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Debt Ceiling Deal: 5 Essential Reads About the Tentative Accord

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on May 27, 2023, agreed in principle to a tentative deal that would raise the debt ceiling while capping some federal spending at current levels. The accord, if approved by both houses of Congress, would avert an unprecedented default that threatens to derail the economy and put hundreds of thousands of Americans …

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How Erdogan Held onto Power, and What This Means for Turkey’s Future

  Recep Tayyib Erdogan will remain president of Turkey for another five years after winning Sunday’s run-off election over his long-time rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. If he serves the full five-year term, he will have held power for 26 years – almost the entire history of Turkey in the 21st century. What is astonishing is how the majority of Turkish people …

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Explainer: A Historical Trail of Pakistan’s Powerful Military Enterprise

akistan’s former military chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa declared at the end of his tenure the military would no longer meddle in politics. However, the recent arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan – once seen as the “army’s blue-eyed boy” – and the army’s intention to prosecute civilian protesters under military laws proves the men in uniform are still …

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Why America Has a Debt Ceiling: 5 Questions Answered

epublicans and Democrats are again playing a game of chicken over the U.S. debt ceiling – with the nation’s financial stability at stake. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently said that June 1, 2023, is a “hard deadline” for raising the debt limit, currently set at US$31.38 trillion, to avoid an unprecedented default. The government hit the ceiling back in January …

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What Would it Take to Recognize the Taliban?

ince the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, speculation has been rife over whether the group would achieve the global recognition that has long eluded it. Early on, analysts predicted that in a quest for legitimacy, a reformed Taliban, whose rhetoric promised a modern and moderate approach to governance, would honor basic human rights and prevent Afghanistan from again becoming …

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World Military Expenditure Reaches New Record High

otal global military expenditure increased by 3.7 percent in real terms in 2022, to reach a new high of $2240 billion. Military expenditure in Europe saw its steepest year-on-year increase in at least 30 years. The three largest spenders in 2022 — the United States, China and Russia — accounted for 56 percent of the world total, according to new …

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Afghanistan Watchdog: ‘You’re Gonna See Pilferage’ of US Aid to Ukraine

In the past year, Congress has allocated roughly $113 billion in support of Ukraine’s efforts to beat back Russia’s brutal invasion. More or less overnight, Kyiv became far and away the largest single recipient of U.S. military and economic support. In order to track all that spending, government watchdogs have taken some notable steps to expand oversight. The inspectors general …

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Sudan Crisis Explained: What’s Behind the Latest Fighting

Days of violence in Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people, with many more left wounded. The fighting represents the latest crisis in the North African nation, which has contended with numerous coups and periods of civil strife since becoming independent in 1956. The Conversation asked Christopher Tounsel, a Sudan specialist and interim director of the …

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Chicago’s New and Extremist Political Machine Takes Over

Brandon Johnson, the Cook County Commissioner very few people had heard of, defeated Paul Vallas in the run-off for Chicago Mayor on April 4, ending the hope that many had to reverse the pro-crime policies that have made Chicago even more dangerous today than it was a decade ago.. Don’t believe that the major issues between the two candidates had …

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What Next for Donald Trump after Being Charged with 34 Felony Counts?

April 4, 2023, will go down in US history as the day when former President Donald Trump was charged with 34 felony counts, marking a significant turn of events in his post-presidential career. These charges, which include a range of allegations from financial crimes to obstruction of justice, have raised questions about what may be next for Trump. A stone-faced …

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