Outside the Beltway

A knowledgeable observer has a dim forecast.

The CIA has always separated its core spying and analysis functions; that may soon change.

Some of his party’s leaders want the president to save them.

Vladimir Putin’s reception at the G-20 Summit in Australia has been less than warm thanks to recent events in Ukraine.

The Ukraine crisis, which never really went away, is back,

Another example of the silliness of the “trade deficit” concept.

The Supreme Court will decide if Congress can override American foreign policy when it comes to declaring who has dominion over Jerusalem.

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul continues to challenge Republican orthodoxy on foreign policy, and that’s a good thing.

The passing of a true legend in American journalism.

The U.S. embargo of Cuba, and our lack of diplomatic recognition of the government in Havana, is an outdated relic of the Cold War. It’s time to end it.

Closing down international air travel won’t stop Ebola from becoming a bigger public health threat.

In the current situation, speaking out forcefully as some are demanding can only do more harm than good.

The streets of Hong Kong have been filled with protesters upset over China’s efforts to control the city’s political future.

Trending on Twitter this morning is a collection of infographics compiled by Ezra Klein under the heading “22 maps and charts that will surprise you.”

The sixth year of a presidency leads to some predictable commentary (and some comparative notes).

A scandal erupted when the Chinese people learned their leaders were flying first class and staying in five-star hotels. Problem solved!

School.

What the West does in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is largely up to Europe, not the United States.

More than any other language, English words are being adopted, and transformed, by other languages.

Emil Henry makes “The Case for Mitt Romney in 2016.”

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

Not surprisingly, Bill Clinton is the most admired recent President according to a new poll, but his predecessor seems to be underrated.

Iraq is falling apart for reasons that have nothing to do with President Obama or his policies.

Twenty-five years after his seminal “End of History” article, Francis Fukuyama reflects on its legacy.

Signs continue to suggest that a GOP Senate takeover is likely.

A Reuters political blogger has set tongues wagging about the possibility another First Lady might run for the U.S. Senate.

After two and a half decades, the images of June 4, 1989 resonate with many, unless you happen to live in China.

There’s little evidence for the conservative contention that the President has damaged America’s position in the world.

It’s good that Bowe Bergdahl is free, but questions remain about how he went missing that need to be answered.

The EPA’s new carbon rules leave much to be desired.

Yet another autiobiography invites public discussion about her accomplishments.

The President’s second speech to the Corps of Cadets is a vast improvement over the first.

The latest chapter in an all too familiar story.

Today’s foreign-policy disputes rarely consider the way America’s response to one crisis might affect another.

Is “Finlandization” a viable option for Ukraine?