You could probably make a pretty good case that Illinois is ground zero of the collapse of the blue model, which is probably why Democratic Governor Pat Quinn has been looking to cut costs anywhere he can. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, Quinn has found, largely due to opposition from Democratic lawmakers and […]

Reuters: Iraqi Kurdistan has begun selling its oil into international markets in independent export deals that further challenge Baghdad’s claim to full control over Iraqi oil after first signing independent exploration deals with foreign oil majors last year.The move is likely to enrage the government, which is still locked in a battle with ExxonMobil over its independent deal with […]

Given tight budgets and failing performance of public schools, it isn’t hard to see why education has been a hot topic over the past few years. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that it may soon get even hotter. Five states—Arizona, Missouri, South Dakota, California and Oregon—are currently debating ballot initiatives to raise taxes to pay for […]

Following the funeral for Lebanon’s assassinated security chief, various Lebanese political factions and militias have been fighting each other on the streets of Beirut and Tripoli. The fighters are divided on roughly the same lines as in Syria’s civil war: supporters and opponents of Butcher Assad.The FT reports: The Lebanese army vowed to take “decisive […]

In the wake of yesterday’s foreign policy debate, former President Jimmy Carter is in the news today blasting President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I don’t think there’s any doubt that Netanyahu has decided the one-state option is the one he’s going to pursue,” Mr. Carter said, despite Mr. Netanyahu’s professed commitment to two states, […]

Could we be witnessing the end of the “Made in China” era? According to an astute trade official in China’s Ministry of Commerce, the answer may well be yes. In an interview with the China Daily, this official explained that cheap goods are increasingly made in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia rather than China, which is beginning to transition toward […]

Being in London for the third presidential debate changes one’s perspective; for one thing, since 9 PM Eastern Time is 2 AM in London, I slept through the actual event and read about it on Twitter and the internet before watching reruns. And the interest in the debate, though keen, is not nearly as overwhelming […]

France is sending drones to Mali while hundreds of Islamist fighters are coming in from across the Middle East, preparing to defend their safe haven.According to the Associated Press, French drones will soon be patrolling the skies above the Malian desert: A French defense official said Monday that France plans to move two surveillance drones […]

Earlier this month Via Meadia took a closer look at the rise of radical Islam in Indonesia. We now have some depressing poll numbers from a new survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle that confirm this trend among the general population. According to the survey, intolerance toward religious minorities and gays has become widespread: The […]

Last Friday China conducted a naval exercise in the East China Sea. It was a show of force aimed at Japan over the disputed (but for more than a century Japanese-controlled) Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. In yet another fiery op-ed, China’s Global Times argues that Japan “must adapt to China’s navy moves” and promises there’s more to come: This time […]