International Politics and Economy

Trump joins ranks of Sexual Abusers-in-Chief like Gaddafi and Mussolini, but CNN thinks he Deserves a Townhall

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Donald John Trump was found liable by a jury on Tuesday for having sexually abused and then libeled writer E. Jean Carroll. The only reason he wasn’t also found liable for rape was that the victim said he inserted something else into her– fingers or some instrument — against her […]

Democracy

Turkey’s Erdogan is Facing Re-Election to hold onto Power – Can a Divided Opposition oust the Strongman?

The Conversation

By Khalid Al Bostanji, Australian National University | – (The Conversation) – As Turkish voters head to polls for the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, the biggest question is whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade-long grip on power can be challenged. Turkey’s main opposition parties have made a range of promises that include […]

History

Sudan’s entire History has been dominated by Soldiers and the Violence and Corruption they Bring

The Conversation

By Justin Willis, Durham University | – (The Conversation) – Sudan’s Central Reserve Police (CRP) recently announced it would be deploying officers to the streets of Khartoum to “secure public and private property”. That may sound puzzling in the context of the current violence: what are the police doing in the middle of this? The […]

Corruption

Not the Onion: U.S. Supreme Court Justices take Gifts – Then Raise the Bar for Bribery Prosecutions

Minnesota Reformer

By: Marty Schladen – ( Minnesota Reformer) – Justice Clarence Thomas might be the most egregious when it comes to taking gifts and not disclosing them, but he’s not alone. His colleagues on the U.S. Supreme Court also haven’t been shy about taking fancy freebies from rich people — many of whom have an interest […]

Arms Sales

This is not Your Grandfather’s Military-Industrial Complex: Unwarranted Influence

Tomdispatch

By Ben Freeman and William D. Hartung ( Tomdispatch.com ) – The military-industrial complex (MIC) that President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Americans about more than 60 years ago is still alive and well. In fact, it’s consuming many more tax dollars and feeding far larger weapons producers than when Ike raised the alarm about the […]

Civil Rights

Rep. Tlaib, reproductive rights Advocates call for U.S. Supreme Court Reform amid Ethics Scandals

Michigan Advance

By: Ken Coleman – ( Michigan Advance ) – During a Wednesday news conference in Detroit, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) joined reproductive rights advocates and called for major reforms to the judiciary amid growing concern about ethics issues involving the U.S. Supreme Court. Tlaib called for reforming the high court through law […]

Authoritarianism

Tunisia Doubles Down on Democratic Rollback

Human Rights Watch

Published in: Foreign Policy Eric Goldstein Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Division goldsteinricky ( Human Rights Watch ) – Some coups and power grabs start with the arrest of the leader of the political opposition. In Tunisia, it took almost two years for President Kais Saied to jail Rached Ghannouchi, the longtime […]

military

Sudan’s War of Two Generals: Latest Updates

Global Voices

Written byEgyptian Chronicles The Sudanese capital Khortoum is witnessing intense fighting. Screenshot from a video by AlHadath. Fair use. This story, was originally by Egyptian Chronicles, a personal blog since 2004. An edited version is republished here with permission. ( Globalvoices.org) – The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah Burhan -an […]

Corruption

Is it Time for Supreme Court Term Limits?

OtherWords

By Sonali Kolhatkar ( Otherwords) – A pair of new investigative reports about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are a testament to the need for better guard rails against moneyed influence. The first bombshell story from ProPublica highlighted how a billionaire named Harlan Crow befriended Thomas after he became a Supreme Court justice and treated […]