- Qatar is exposing Trump’s weaknesses on foreign policy. [Link]
- The FED increased interest rates .25%. The current lending rate is now between 1%-1.25%. [Link]
- The family of Terence Crutcher is suing the city of Tulsa. Crutcher was unarmed when he was killed by a Tulsa police officer. [Link]
- A judge rules that the Army Corps of Engineers violated environmental regulations why they approved the Dakota Access Pipeline. This ruling does not prevent from construction on the pipeline from continuing. [Link]
- Rex Tillerson says US policy in Iran is to support elements who want peaceful regime change in Iran. [Link]
- According to a Government Accountability Organization report says the US military lacks a high level of readiness. The report found that years of interventionism has caused the lack of readiness. [Link]
- Jeremy Corbyn says that empty homes of the rich should be requisitioned by the UK government and given to house victims of a recent fire. [Link]
- Dennis Rodman gives Kim Jung Un a copy of The Art of the Deal. [Link]
- 12 members of Erdogan’s security force has been charged with assault. The charges come from a fight that broke out between Erdogan’s security and protesters. Six other people were also charged with assault. [Link]
- Four people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Kabul. [Link]
- The Pentagon is expected to announce a 4,000 troop level increase in Afghanistan. [Link]
- At least 300 civilians have been killed by US airstrikes in Raqqa since March. [Link]
- YPG fighters claim they now control area North, East, and West of Raqqa. [Link]
- Assad-allied forces have reached the Raqqa Provence are now fighting ISIS there. [Link]
- The Assad backed government hit Syrian rebel groups with airstrikes. The airstrikes followed some rebel shelling of Damascus. This is some of the only fighting near Damascus since the international direction zones were set up. [Link]
- Civilian deaths from fighting in Marawi is likely much higher than reported. Civilians fleeing the city are reporting seeing the bodies of the dead all over the streets. Current official reports say 26 civilians have been killed in the fighting. [Link]
On Foreign Policy Focus #54, I look at how a recent shooting exposes Congress. After the shooting of Steve Scalise, members of Congress rushed to get in front of the cameras to tell Americans how much they care about human life. The day before the shooting, 53 members of the Senate voted to continue to support Saudi Arabia’s slaughter of the people of Yemen. Those 53 members of Congress exposed themselves as hypocrites who only care about human life when it benefits their political ambitions. I also update Philippines, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq. LISTEN HERE!!
