President Trump’s weekend phone call to President Putin seems to have quieted some of Russia’s concerns about the unpredictability of the real-estate-mogul-turned-politician, reports Gilbert Doctorow.
Trump Quiets Some Russian Doubts
Recalling ‘People’s Lawyer’ Leonard Weinglass
In many of the major social/political battles of the Twentieth Century, lawyer Leonard Weinglass defended activists facing government criminal charges, as a new book about his life recalls, writes Marjorie Cohn.
Trump’s Incoherent Anti-Terrorism Policy
By blocking travelers from seven mostly Muslim nations – but not ones that have sent terrorists to the U.S. – President Trump has pushed an incoherent policy that may increase the risks of terrorism, writes ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
Rachel Maddow Plays Glenn Beck
By pushing the new anti-Russian McCarthyism as an attack strategy against President Trump, Democrats – and progressives like Rachel Maddow – are encouraging a costly and dangerous New Cold War, writes Norman Solomon.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Lost History, Obama Administration, Politics, Secrecy, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
Trump Lets Saudis Off His ‘Muslim Ban’
Exclusive: By leaving Saudi Arabia and other key terrorism sponsors off his “Muslim ban,” President Trump shows the same cowardice and dishonesty that infected the Bush and Obama administrations, writes Robert Parry.
The Tests Ahead for Trump
Donald Trump’s path to victory was eased by the fact that the Republican and Democratic parties were brittle, corrupt, hollowed-out institutions ready for cracking, but his tests have only begun, writes John Chuckman.
Calling a Lie a Lie in the Age of Trump
The U.S. mainstream media bends over backward not to call the President a liar even when it’s deserved, but Donald Trump’s falsehoods are so glaring that the L word should apply, says ethicist Daniel C. Maguire.
Campaign 2016, Foreign Policy, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, Right Wing, Trump Administration
Deep State vs. Donald Trump
President Trump has stepped onto a high-wire in defying America’s Deep State, but can he withstand the powerful winds that will surely buffet him and what will President Putin do to help or hurt, asks ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke.
Campaign 2016, Foreign Policy, Intelligence, Lost History, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, Secrecy, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
Donald Trump and His ‘Magic Mirror’
Exclusive: President Trump’s vain tirades about crowd size and voter fraud make him look like Snow White’s evil queen gazing into her mirror, but he could turn that around by telling some important truths, says Robert Parry.
Fear Among Undocumented Immigrants
Moving quickly on campaign promises to tighten U.S. borders and crack down on “sanctuary cities,” President Trump is spreading fear among communities where many undocumented immigrants live, reports Dennis J Bernstein.
Death of the Syrian ‘Moderate’ Fantasy
Exclusive: Neocons and liberal hawks sold the fantasy that Syrian “moderate” rebels were a viable option when all they did was help arm Al Qaeda jihadists and worsen the bloodshed, as Jonathan Marshall explains.
Trump’s Ego-Driven Lies
U.S. government lying is surely not a new thing – recall the Iraq War deceptions – but Donald Trump has started off his presidency with clearly false claims that make the problem worse, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
Ignoring the Voice of the People
The massive protests that followed the inauguration should have reminded Donald Trump that he is a minority president with a slim-to-none popular mandate, as Michael Winship describes.
In Case You Missed…
Some of our special stories in December looked at the new propaganda war against dissident news outlets, the nasty fallout from the U.S. presidential election, and the bleak winter for neocons.
Thanking Trump for Killing TPP?
Progressives have long called for the death of the Trans-Pacific Partnership but many are holding their applause now that President Trump was the one who killed it, observes anti-war activist John V. Walsh.
Getting Better Results Than Law-and-Order
Exclusive: Despite President Trump’s tough law-and-order rhetoric, courts and schools are finding that “restorative justice” – as an alternative to traditional punishments – can reduce offenses and save money, writes Don Ediger.
Trump’s Pipeline Orders Challenge Protesters
Ignoring environmental concerns and tribal objections, President Trump has put the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines back on track without even consulting the opponents, Dennis J Bernstein reports.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Lost History, Obama Administration, Secrecy, The Bush-43 Administration
The Injustices of Manning’s Ordeal
Exclusive: For exposing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pvt. Chelsea Manning suffered nearly seven years in prison, an ordeal President Obama finally is ending but without acting on the crimes she revealed, says Marjorie Cohn.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Lost History, Media, Obama Administration, Secrecy, The Bush-43 Administration
Did Manning Help Avert War in Iran?
From the Archive: Though President Obama commuted Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence, he showed no appreciation for her brave disclosures, including one that undercut war plans with Iran, Robert Parry reported in 2013.
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Intelligence, Lost History, Media, Obama Administration, Politics, The Bush-43 Administration, Trump Administration
Obama Bequeaths a More Dangerous World
Special Report: President Obama may have entered the White House with a desire to rein in America’s global war-making but he succumbed to neocon pressure and left behind an even more dangerous world, reports Robert Parry.