Mike Pompeo’s Mission Is to Destroy the Iran Deal

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Mar 14, 2018 All you need to know about Trump's pick for secretary of state is that for much of his life he has been in business with the Koch brothers. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Trump’s CIA Pick Oversaw Waterboarding at Secret Prison

DEB RIECHMANN / The Associated Press Mar 13, 2018 Gina Haspel, a career spymaster, had a front-row seat to the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques against terror suspects between 2003 and 2005. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Trump Fires Tillerson at State, Replacing Him With CIA’s Pompeo

JOSH LEDERMAN and MATTHEW LEE / The Associated Press Mar 13, 2018 The president abruptly ends the secretary of state's tenure and puts Mike Pompeo, an ardent foe of the Iran nuclear deal, in charge of U.S. diplomacy. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Trump’s Brand Is Ayn Rand (Video)

Robert Reich / Truthdig Mar 7, 2018 The president and many members of his circle have been influenced by an author who didn’t believe there was a common good. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Jared Kushner’s Security Status Lowered, Insiders Say

ZEKE MILLER, JONATHAN LEMIRE and DEB RIECHMANN / The Associated Press Feb 27, 2018 The president's son-in-law reportedly loses his access to the deepest secrets after chief of staff John Kelly orders a crackdown on White House officials with interim clearances. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Report: GOP Donor Wants to Help Pay for Jerusalem Embassy

JOSH LEDERMAN / The Associated Press Feb 23, 2018 The Trump administration looks into the legality of accepting the proposition by Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and staunch supporter of Israel. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

What Is Trump Hiding About U.S. Missile Strike on Syria?

Marjorie Cohn / Truthout Feb 23, 2018 Pressure is mounting as the Trump administration continues to refuse to reveal its legal justification for attacking Syria in April 2017. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

As Election Nears in Venezuela, Is War in the Wind?

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers / Popular Resistance Feb 20, 2018 Black Alliance for Peace publishes a newsletter reporting “troubling news of an impending military assault on the sovereign nation of Venezuela by states and forces allied with the United States.” Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

After Destroying Iraq, U.S. Won’t Give a Dime to Reconstruction

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Feb 11, 2018 The Trump administration is reportedly going into the Iraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait with no plans to help pay for the effort. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Pence Won’t Rule Out Meeting With N. Korea in Pyeongchang

ZEKE MILLER / The Associated Press Feb 6, 2018 The vice president, on a trip to Asia, says "we'll see what happens" vis-a-vis meeting with North Korean officials at the upcoming Olympics in South Korea. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Did a Comet Strike Trigger a Recent Ice Age?

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Feb 5, 2018 Scientists find more evidence that a massive comet slammed into the Upper Midwest about 13,000 years ago, sparking wildfires that began a 1,200-year deep freeze. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

State Dept. Loses Top Career Diplomat as Crises Abound

MATTHEW LEE / The Associated Press Feb 1, 2018 While not a household name, Tom Shannon is widely respected by his colleagues, lawmakers and others, and his departure will leave another void in the top ranks. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )