new study shows that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program had a statistically significant positive effect on reading outcomes for students two to four years into the program.
Trump’s Disappointing Flip-Flop on the Export-Import Bank
President Donald Trump has apparently changed his mind about eliminating the crony Export-Import Bank, opting to “reform” the swamp rather than drain it.
State Department Confirms Iran Compliant With Nuclear Deal, but Warns Tehran Still on Notice
With a new White House, many have wondered about the fate of the 2015 nuclear agreement made between the Obama administration and Iran. The Trump administration has approved 90 days more of sanctions relief for Iran—but the pending policy review may lead the president to withdraw this concession in the future.
The Trump Administration Must Investigate the Muslim Brotherhood’s U.S. Activities
The Trump Administration must take a far more robust approach than the Obama Administration did in trying to discredit Islamist ideology, which is ultimately incompatible with Western values. The Muslim Brotherhood is an organization that has worked extensively to mainstream and disseminate Islamism, so the U.S. must consider it as an adversary, not an ally, and treat it as such. All the while, the U.S. must aim to support the moderates working in Muslim communities who reject the Islamist worldview.
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Evidence in Favor of School Choice Continues to Mount
A new study shows that the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program had a statistically significant positive effect on reading outcomes for students two to four years into the program.
Trump’s Disappointing Flip-Flop on the Export-Import Bank
President Donald Trump has apparently changed his mind about eliminating the crony Export-Import Bank, opting to “reform” the swamp rather than drain it.
State Department Confirms Iran Compliant With Nuclear Deal, but Warns Tehran Still on Notice
With a new White House, many have wondered about the fate of the 2015 nuclear agreement made between the Obama administration and Iran. The Trump administration has approved 90 days more of sanctions relief for Iran—but the pending policy review may lead the president to withdraw this concession in the future.
The Trump Administration Must Investigate the Muslim Brotherhood’s U.S. Activities
The Trump Administration must take a far more robust approach than the Obama Administration did in trying to discredit Islamist ideology, which is ultimately incompatible with Western values. The Muslim Brotherhood is an organization that has worked extensively to mainstream and disseminate Islamism, so the U.S. must consider it as an adversary, not an ally, and treat it as such. All the while, the U.S. must aim to support the moderates working in Muslim communities who reject the Islamist worldview.
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from Mises Institute
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economic Relations at the Council on Foreign Relations. One can be sure, then, that his new comprehensive book, The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan, reflects an Establishment point of view. As if this were not enough to tell us where the book is coming from, Mallaby informs us that he had Greenspan’s full cooperation in writing it. “This book is based on almost unlimited access to Alan Greenspan, his papers, and his colleagues and friends, all of whom were generous in their collaboration. Though the book is hardly a panegyric to Greenspan, Mallaby views his subject with considerable favor. Nevertheless, the book contains ample material for a more severe verdict: Greenspan abandoned the free market convictions he effectively defended early in his career as an economist. To uphold economic truth was not the path to the power and influence Greenspan sought; and he readily adjusted his beliefs to fit with his ambitions.
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from The National Interest
Yes, there is a method to Trump’s “madness.” No, there has been no big change in Trump’s strategy. For two weeks, the White House has unleashed a foreign-policy blitzkrieg, and Washington’s chattering classes are shocked and, if not awed, at least perplexed.
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from New Statesman
"The leading voice of the British left, since 1913."
The US president is living up to his promise to be "unpredictable". But is he using war as a sales pitch?
from Oregon Public Broadcasting- OPB
from The Spokesman-Review
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from Sputnik
(Russian government-supported propaganda channel)
Russia and Saudi Arabia may coordinate bilateral efforts in a bid to help resolve the Syrian crisis, Muhammed al-Zalfa, a former member of Saudi Arabia's Consultative Assembly, told Sputnik.
Eastern European countries continue to resist the EU's migrant policy prompting bewilderment and irritation in Brussels. Russian journalist Viktor Marakhovksy unveiled the possible reasons for the ongoing European controversy in his article for RIA Novosti.
With Your Shield or On It: Iraq Says It Won't Allow Turkish Invasion
Recent Turkish media reports suggest that Ankara is planning to launch a new cross-border military incursion into the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, codenamed Tigris Shield, ostensibly against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) outlawed in Turkey. Sputnik Turkiye talked to the Mayor of Sinjar, who said that they won't allow the Turkish invasion.
The Coal Facts: Kiev's Plan to Import US Anthracite Lacks Economic Justification
In an interview with Sputnik, Russian political analyst Igor Yushkov said that by seeking to scrap Russian coal imports, Kiev seems to be asserting once again that politics is more important than the economy.
Trump Administration’s Shift to More Aggressive Foreign Policy 'Very Dangerous'
US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, the first stop on his five-country tour of the region, on the heels of National Security Advisor HR McMaster’s trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Trophy Hunting Pushes Giraffes Towards Extinction, Say Conservationists
The majestic giraffes of Africa are in trouble, and environmental groups have lodged a formal request with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to reclassify the animals as an endangered species before the iconic long-necks undergo a “silent extinction.”
Space Trash: Debris Hurtling Through Earth’s Orbit Now a Major Problem
It seems that everywhere people go, trash is left behind. Space, it turns out, is no exception, as recent reports point to a growing problem with dangerous manmade bits orbiting the Earth at extremely high speeds.
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