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Federal Judge Rules In Favor Of Transgender Student In Bathroom Access Case

A Federal Judge in Virginia has handed a significant legal victory to a student who sued their school district because they were barred form using the bathroom of the gender they identify with.

Germany Social Media Hate Speech Ban Having Global Impact

The Internet is a global platform. Should every country’s laws apply to everyone using it?

Percentage Of Americans Professing “No Religion” On The Rise

The number of Americans professing no religious affiliation is on the rise. This will have some interesting cultural and political implications.

Merkel: Europe Can No Longer Count On The United States

President Trump’s decision to violate the terms of the nuclear deal with Iran could be a turning point in relations between the United States and its most important allies, and not in a good way.

Trump Announces U.S. Withdrawal From The Iran Nuclear Deal

As expected, President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran. There was no rational basis for doing so.

U.S. Navy Reviving Atlantic Fleet

Seven years after deactivation, the U.S. Second Fleet will be patrolling the North Atlantic again.

Mike Pompeo and the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

The new Secretary of State is an improvement over the worst Secretary of State in history.

Netanyahu’s New Claims Against Iran Prove To Be Much Ado About Nothing

Israeli Prime Minister gave a speech yesterday designed to undermine the nuclear deal with Iran. The evidence was unconvincing, but the speech was really only aimed at an audience of one.

Mike Pompeo Confirmed As America’s 70th Secretary Of State

Not surprisingly, Mike Pompeo was confirmed as America’s 70th Secretary of State today. Now, the hard work begins.

Macron: Trump Will Pull Out Of Iran Deal For “Domestic Reasons”

French President Emmanuel Macron predicts, correctly, that President Trump will pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran for the worst possible reasons. This will be a disaster for America’s national interests.

Macron To Lobby Trump On Iran Nuclear Deal

French President Emmanuel Macron is in the U.S. hoping to lobby President Trump to keep the United States in the nuclear deal with Iran. He’s got his work cut out for him.

Trump Halts New Sanctions Against Russia Over Syria

President Trump undercut his own Ambassador to the United Nations today by blocking the imposition of new sanctions on Russia.

Millennials Don’t Know Much About The Holocaust

A plurality of Americans aged 18 to 34 have no idea how many people were killed, what Auschwitz was, or how Hitler came to power.

Trump’s Twitter “Diplomacy” Is Making A Mess Again

Once again, President Trump’s foreign policy tweeting is causing problems.

How That “Caravan” Of Immigrants Became A Focus Of Panic On The Right

Thanks to a combination of sensationalism and outright lies, a fairly conventional story about an annual protest march in Mexico was turned into Fox News fodder that raised images of an invading army of illegal immigrants.

The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of street, bicycle, asphalt, vehicle, hat, park bench, homeless, stockholm, packing, baby carriage, drifter, norrm larstrand , taken with an DMC-FS10 01/29 2017 The picture taken with 10.0mm, f/3.8s, 1/640s, ISO 80 The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

Late Night OTB – End of My Journey

Not an Easter song, exactly, but certainly evocative of some of the holiday’s major themes.

Proposal to Tie Some Visas to Social Media Checks

Under the proposal certain visa-seekers (such as China and India) would have to have their social media presence scrutinized.

Trump And Bolton Will Alienate Allies, Embolden Enemies, & Endanger Americans

In selecting John Bolton as his National Security Adviser, Donald Trump has signaled to the world that he’s likely to take action that will only serve to make the world a more dangerous place.

U.S. Expels 60 Russian Diplomats, Closes Seattle Consulate, In Retaliation For Skripal Poisoning

The United States has joined Great Britain and much of Europe in retaliating against Russia for the attempted murder of a former Russian spy on British soil.

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Trump’s New Transgender Troop Ban Is As Unconstitutional As The First One

The President’s new attempt to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military is as legally defective as the original ban was.

Mueller Investigating Gulf State Influence, Too

Americans actings as agents for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been working hard to manipulate the President.

Trump Congratulates Putin On ‘Election’ ‘Win’ Against Advice Of National Security Advisers

President Trump continues to obsequiously praise Russian President Vladimir Putin

Member Of D.C. City Council Blames Recent Snowstorms On Jewish Bankers

A D.C. lawmaker latches on to an insane conspiracy theory.

Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump, And The Iran Nuclear Deal

The selection of Mike Pompeo as the next Secretary of State makes it more likely that President Trump will take the foolish and dangerous step of withdrawing the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran.

Donald Trump Has Already Undermined Any Talks With North Korea

By threatening to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, Donald Trump is making it far less likely that any upcoming talks with North Korea will succeed.

Late Night OTB – Even the Losers

Several versions of a classic from the year I became a fan of rock and roll.

Angela Merkel Reaches Coalition Agreement With S.P.D.

After six months, Angela Merkel has apparently succeeded in forming a coalition government.

The Italian Elections

The latest, and most grave, example of the current tide of right-wing populism can be found in Italy.

Economic Illiteracy from POTUS

The President provided a contender for most ignorant tweet this morning, as he makes a proposal that would disrupt the global economy.

Google Not Required to Vet Websites for Defamatory Content

A German court has ruled that the EU’s “right to be forgotten” does not require search engines to verify sites are free from malicious content before listing them.

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Defense Secretary Mattis Leaning Toward Allowing Transgender Troops To Remain In The Military

The Defense Department will reportedly recommend to President Trump that transgender members of the service currently serving in the military be allowed to continue serving.

Trump Announces New Sanctions Against North Korea, But They’re Unlikely To Accomplish Much

President Trump has announced a new round of sanctions against North Korea, but they are unlikely to work given the unrealistic nature of the Administration’s current policy toward North Korea.

Donald Trump’s Dereliction Of Presidential Duty Is Self-Evident

Donald Trump’s dereliction of duty in response to clear evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election is a staggering and flagrant dereliction of the duties he agreed to take on when he took the Oath Of Office more than a year ago.

Donald Trump’s Own Appointees Are Telling World Leaders To Ignore His Tweets

President Trump’s tweets, other public statements, and actions are causing world leaders to doubt the reliability of the United States on the world stage.

German Air Force Wants F-35; German Government Doesn’t

Pork barrel politics is complicating Germany’s replacement of its 1970s fighter jet.

Polish Senator Says Holocaust Law Also Applies To Holocaust Survivors

Poland’s new Holocaust legislation just keeps sounding worse and worse.

Israeli Police Recommend Charges Against Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli police have recommended that charges be brought against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Whether that damages him politically remains to be seen.

A Second Brexit Vote? Some Britons Are Asking For One

As Brexit negotiations go on and the consequences of Britain leaving the European Union become clearer, some Britons are starting to ask for a chance at a second referendum.

Of Course Donald Trump Wants A Military Parade

Of course Donald Trump wants a military parade, it would be consistent with his delusions of grandeur.

Polish President Signs Controversial Holocaust Bill Into Law

Poland’s President has signed a controversial bill that purports to criminalize any effort to tie Poland to the Holocaust.

McCain Says Republicans ‘Doing Putin’s Job for Him’

The 2008 Republican nominee for president condemned his party and its president for the release of a controversial memo attacking the FBI.

Many South Koreans Not So Thrilled With The Idea Of A Unified Korea

The recent cooling of relations between North and South Korea has led to some talk of eventual reunification, but for many South Koreans that idea is a non-starter.

Polish Government Sending History Of Polish Collaboration With Nazis Down The Memory Hole

The Polish Government appears ready to approve a law that seeks to whitewash the truth about the role that many Poles played in the Holocaust.

European Allies Rebuffing American Efforts To Renegotiate Iran Nuclear Deal

America’s closest European allies are rebuffing the Trump Administration’s efforts to renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran. They’re right to do so.

A Strong, But Not Spectacular, Report On Economic Growth

The economy grew in the final quarter of 2017, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year and far slower than what the President has promised.

As Trump Withdraws Into Fortress America, The World Moves On

President Trump has alienated America’s allies and friends, and they are acting accordingly.

Trump Preparing For A Forever War In Syria

While everyone is paying attention to the government shutdown, the Trump Administration is preparing for a never-ending, unwise, and unauthorized military commitment in Syria.

Global Opinion About The United States Dropped Precipitously In Trump’s First Year

Thanks to Donald Trump, public opinion around the world about the United States is at its lowest level in ten years.

Two Republican Senators Rebuke Trump For His Attacks On The Press

Two Republicans spoke out today against the President’s war on the news media, but don’t expect their colleagues to follow suit.

European Allies Signal Trump On Iranian Nuclear Deal: We Don’t Support You

America’s closest allies sent a strong signal that they do not agree with President Trump on the nuclear deal with Iran.