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After WaPo Reports NK Has 'Missile-Ready' Nukes, Peace Is (Still) the Only Option

by | Aug 8, 2017 |

Today, The Washington Post reported that North Korea has developed the capability to miniaturize its nuclear weapons and use them on their existing missiles. The story cited excerpts from a confidential and undisclosed assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency that were read to reporters by anonymous intelligence officials. Naturally, President Trump responded to this news with his typical bombast, saying that the US would respond with "fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before" if the US is threatened. In turn, Kim Jong Un saw Trump's "fire...

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I’m “Disappointed” in AG Sessions Too

by | Aug 4, 2017 | ,

On multiple occasions, President Trump has said that he's "disappointed" with Attorney General Sessions. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable position. Sessions has already taken several harmful actions in his new office that merit disappointment and distress. In May, Sessions decided to roll back one of few useful things that the Obama Administration did on criminal justice reform. Where the Obama Administration called for more lenient sentencing on drug offenses under AG Eric Holder, Sessions explicitly called for US prosecutors to seek the harshest punishments available under the...

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I'm "Disappointed" in AG Sessions Too

by | Aug 4, 2017 | ,

On multiple occasions, President Trump has said that he's "disappointed" with Attorney General Sessions. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable position. Sessions has already taken several harmful actions in his new office that merit disappointment and distress. In May, Sessions decided to roll back one of few useful things that the Obama Administration did on criminal justice reform. Where the Obama Administration called for more lenient sentencing on drug offenses under AG Eric Holder, Sessions explicitly called for US prosecutors to seek the harshest punishments available under the...

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Government Investigating Itself After Another Police Shooting in Minnesota

by | Jul 20, 2017 | ,

This past weekend, a police officer in Minneapolis shot and killed Justine Damond, a 40-year-old Australian-born woman who had actually called police in the first place. Reportedly, Damond called police because she thought a sexual assault was occurring in an alley near her residence. When the police car arrived, she approached the vehicle and was shot and killed by the cop in the passenger seat. Damond was unarmed at the time. As far as we know, neither police officer had their body cameras switched on and the dash cam was not recording. The cop who killed Damond was subsequently identified...

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Oregon Law Requires Everyone to Pay for Abortions

by | Jul 14, 2017 | ,

The state of Oregon recently passed a new law that requires all health insurance plans to cover abortions. The move was praised by pro-choice advocates as a significant step forward for reproductive rights as it ensures everyone has access to an abortion, even if they are of lesser means. Conservatives and pro-life groups oppose the measure, and the bill was ultimately passed on a party line vote in the Oregon Senate, with all Republicans voting against it. At first glance, the issue appears to fall along the usual battle lines in the abortion debate--with a near-zero possibility of either...

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Trump Jr. Meeting Is Newsworthy, But Media Is Botching It

by | Jul 13, 2017 |

In contrast to most stories in the Trump-Russia genre, the Donald Trump Jr. story actually has some substance. Unfortunately, much of the reporting on it has distorted the matter. As it stands, here's what we know about the story. Donald Trump Jr. was contacted via email by Rob Goldstone, who offered to set up a meeting between Trump Jr. and a person who can provide incriminating information on Hillary Clinton. In the email, Goldstone says this offer of assistance to Trump was proposed by the "Crown prosecutor of Russia", but it's not clear whether the meeting was going to be with the same...

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Why 10-Year Budget Projections Are Worse Than Useless

by | Jul 5, 2017 | ,

In recent months, we have seen a string of shocking headline figures based on 10-year budget projections. For example, when the House's American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill got scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), we learned that 23 million fewer people would be insured, but that it would reduce the deficit by $119 billion. When Trump proposed his initial budget, Bloomberg said the plan included $3.6 trillion in budget cuts. These numbers sound enormous. It's estimated that there are 325 million total in the US, so the 23 million people would represent 7% of the entire current...

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With Bank Bailouts, Italy Secures Moral Hazard

by | Jun 30, 2017 | ,

Over the past weekend, two more Italian banks were forced to close due to insolvency. As is often the case, bad loans were the cause of the downfall for both banks. They made too many risky bets on borrowers that didn't pay off. Banca Populare di Vicenza SpA and Veneto Banca SpA are the two banks that failed in this case. Their loans and deposits will be taken over by another bank, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, for the grand total of 1 Euro. More specifically, Intesa is only acquiring the good assets. Meanwhile, the excessive losses on the bad loans will be absorbed by the Italian government, which...

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