Religion has not, or not yet, become an important ingredient of the nastiness in the current presidential campaign. It has been quiet around Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, possibly because he has spouted language that might make Southern Baptists feel comfortable (though it surely makes some other people uncomfortable). Michele Bachmann’s affiliation with the Lutheran Wisconsin Synod […]

There is an energy revolution underway right now, but contrary to the ardent hopes and expectations of the greens, this one is a brown revolution.In Noble County, Ohio, an area where the average annual income is less than $33,000, families are signing exploration leases with energy companies at $4,000 per acre, plus 19 percent royalties […]

Liberals in Russia are becoming disenchanted with the West. Can the romance be rekindled?

The Obama Administration's "pivot to Asia", insofar as it represents a strategic choice, is a mistake. America's geo-economic future, the ultimate font of American power, lies in a bold and far-reaching integration of North America.

The EU isn’t the only big customer launching a boycott against Iran this summer. Joining Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, Turkey is set to become the latest customer to slash imports of Iranian crude.Turkey, fifth on the list of Iran’s top buyers, has vowed to decrease imports of Iranian crude by 20 percent. […]

Although it may surprise readers of the New York Times, Wisconsin is not the only state going to the polls today. Nor is the fate of Scott Walker the only battle in the War on Blue. Six other states also vote today, and two local ballot measures in California are especially worth following.The cities of […]

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee reached a peak today as a carriage procession carried the royal family from Westminster to Buckingham Palace, where the Royal Air Force flew over amid celebratory rounds of rifle fire from the ground.Back in 1940, Elizabeth was a young princess when it was another air force that was flying over Buckingham […]

We already know that America, Britain, France, Saudia Arabia, and assorted others are all deeply concerned about the prospect of an Iranian bomb. Add the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency to that list: The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog announced his agency would resume talks with Iran on Friday, and said for […]

Bloated pension and union labor costs are threatening public transportation across the country, says a story in the Wall Street Journal. Budget shortfalls have pushed transit agencies from Pittsburgh to Detroit to consider massive cuts and fare increases. Many have begged cities and states for help, but given current municipal and state budgets, there’s not much help […]

If the European banking system were the setting for a Spaghetti Western film, the settlers would be circling their wagons in preparation for an attack.What that means concretely is that around the world banks are increasingly seeking to protect their assets by cutting back on cross-border lending into other countries. Their international loans dramatically declined […]