US, Allies Must Face Down Russia Over Naval Attack on Ukraine  New York Times, 26 November 2018, Russia Attacks Ukrainian Ships and International Law:  A provocation that could tighten Russia’s illegal hold on Crimea.   Extract:  Russia’s attack on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea was a violation of international law and a dangerous escalation of the…

North Korea’s Menacing Hidden Missile Bases Complicate Negotiations  North Korea has made no concessions to the US in nuclear negotiations, only symbolic, token concessions.  The US and North Korea have agreed on no deadlines, no verification regime, nor on penalties for noncompliance.  There is not even an agreed definition of “denuclearization.” North Korea has provided…

Populism Undermines Democracy In US, Around World:  Populism can be like a cancer on the body politic, becoming almost ineradicable Washington Post, 16 November 2018, Unfixable?: Several nations have tried to restore democracy after populist strongmen. It was never the same. Extract:  In April, aided by massive gerrymandering, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling coalition crushed the highly…

Hyde-Smith Faces Off With Espy in Mississippi Senate Run-Off, A Racially Charged Contest  Vox, 20 November 2018, The Mississippi Senate runoff, Dems’ last chance for one more 2018 upset, explained Mike Espy could become the first black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction. Extract:  The midterm elections aren’t over. On Tuesday, 27 November, Mississippi freshman GOP Sen.…

Trump “Stiffs” CIA, IC Yet Again—Trump, once more, casts aside US IC assessments and US values in favor of foreign autocrat    Foreign Policy, 20 November 2018,  What Happened to Trump’s Khashoggi Report?   Extract:  U.S. President Donald Trump has again sought to undercut the assessment of his own intelligence community (IC) by saying that…

Pelosi Speakership Challenged, Labeled Toxic In Swing Districts  Politico, 19 November 2018, Pelosi’s bid for speaker of the House of Representatives imperiled as public opposition grows Sixteen Democrats released a letter promising to vote against the California Democrat on the House floor. Extract:  Sixteen Democrats vowed in a public letter on Monday to oppose Nancy…

Trump’s Stormy France Visit, Fire & Fury In White House New Zealand Herald, 14 November 2018, Five days of fury: Inside Trump’s bad Paris temper, election woes and staff upheaval Extract:  As President Trump flew to Paris aboard Air Force One last Friday, he received a congratulatory phone call from British Prime Minister Theresa May.…

Trump Dishonors US Heroes Of The Famed Battle of Belleau Wood, A Battle That Will Live Forever In The Annals Of US Military History  Atlantic, 11 November 2018, Trump Fails His Rendezvous in France A century after thousands of Americans laid down their lives, the president of the United States absented himself from the ceremony…

US Midterm Elections:  European & Asian View  NPR, 5 November 2018, The World Is More Interested Than Usual In The U.S. Midterm Elections. Here’s Why Excerpt:  Under normal circumstances, America’s midterm elections tend to elicit shrugs outside the U.S. The world usually focuses on U.S. elections when the president’s name is on the ballot.  However,…

Midterm Elections: Day of Reckoning Is Here House Races Down to Wire, Many Competitive.  Dems Have Only Narrow Path To Senate. Democrats could win a “blue-wave,” blow-out victory in House of Representatives.  They could win the House by smaller margin, slugging it out district by district.  Given how close so many districts are, Trump and…