In Georgia, a Clash Between Two Versions of National Identity
July 2021 was marked as the hottest month of the year in Tbilisi, Georgia. While the temperature outside hit around 33˚C at 10
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Following a Controversial Election, Russia Grows Increasingly Unfree
Between September 17 and 19, Russians went to the polls to elect the State Duma. The voting period was officially increased to three days and introduced electronic voting for the first time due to measures intended to contain the spread…
The Permanent State of Repression in Egypt
On October 25, in an unexpected move, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi chose not to extend the nationwide state of emergency that was imposed in April 20
Did Biden Lose the Battle With Mohammed bin Salman?
Ryan Grim and Ken Klippenstein at The Intercept cite the tense relationship between US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the explanation of the high gas prices that have rattled consumers’ confidence and troubled the…
Learning Lessons From the Failed War on Terror
Twenty years have passed since the 9/11 attacks in the United States. It was in the immediate aftermath that US President George W. Bush declared his infamous “war on terror” and launched a cataclysmic campaign of occupation in both Afghanistan…
Manchin: IRS reporting requirements likely ‘going to be gone’ from spending bill
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) sharply criticized a proposal to force banks to report more account information to the IRS, making it much more likely that Democrats will have to drop a plan that could raise hundreds of billions of dollars…
Ron Wyden takes a buzzer-beating shot at billionaires
Ron Wyden played sparingly during his college basketball career. Now he’s throwing up a bank shot as time winds down. The Senate Finance chair is suddenly in the toughest position on Capitol Hill as he assembles a tax package for…
Wyden fills in details for ‘Billionaires Income Tax’
The Senate’s top tax writer unveiled plans to create a special new tax on the uber wealthy that he hopes Democrats will use to help pay for their next big spending package. Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wants to begin…
Under Modi, India Has Weakened on the World Stage
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, has completed seven years in office. At the same time, his autocratic leadership has brought the simmering discontent in the foreign policy establishment out in the open. Some members of the Forum of…
Modi’s BJP Lost to Mamata’s TMC Because of Bengali DNA – Fair Observer
In early May, the eastern Indian state of West Bengal went to the polls. The state elections attracted global attention. The BBC’s analysis of the election was headlined, “West Bengal Election: Modi Loses a Battle in the ‘War for Indian…