In The News

US Sanctions Target Iran Oil Sales: Washington Post

Carol Morello April 23, 2019
Ramping up its pressure against the Iranian regime, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States would go after any country that continues to buy Iranian oil. Nations holding waivers that expire May 1 must comply with this policy as well. The Trump administration shows little desire to provide wiggle room for nations with waivers on Iranian oil imports including China, India,...

MPs Fail to Back Brexit Proposals: BBC

April 1, 2019
The United Kingdom still cannot decide on how they should end and replace membership in the European Union. The original deadline passed on March 29, and the European Union provided a brief extension. The concern is that the United Kingdom will leave without a deal, causing economic chaos. “The Commons voted on four motions for leaving the EU, including a customs union and a Norway-style...

Israel and US Politics: New York Times

Nathan Thrall March 31, 2019
Support for strong US-Israel relations crossed party lines from the 1970s to the start of this century. More recently, though, a rift has opened between the two major parties as surveys show that the least pro-Israel demographics – among black, Hispanic, the young and nonreligious voters – represent a larger proportion of the Democratic Party. "Many blacks and Hispanics draw strong parallels...

India, Pakistan, Kashmir: The Guardian

Amanda Holpuch March 23, 2019
Tensions run high between Pakistan and India in recent weeks after political violence in the disputed Kashmir region. The Guardian reports that the path to possible war opened up after “Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a 14 February suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian troops.” Although Kashmir is...

Turkey, Iran to Target Kurds: Al Jazeera

March 6, 2019
Kurdish fighters were key in defeating the Islamic State in Syria. The ethnic group represents 10 percent of the population in Iran and Syria, and up to 20 percent in Turkey and Iraq, and it’s no secret that many prefer autonomy and even a country of their own. As the war in Syria winds down, Turkey’s interior minister announced a joint operation with Iran against Kurdish rebels, but offered no...

All The Presidents’ Meals: Foreign Policy

C.K. Hickey March 5, 2019
Since 1933, the White House has hosted 14 administrations and almost 400 state dinners. Culinary trends emerged during the various periods that represented the societal zeitgeist. State dinners were characterized by modesty during the 1930s through the 1950s, gradually transforming into lavish cuisine from the Kennedy administration onward. The changes in taste also reflect sensitivity-driven...

Trump Blames Cohen Hearing for Summit Result: Fox

Edmund DeMarche March 4, 2019
Donald Trump in a tweet blamed the House of Representatives Oversight Committee for failure of the summit with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un. During the daylong hearing, Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen who soon heads to prison for lying to Congress described Trump as a con and cheater, detailing manipulations of property values and a pattern of lies. As candidate and president, Trump...