Breaking: American arrested in Russia for espionage

Breaking: American arrested in Russia for espionage

On Monday, December 31st, Russian security services arrested an American man in Moscow on charges of espionage. Paul Whelan, who, according to his family, was visiting the Russian capital in order to attend a wedding, was arrested by the FSB—Russia’s domestic security service—for “carrying out an act of espionage.” A U.S. Marine veteran, Whelan had […]

Mattis to ring in the New Year by turning over the Pentagon at midnight on Monday

Mattis to ring in the New Year by turning over the Pentagon at midnight on Monday

While Americans on the East Coast are toasting the arrival of the new year, current Secretary of Defense James Mattis will be on a conference call with Pentagon officials to turn over authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. Shanahan will serve as acting Defense Secretary until President Donald Trump appoints a new permanent replacement. […]

The bizarre hysteria over Trump’s visit to Iraq

The bizarre hysteria over Trump’s visit to Iraq

Hilarity ensued this Christmas when President Donald Trump along with the first lady made a surprise visit to the troops in Iraq.  Proving that it is hard to keep anything a secret these days, watchful aviation enthusiasts noted Air Force One cutting across the Atlantic on Christmas night before veering towards the Middle East after […]

42,000 members of the US Coast Guard will go without pay if shutdown extends past Friday

42,000 members of the US Coast Guard will go without pay if shutdown extends past Friday

While the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines all fall under the financial purview of the Department of Defense and will not see an interruption of their pay if the partial government shutdown continues beyond Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, 42,000 Coast Guard members tasked […]

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

This is the final installment in a 3 part series. Read parts 1 and 2 here. President Trump’s wall will increase the power of the most dangerous drug cartels, it will contribute to the introduction of more dangerous variants of drugs it makes in short supply, and it is unlikely to pay for itself because […]

Opinion: Republicans are dusting off old liberal narratives about Mattis to protect Trump

Opinion: Republicans are dusting off old liberal narratives about Mattis to protect Trump

Over the years, I’ve been accused of all sorts of political bias. Some days, I’m a closeted communist for suggesting that Donald Trump’s aggressive approach to foreign policy actually reduces America’s diplomatic leverage over its allies. Others, I’m a Trump-humping fascist for pointing out that, despite the media spin, Trump’s emphasis on space defense is […]

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

This is part 2 of a 3 part series. You can read part 1 here. The border wall will make transportation of opioids and other drugs much more difficult, and therefore the cost of transportation will shoot up. When this happens, marginal, smaller suppliers will have to drop out of the (black) market, leaving larger, […]

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

Trump’s border wall, the opioid crisis, and the hell of good intentions

This is part 1 of a 3 part series. In the latest round of negotiations and public stumping for his border wall, President Trump told Congress he wants $15 billion in wall funding attached to the year-end spending bill. The president’s desire to build a “big, beautiful” wall on the southern border is nothing new; […]

Government shutdown avoided with no funding for Trump border wall — is tech the answer to getting it built?

Government shutdown avoided with no funding for Trump border wall — is tech the answer to getting it built?

While the debate around whether or not a permanent border wall should be built rages on, concerns over a government shutdown concerning the wall’s funding have been temporarily alleviated. On Wednesday, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Congress would vote on a “stop-gap” measure to provide financing for essential government services, but would not […]