US politics

The Tree | — President Barack Obama’s reputation as a climate leader took a hit on Monday when his administration gave its blessing for Shell to begin drilling exploratory oil wells in the Arctic. The move contradicts recent positive actions the US has made on climate, including last year’s historic emissions reductions deal it with […]

Apartheid

Obama: Palestinians deserve end to indignity of occupation

contributors

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — President Barack Obama says the United States is “taking a hard look” at its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling an Arabic language news source Wednesday that Palestinians “deserve an end to occupation.” Talking to the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, President Obama said that he would never give up hope for “peace […]

Bush

Did Jeb Bush just commit a War Crime in Justifying the Iraq War?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | — Jeb Bush’s people are trying to walk back his disastrous interview with Megyn Kelly in which he said that even if he knew then what we all know now, he would have launched the war on Iraq in 2003. It is true that he doesn’t seem to […]

Barack Obama

Just how Illegal has the NSA’s Domestic Spying Been?

contributors

By Andrew Crocker | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | – We now have the first decision from a court of appeals on the NSA’s mass surveillance program involving bulk collection of telephone records under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, and it’s a doozy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an opinion […]

Climate Change

Do Republicans favor Coal Plants over Americans’ Health?

contributors

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) | – ‘”The Obama administration’s proposed curbs on coal-burning power plants could prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart attack and respiratory disease, scientists said Monday in the first peer-reviewed study to examine the measure’s health impacts. Many parts of the country could see immediate improvements in air […]

Barack Obama

Saudi Arabia as the Incredible Hulk: King Salman snubs Obama’s Gulf Summit

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) — Watching Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia nowadays, is like Kremlin-watching in the old days of the Cold War. It is not as if most Western journalists have a really good idea of the maneuverings inside the Saudi palace or know why exactly things happen. Since King Salman […]

Militarization

Is Sen. Tom Cotton right that ISIL is Winning?

contributors

John Iadarola, Jimmy Dore, Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks) — “Senator Tom Cotton has a lot of faith in the military prowess of ISIS, and its fighters, unfortunately though he doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about when he talks about ISIS. John Iadarola (Think Tank), Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show), Ana […]

Iraq

Iraqi Shiite cleric al-Sadr threatens USA as GOP Draft Seen aiming at Partition

contributors

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | — Fighters loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr staged a military parade after al-Sadr protested the US’ draft law. A recent piece of proposed legislation sponsored by US Republicans has caused some of the biggest political splits in recent Iraqi history – both inside local politics and between Iraq […]

Barack Obama

HUGE WIN FOR PRIVACY! Court Rules NSA Spying Is Illegal

contributors

John Iadarola, Jimmy Dore, Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks) | – “The second circuit court of appeals has ruled that the bulk collection and storage of Americans phone records is ILLEGAL, good news when it comes to your privacy. John Iadarola (Think Tank), Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show), Ana Kasparian (The Point,) break […]