Fiscal Fights
The Overview
American democracy is on the line. "Unless the GOP's brand of extortion politics is thwarted, America's democratic institutions will be so badly subverted that the nation will simply find itself in the position of staggering from one manufactured crisis to another with potentially both political parties threatening economic and political Armageddon if they don't get their way. That is, quite simply, no way to run a democracy and it's why the only option facing President Obama and the Democratic party is to win this showdown and force the GOP to concede defeat." Michael Cohen at the Guardian.
A guide to the vocabulary of fiscal fights. "The problem isn't just ideological or partisan. As debates continue, it's also become clear that Democrats and Republicans no longer agree on the definition of basic words and phrases. With this in mind, I'd like to offer a handy glossary of eight commonly used terms in the hopes of helping the political world communicate more effectively." Steve Benen at Maddowblog.
19 times Democrats tried negotiating with Republicans over the budget (GOP talking points debunked). Alex Seitz-Wald at the National Journal.
Boehner can't lead the Tea Party to water, much less make them drink. "The reason the establishment has such trouble with the tea party is that the tea party really, truly means it. They don’t want to cut a deal ... Most represent extremely safe Republican districts and don’t care about positioning the party ... for the next election. Traditional politicians such as Boehner have no playbook for dealing with a powerful faction that’s completely uninterested in strategic or pragmatic concerns ... That’s the real challenge complicating the shutdown and the debt ceiling. The problem isn’t that Boehner and Obama can’t reach an agreement. It’s that Boehner and Obama and the tea party can’t." Ezra Klein at Wonkblog.
Where the Suicide Caucus calls home. "It’s worth considering the demographics and geography of the eighty districts whose members have steered national policy over the past few weeks ... Half of these districts are concentrated in the South, and a quarter of them are in the Midwest, while there’s a smattering of thirteen in the rural West and four in rural Pennsylvania ... Naturally, there are no members from New England, the megalopolis corridor from Washington to Boston, or along the Pacific coastline. These eighty members represent just eighteen per cent of the House and just a third of the two hundred and thirty-three House Republicans." Ryan Lizza at the New Yorker.
Irresponsible governance. "The ACA is law. End of story. The House Republicans' attempt to nullify a duly-enacted law violates the norms of our constitutional system. It is reckless economically and an egregious affront to our democratic form of government. House Republicans have every right to press their views in Congress but not to threaten to blow up the U.S. and global economy by shutting down the government and threatening public default ... If Republicans want to change the law, they must do it the old-fashioned way: Persuade the others to accept their position or win control of the White House and Senate." Thomas Mann at CNN.
The party of economic terrorists - this is not how governing works. Period. Full stop. "A lot of folks have been willing to accept Boehner’s demand for 'negotiations' at face value. But let’s be clear on what he is really asking for here. Boehner is actually ruling out any negotiations in which Republicans don’t enjoy the leverage that the threat of a massive economic meltdown confers upon them. And he’s also saying Republicans will make no concessions of their own in them." Greg Sargent at the Plum Line.
So, the House plan is ... um... "House Republican leaders met today at the Capitol, but they made little progress toward solving the fiscal crisis, or calming the GOP’s growing tensions. They remain undecided on the contours of a potential deal, and on how to sell one, especially to the conference’s bloc of skeptical conservatives. 'It’s the House of indecision,' says a weary Republican aide familiar with the talks. 'We don’t have the votes for a big deal, small deal, or short-term deal.' ... Speaker John Boehner doesn’t yet have his debt-ceiling proposal finalized. For now, no legislation is headed toward his committee, and it’s all about messaging." Jonathan Strong and Robert Costa at the National Review.
Shutdown
10 infuriating facts about the shutdown. Kevin Drum at Mother Jones.
A crisis months in the making. "Shortly after President Obama started his second term, a loose-knit coalition of conservative activists ... gathered in the capital to plot strategy ... Out of that session, held one morning in a location the members insist on keeping secret, came a little-noticed 'blueprint to defunding Obamacare,' ... It articulated a take-no-prisoners legislative strategy that had long percolated in conservative circles: that Republicans could derail the health care overhaul if conservative lawmakers were willing to push fellow Republicans ... into cutting off financing for the entire federal government." Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Mike McIntire at the New York Times.
What parts of the government are 'non-essential'? - A guide. Mike Konczal at Wonkblog.
House votes to approve back pay for furloughed workers. "As the fifth day of the federal government shutdown began, members of the House came together in a moment of rare bipartisanship to pass a bill, by a vote of 407 to 0, approving back pay for furloughed government workers. President Obama has expressed his support for the measure." Jeff Simon at the Washington Post.
The GOP representatives who would vote for a clean CR - and those who flipped back against doing so. Jennifer Bendery at the Huffington Post.
The GOP brand is going down in flames. "The government shutdown isn't winning anyone in Washington points with the public -- but Republicans are faring the worst, according to new polls. A Washington Post/ABC poll released Monday found that while the public's ratings for the president and both parties in Congress remain negative, disapproval of Republicans has grown in the past week. Seventy percent of Americans now disapprove of how Republicans in Congress are handling budget negotiations, up from 63 percent last week." Ariel Edwards-Levy at the Huffington Post.
Even Republicans don't like Republicans. "The wide unpopularity of Republicans in Congress in budget talks is in large part due to a schism within Republicans themselves. By 59 to 39 percent, conservative Republicans approve of the way their party’s members of congress have handled budget negotiations in combined interviews over two weeks. But Republicans who identify as moderate or liberal split narrowly: 44 percent approval to 49 percent disapproval." Scott Clement and Peyton M. Craighill at the Fix.
Ignore the messaging - the GOP was always going to lose this fight. "Spin is overrated ... Fundamentals tend to matter a lot more ... and opinion manipulation matters less ... It was easy to predict that Republicans would lose the polling battle over the shutdown ... such as the advantage that a president has over congressional leaders ... or the fact that ... Democrats were united while Republicans were split." Jonathan Bernstein at the American Prospect.
The GOP is harming national security. "DNI James Clapper and General Keith Alexander both testified ... about the devastating effects the shutdown is having on the intelligence community. The current Republican insistence on attaching conditions to a continuing resolution ... is ... the elevation of domestic disputes over Obamacare and fiscal matters above the security of the country ... It was the House Republicans ... who attached these conditions ... putting the President in an impossible situation ... No president worth his salt would negotiate under these circumstances—and the responsibility for the situation is thus not even between the parties. One side, and only one, created this crisis." Benjamin Wittes at Lawfare.
And public health and safety. "Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) declared that the best news out of the government shutdown was the hobbling of the Environmental Protection Agency. Spoken like someone who’s obviously not too worried about poisons in her water or exposure to child-lethal pesticides or toxic compounds seeping into her food. And clearly not worried about the rest of us in that regard either." Deborah Blum at Wired.
Discharge petitions aren't the silver bullet you're looking for. "Contrary to claims that the discharge rule will 'end this nonsense,' more likely it’s a procedural dead end for the CR. Why is the discharge rule so lame? As always, procedural mechanics and political context shape the effectiveness of congressional rules. The cumbersome nature of the rule — coupled with GOP unwillingness to join forces with the Democrats — consigns the discharge rule to the dustbins of congressional procedural history." Sarah Binder at the Monkey Cage.
Good news for DOD employees. "Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made a surprise announcement on Saturday that he would recall next week almost all of the 400,000 civilian employees of the Defense Department who had been sent home when the government shut down. Mr. Hagel said the decision that 'most D.O.D. civilians' would now be exempted from furloughs came after Pentagon and Justice Department lawyers interpreted a budget law passed just before the shutdown to include a larger number of workers." Thom Shanker at the New York Times.
Debt Ceiling
Obama needs to hold the line. "The debt-ceiling fight strikes me as a fairly simple situation. Congress used it to posture about the budget deficit, but the situation fundamentally changed in 2011, when Congress used the debt ceiling as a hostage to force the president to agree to otherwise unacceptable terms. This new situation is both Constitutionally dangerous, because it gives gun-to-the-head power to unscrupulous parties, and economically dangerous, because it infuses inherently fraught policy negotiations with the risk of catastrophic failure. Therefore, President Obama’s main responsibility is to end the institutionalization of debt-ceiling extortion by refusing to be extorted." Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine.
Three GOP myths on the debt ceiling, debunked. Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast.
Deal or ... nope, no deal. "This ... is why we might actually breach the debt limit. The White House and Boehner continue to have mutually exclusive positions. Boehner says he won't pass a clean debt-ceiling increase and the White House says they won't sign anything but a clean debt-ceiling increase." Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas at Wonkblog.
The Senate moves to call the GOP's bluff. "Senate Democrats are planning to start the process this week for a Senate vote on a clean debt limit increase, sources tell me – a move that could call the bluff of Republicans in both chambers and force them to take a stand on whether they will allow default and economic destruction if Dems don’t accept their unilateral demands." Greg Sargent at the Plum Line.
Sequestration
Budget cuts hit the FBI. "In the first week of his new job as FBI director, James B. Comey had already heard about how training had stopped for recruits at Quantico and that the bureau wasn’t planning on bringing in any new agents next year, all because of budget cuts. But Comey was stunned when he began visiting FBI field offices this month and heard directly from his special agents. New intelligence investigations were not being opened. Criminal cases were being closed. Informants couldn’t be paid. And there was not enough funding for agents to put gas in their cars." Sari Horwitz at the Washington Post.
Politics
Abortion
This is awful. "The Nebraska Supreme Court denied a 16-year-old foster child’s request for an abortion on Friday because she was 'not sufficiently mature' to make the decision herself. So instead, this immature young woman who does not want a baby will become a mother. Everyone wins. The teenager ... showed evidence of mature reasoning ... She worried that she didn’t have the financial resources to support a child or to be 'the right mom that I would like to be right now.' Yet district judge Peter C. Bataillon, whom ... once served on the committee for an Omaha anti-abortion group, disagreed, and the Supreme Court upheld his ruling in a split vote of 5-2." Katy Waldman at Slate.
Boston Bombing
Tsarnaev's latest motion. "The SAMs are based on 28 C.F.R. § 501.3, which authorizes the Attorney General to direct the Federal Bureau of Prisons 'to implement special administrative measures that are reasonably necessary to protect persons against the risk of death or serious bodily injury.' ... Tsarnaev raises three constitutional challenges ... He argues that the restrictions on his attorneys impair his ability to prepare a defense ... Tsarnaev challenges the limitations on his non-legal communications with the media and others who are not immediate family members, as well as the prohibition on prayer with other inmates ... Third, he alleges that the SAMs 'leave him in nearly total isolation,'." Zachary Eddington at Lawfare.
Congress
13 reasons Congress is broken. "At this point, it's almost cliche to say Washington isn't working. But the truth is harsher: Washington is actively failing. It's failing to craft policies that make the country better. And it's failing to avoid disasters that make the country worse. It's nice to imagine these failures are temporary or aberrational. It's comforting to believe that they're the result of bad people, or dumb people, or incompetent people. But the truth is more unnerving: The American political system is being torn apart by deep structural changes that don't look likely to reverse themselves anytime soon. A deal to reopen the government won't fix what ails American politics." Ezra Klein at Wonkblog.
Congress is really pathetic, but individual members are faring better. "As Congress' inability to agree on compromises that would reopen the ... shut-down government and raise the ... debt ceiling continues, Americans give Congress an 11% job approval rating ... one point above the worst rating in Gallup history ... While Congress as a whole gets dismal ... ratings, Americans are significantly more charitable when it comes to the member of Congress representing their particular district. Americans now give their own representative a 44% approval rating, which is not an extremely high rating on an absolute basis, but is certainly high compared with Congress' overall 11% rating in the same survey." Frank Newport at Gallup.
DOD
Meet the possible designs for the Army's new stealth helicopter. John Reed at Killer Apps.
Hey, Air Force - You are the best in the world, so you should be better than this. "The most expensive warplane in history—and arguably the deadliest—is also one of the least available for combat. The U.S. Air Force bought 21 B-2 stealth bombers from Northrop Grumman in the 1980s and 1990s at a price of more than $2 billion apiece, if you count development costs. One crashed on Guam in 2008, leaving 20 in the active fleet. But declining readiness—owing to maintenance and upgrades, wear and tear and cash shortages—routinely grounds 11 of the radar-evading, bat-wing bombers. Just nine stealth bombers comprise America’s entire arsenal for directly striking, from the air, heavily defended targets over long range." David Axe at Medium.
The Economy
Don't blame Facebook for not providing child care - the liability issues are one huge headache. "Facebook is planning a massive apartment complex that will feature doggy daycare but no child care center ... If something goes wrong with your child care operation, you're exposed to a lot of front-end compliance issues and back-end legal risks. If you are specifically in the business of running child care centers, that's just life. But if you're trying to keep people focused on running a software and social networking company, you might decide this sounded like a good idea when you first heard about it but now that the lawyers have looked into it it's not such a great idea." Matthew Yglesias at Slate.
Elections
Americans aren't more polarized - the parties are. "A variety of trends ... have produced national parties that are more ideologically homogeneous than they were even two decades ago. Put another way, among elected officials we see a declining number of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans ... As a result, faced with two increasingly homogeneous albeit more ideologically extreme choices among parties, moderate voters have less incentive to split their vote ... In short, the evidence suggests the reason for the increase in party line voting among the rank and file ... is not that voters are more polarized – it is that their choices are." Matthew Dickinson at Presidential Power.
2014 probably won't change things. "A midterm election sometimes arrives like a tidal wave, sweeping one party's incumbents out of office and bringing in a new majority. For Democrats, their wave came in 2006. For Republicans, theirs came in 2010. As the next midterm election approaches, however, there are few signs of a tsunami. 2014 seems likely to reproduce divided government and, with it, even more of the partisan polarization that has become endemic in American politics. Thus, the next election seems unlikely to change the dynamics that have produced the partial government shutdown." John Sides and Lynn Vavreck at CNN.
Dems still aren't in a good position to take back the House. "There are still 17 House Republicans in districts carried by President Obama. And there are another 17 ... that Romney carried by less than 3 points, and still a handful more of even redder districts where weak GOP incumbents won reelection by a narrow margin. If Democrats are going to ride a wave of public frustration with the shutdown, the wave would hit these districts first—and Democrats would need to be poised to ride it. Right now, they’re not. Last time, Democrats didn’t even come close in most of the districts that Republicans continue to hold that also voted for President Obama. Only one was decided by less than 5 points." Nate Cohn at the New Republic.
The Wendy Davis campaign is a resource trap. "I don't think Wendy Davis has a very good chance of being elected governor ... She trails in early polling, there hasn't been a major Texas Democratic statewide officer holder in 20 years, and the state's demographic changes indicate a landscape that is much further away from being competitive ... Davis' campaign could have bad ramifications for Democrats outside of Texas ... The issue is that resources are always limited. The dollars and volunteers spent for Davis lessens the opportunity that they be spent in other places. That's a problem for Democrats given that they have a real opportunity to make major gubernatorial gains in 2014." Harry Enten at the Guardian.
Harry Reid gears up for 2016. "The 73-year-old majority leader insisted he’s running for reelection in 2016. He’s ramping up his campaign organization, and he’s getting ready for the onslaught the GOP is preparing to send his way. Already, he’s begun seeking commitments from aides to stay with him through 2016. He’s spending more time fundraising everywhere from New York to Southern California. And he’s not afraid to issue a warning to a potential GOP opponent, Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada, who — if he’s reelected next year — will be in the middle of a second term in 2016." Manu Raju at Politico.
Energy and the Environment
The US now leads the world in gas and oil production. "The United States will pass Russia this year to lead the world in production of oil and natural gas, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports. America has been closing in on Russia since 2008 thanks to a boom in both oil and gas production, primarily on private lands. This year it’s on track to out-produce it by a substantial margin. Saudi Arabia is third overall and remains the world’s largest oil producer—though the United States may be on track to take that title as well." Will Oremus at Slate.
The solar revolution. "The price of solar photovoltaic cells has dropped 99% in the past quarter century. So in an increasing number of markets around the country, solar is at or very close to grid parity ... Much of the credit for the sharp drop in solar prices goes to state and federal governments here and around the world for decades of R&D support, PV purchases, subsidies, and renewable energy standards. Those who say renewables are not ready for mass deployment, that we need decades more research or more breakthroughs before renewables are ready, are living in the past. The future is now." Joe Romm at Think Progress.
Foreign Policy
Another successful anti-terror operation. "An accused Al Qaeda operative seized by U.S. commandos in Libya over the weekend is being interrogated while in military custody on a Navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea and is expected eventually to be sent to New York for criminal prosecution, officials said. The fugitive, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, is seen as a potential intelligence gold mine, possessing perhaps two decades of information about Al Qaeda, from the group’s early days under Osama bin Laden in Sudan to its more scattered fragments today." Benjamin Weiser and Eric Schmitt at the Boston Globe.
Why we can't ratify the Arms Trade Treaty. "The key part of the U.N. treaty is that it asks signatories not to export weapons to groups or states that could use these weapons in crimes against humanity. Simple enough – don't send arms to Syria or Sudan or North Korea. Who could object to this? The United States Senate. Critics of the treaty – most prominently the gun lobby in Washington – claim that somehow the Obama administration will use the treaty as a backdoor to impose gun controls in the United States. So they explain that the treaty would violate the Second Amendment, and infringe upon our constitutional right to bear arms. Except that this is simply factually wrong." Fareed Zakaria at CNN.
The US extends a hand to Iran on Syrian negotiations, and some conditions as well. "The United States said on Monday it would be more open to Iran taking part in a long-delayed peace conference on Syria if Iran publicly backed a 2012 statement calling for a transitional government in Syria." Reuters.
US to release another captive from Guantanamo. About time. "A federal judge has ordered the release of a mentally ill Guantánamo Bay prisoner who has been held without charge at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba for more than 11 years. Attorneys for Ibrahim Idris ... argued he is so ill he could not pose a threat to anyone. The Sudanese prisoner suffers from ailments that include diabetes and schizophrenia so severe that he has been catatonic in meetings with lawyers and doctors ... He is currently one of 164 captives at the U.S. base in Cuba and is likely to be returned to Sudan." The Miami Herald.
Well. This seems pathetic. "The United States and the European Union were forced to cancel the second round of major trade talks in Brussels next week because of the government shutdown. U.S. trade officials delayed the talks because the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has been stretched thin with staff furloughs due to the federal closures." Peter Schroeder and Vicki Needham at the Hill.
Health
Immigration
There's a new comprehensive House bill. Lower your expectations. "House Democrats on Wednesday unveiled an immigration bill that provides a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living here illegally and tightens border security... Their bill combines major elements of a bill the Senate passed in June with bipartisan border security legislation that won unanimous support in the Homeland Security Committee in May ... Most House Republicans reject a comprehensive approach and many question offering citizenship to people who broke U.S. immigration laws to be in this country." Donna Cassata at the Associated Press.
Here's an in-depth look at what the House bill does, and how it differs from the Senate's CIR bill. Brad Plumer at Wonkblog.
SCOTUSwatch
It's gonna be a big term. "The court will again examine the use of race in university admissions and will almost certainly revisit ... the Affordable Care Act, this time to rule on its requirement that insurance plans offered by private employers cover contraceptives. The court majority that decided ... Citizens United ... will also have a new opportunity to further loosen the restrictions on funding political campaigns. And the term will offer a chance for the conservative majority that has moved the court incrementally to the right to pick up the pace. At least a half-dozen court precedents are being challenged, including rulings regarding abortion protesters and the role of religion in public life." Robert Barnes at the Washington Post.
An important term for women's rights. "The Supreme Court will review several ... legal rights of importance to women--including access to abortion, equal opportunity in education, protection against housing discrimination, and the ability to use the Equal Protection Clause to challenge discrimination in public employment ... The Court will review an important case involving the President's ability to fill vacancies on a body that protects workers. Finally, the Court may decide whether for-profit businesses can refuse to provide employee insurance coverage for contraceptives based on asserted religious objections. The decisions in these cases may have a significant impact on women's rights." National Women's Law Center.
Might be a bad term for unions. "Two major cases ... could prove a major setback to unions' ability to organize and collect dues -- and the conservative majority ... is making pro-labor advocates nervous. In UNITE HERE Local 355 v. Mulhall, the court will decide whether agreements between unions and employers ... violate the anti-corruption provision of the Labor Management Relations Act ... The second ... involves payments to public-sector unions. In Harris v. Quinn, a home health care worker in Illinois sued the state’s governor for requiring her, as a public-sector employee, to pay union dues, arguing that these mandatory payments violate her First Amendment right to freedom of speech." Pema Levy at the International Business Times.
Washington DC
The Miriam Carey shooting. "Carey’s family has started to raise questions about whether agents really needed to shoot a woman whose main crime seems to have been crashing into a barrier at the White House. Her mother said Carey suffered from postpartum depression and had a family history of schizophrenia ... Some experts though have insisted the shooting was justified, noting that Carey appeared to be trying to breach security at two potential high-profile targets ... Others, however, say there is no excuse to open fire on someone who wasn’t using any physical force." Daniel Politi at Slate.
International
Africa
Libya is in an awkward place after the latest US raid. "Tthe Libyan government said it asked the U.S. for 'clarifications' about what it called the 'kidnapping,' underlining that its citizens should be tried in Libyan courts if accused of a crime. It said it hoped its 'strategic partnership' with Washington would not be damaged by the incident. Still, the relatively soft-toned statement underlined the predicament of the Libyan government. It is criticized by opponents at home over its ties with Washington, but it is also reliant on security cooperation with the Americans." Tony G. Gabriel and Esam Mohamed at the Associated Press.
African nations, sometimes you make me really sad. "A controversial provision almost derailed the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration at the close of the African Regional Conference on Population and Development last Friday. In a clear reflection of the position of most African countries on homosexuality, the majority delegates shot down a clause that would seek to promote gay and lesbian rights." Zambia Daily Mail.
Africa is still by no means an economic powerhouse. "Berman rightly lauds the sound economic management and investment strategies that have propelled the economies of countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and Gabon ... Although some African nations have made promising progress, the reality is that economic and social reforms have occurred unevenly across the continent. Some countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Angola, are still held back by rampant corruption, severe inequality, and undiversified economies. The continent faces several other challenges as well." Isobel Coleman at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Gambia leaves the Commonwealth. "A spokesman for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said early on Thursday 'we would very much regret Gambia, or any other country, deciding to leave the Commonwealth.' The Commonwealth is a voluntary grouping of over 50 countries, many of which are former British colonies. Gambia announced its departure in a statement broadcast late Wednesday on national television ... The West African nation was called out earlier this year in an annual report on human rights issued by Britain. Unlawful detentions, press crackdowns, and discrimination against minority groups were highlighted as particular human rights abuses in Gambia." Deutsche Welle.
Asia
What North Korea considers a violation of 'human rights.' "North Korea, long pegged as perhaps the world's worst human rights abuser, accused Europe of committing 'serious human rights abuse' for refusing to sell ski lifts to the Hermit Kingdom ... North Korea has been working feverishly on constructing its first-ever ski resort, a lavish project that young leader Kim Jong Un personally set as a top national priority. But it has hit a major snag: It can't get ski lifts because of sanctions ... His concern for human rights does not appear to extend with the same enthusiasm to, for example, the ability of his own people to consistently feed themselves." Max Fisher at WorldViews.
Europe
Switzerland is awesomely progressive. "Switzerland will hold a vote on whether to introduce a basic income for all adults, in a further sign of growing public activism over pay inequality since the financial crisis. A grassroots committee is calling for all adults in Switzerland to receive an unconditional income of 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,800) per month from the state, with the aim of providing a financial safety net for the population. Organizers submitted more than the 100,000 signatures needed to call a referendum on Friday." Reuters.
Azerbaijan pre-election report. "Azerbaijanis will go the polls ... in an atmosphere marked by ... fear combined with deep apathy. Although there were signs of discontent earlier this year ... these expressions ... did not develop into a sustained popular mobilization movement. Most experts predict that the outcome of the upcoming vote is predetermined in favor of the incumbent president, Illham Aliyev ... If elected, this will be his third term ... What makes President Aliyev’s reelection an almost foregone conclusion is a reflection of the resources held by the current regime, the uncompetitive nature of the electoral process, and repression and intimidation used against regime critics." Farid Guliyev and Katy E. Pearce at the Monkey Cage.
Interesting. "In a landmark verdict, a former Greek defense minister and co-founder of the country’s once-mighty Socialist Party, Akis Tsochatzopoulos, was found guilty on Monday of setting up a complex money-laundering network to cover the trail of millions of dollars in bribes that he is said to have pocketed from government weapons purchases." Niki Katsantonis at the New York Times.
Middle East
The dismantling of Syria's chemical weapons begins. "International experts began overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal on Sunday, said an official from the mission that has averted a U.S. strike but could rob President Bashar al-Assad of his most feared weapon ... The official, a member of a joint team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague and the United Nations, said Syrian forces used cutting torches and angle grinders to begin 'destroying munitions such as missile warheads and aerial bombs and disabling mobile and static mixing and filling units'." Mariam Karouny at Reuters.
The Syrian refugee crisis is bad. And it's getting worse. "An overlooked aspect of the civil war in Syria is the massive displacement of civilians. A recent report published by The Brookings Institution notes that the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has gone beyond 4.2 million and another 2 million Syrians are refugees in neighboring countries. The U.N. estimates the number of refugees will increase to almost 3.5 million by the end of this year. This means a third of Syria’s population is forced to live outside their own communities. The failure of the involved parties and the international community to bring the civil war to an end is likely to aggravate the current situation." Kemal Kirisci and Ali E. Erol at Brookings.
So, Afghanistan elections... This is going to get messy. "With the final list of candidates set, Afghans and Western officials added another item to the growing list of concerns about the vote: the candidates themselves. There is the professorial technocrat and the urbane diplomat, neither of whom has any natural constituency ... There is a man accused of being a pedophile who was once a darling of the Central Intelligence Agency, and another accused of war crimes who once tried to enact a law granting amnesty to people accused of war crimes. And then there is the candidate who would not even get the vote of his own brother, and his brother is President Hamid Karzai." Matthew Rosenberg and Rod Nordland at the New York Times.
Science
The next mathematical revolution. "Recht and Candes may champion approaches like compressed sensing, while Carlsson and Coifman align themselves more with the topological approach, but fundamentally, these two methods are complementary ... There are several other promising mathematical tools being developed to handle this brave new world of big, complicated data ... Coifman asserts the need for an underlying global theory on a par with calculus to enable researchers to become better curators of big data. In the same way, the various techniques and tools being developed need to be integrated under the umbrella of such a broader theoretical model." Jennifer Ouellette at Quanta Magazine.
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