Putin asks the Russian parliament to nix his open mandate to send soldiers into Ukraine. But don’t count on this being his last word.

Francis Fukuyama spoke at the recent conference, “Re-thinking Democracy Promotion Amid Rising Authoritarianism,” sponsored by TAI, Freedom House, and Johns Hopkins-SAIS. Here is a pre-recorded video of his lecture.

TAI board member Tyler Cowen recently spoke with activist and presidential candidate Ralph Nader about his new book, Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State, which looks at some of the ways American politics is aligning against crony capitalism and special privileges for corporations. The following is an edited version of their interview. You can download the unedited transcript of the interview here.

India’s Environment Minister recently asserted his country’s “right to grow,” and noted that “net [emissions] may increase.” The developing world’s growth imperative is a dagger in the heart of the Global Climate Treaty movement.

Despite gestures that have endeared him to progressives, Pope Francis is just as much a “racist homophobe” as his predecessor, warns Salon.

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has seen a spike in cases over the past month. It has now claimed more lives than any previous outbreak, and medical professionals fear it is “out of control.”

A Christian woman sentenced to death in Sudan has been released, but it’s only one bright spot in a dark time. Christians are increasingly under attack across the Middle East and beyond.

Fouad Ajami, author, teacher, public intellectual, died yesterday at 68. His work will remain vital for those wishing to understand the Arab world of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries.

Wholesale electricity prices in the UK are lower than expected, and that’s putting a strain on the country’s ability to subsidize its green energy production.

Employers are finding new ways to keep tabs on their employees, using methods that some might deem Orwellian. But there’s an upside to this new technology that deserves recognition.