Outside the Beltway

North Korea is threatening another nuclear test, the United States is threatening retaliation, and China is warning of a ‘gathering storm’ on the Korean Peninsula.

Donald Trump seems to be surprised that being President requires actual work.

A warning to North Korea.

More stepping back from free trade and the established global economic order.

South Korea removes a corrupt leader by peaceful means.

Reports indicate that President Trump will seek to increase military spending. We don’t need to, and we can’t really afford it.

Malaysian police have evidence that seems to clearly link North Korea to the death of Kim Jong Il’s eldest son.

The apparent assassination of Kim Jong-Un’s eldest brother has raised red flags in China.

North Korean Intrigue…….

In a closer than normal vote for the position, Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as Secretary of State.

Concepts, basic applications, and even a bibliography! Merry Festivus, everyone.

Political upheaval for an important Asian ally.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

North Korea continues to advance its nuclear program but it’s unclear what anyone can do about it.

North Korea conducts yet another nuclear weapons test, and it’s unclear what anyone can do to stop them.

Despite being much more conveniently located for viewers in the United States, viewership for the just-concluded Olympics were the lowest they’ve been in sixteen years.

President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima left just the impression it should have.

On his trip to Hanoi, President announced the latest sign that the Vietnam War is finally something both nations have manged to put behind them.

Both Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich face big tests in tomorrow’s Michigan primary.

More saber rattling from Pyongyang.

Can anything restrain the North Koreans besides direct action by China? That’s unclear, but the new round of sanctions pending at the U.N. seem unlikely to accomplish much of anything.

The United States and South Korea are hinting at increased military cooperation in the wake of last week’s North Korean nuclear test.

Experts are casting doubt on North Korea’s claim that it tested a thermonuclear device earlier this week.

The North Koreans claim to have made a major advance in their nuclear weapons program, but there are many reasons to be skeptical.

North Korea’s mercurial leader now claims to have thermonuclear weapons, but analysts are saying this is likely braggadocios nonsense.

North Korea now claims it has miniaturized nuclear warheads sufficienctly so that they can be placed on missiles. They also say they can launch missiles from submarines.

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has seen better days.

The Vatican has announced that it will recognize Palestinian statehood, but this is not going to resolve the underlying issues that prevent a Palestinian state from actually coming into existence.

North Korea’s mercurial leader has apparently executed yet another high ranking official.

The sources of new immigrants to the United States are changing, but it’s unclear if that will have any impact on the political debate over immigration reform.

Chinese analysts are telling their American counterparts that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal is far more sophisticated than previously believed.

There are again reports of Chinese frustration with the Kim regime in North Korea, but change is unlikely to happen in the DPRK until Beijing is ready to let it happen.

The U.S. Government has formally charged North Korea with responsibility for the hacking attack on Sony. How to respond to that attack is a more complicated question.

With major theater chains having pulled out, Sony bowed to the inevitable, but now there appears to be proof that a foreign power is behind the Sony hacking attacks and threats of violence.

Well, so much for that “people’s revolt” that brought down a military dictator.

A knowledgeable observer has a dim forecast.

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

The mystery continues.

Once again, there’s speculation that something is up in the world’s most closed society.

It’s hard for a party to win four straight presidential elections. The Democrats may pull it off.

A piece at Foreign Policy provides a chance to give some thought to institutions.

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