WALL STREET JOURNAL: …After two hours, the security ballet begins—men in black, headsets in the ear, long, ultra-slim briefcase in hand, a routine that several decades in the planet’s hot spots have taught me signifies the imminent arrival of the Boss. From there, everything moves quickly. The men in black assume battle stations as we […]
Vladimir Putin is a very dangerous guy
The following is from Karen Dawisha’s “Putin’s Kleptocracy, Who Owns Russia?”: “[Viktor] Talnov was a member of the Leningrad and then St. Petersburg legislature and a trained psychologist and wrote a psychological study of Putin, whom he knew, in which concluded that Putin had two key characteristics: a very high tolerance for risk and an […]
Approval rating for Kathleen Kane at a dismal 26 percent
One in four Pennsylvanians surveyed said they approve of Kane’s job performance, with 33 percent who disapprove and 41 percent responding that they have no opinion…
My very fortunate career
After a well nurtured youth and graduation from the University of California with a BA in economics, I chose business as a possible stepping stone towards public service rather than accept a scholarship offer for two years of graduate study at Cambridge What followed was further experience in my brother Martin’s home building business, then […]
10 Myths About Canadian Health Care, Busted
I’m both a health-care-card-carrying Canadian resident and an uninsured American citizen who regularly sees doctors on both sides of the border. As such, I’m in a unique position to address the pros and cons of both systems first-hand.
LETTER: Gov. Wolf sees the flaws in state store privatization proposal
If a one-time billion dollars is realized on the front end, the licenses have to be monstrously expensive, said cost also passed on to the end-user. Licensees will cluster in and around the five counties containing Pittsburgh and Philly – which generate nearly 50% of the cash flow.
Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base
NEW YORK TIMES: …“We don’t want anybody in ISIL to be left with the impression that if they move to some neighboring country, that they will be essentially in a safe haven and not within the range of United States capability,” Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said on Wednesday. The Islamic State began […]
Did Argentina’s President Order An Assassination?
DAILY BEAST COLUMN: Argentine Federal Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita on Friday indicted President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, her Foreign Minister Héctor Timmerman and Congressman Andres Larroque for allegedly covering up the involvement of Iranian officials in the 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish center that killed 85 people and injured hundreds more… The indictment follows the […]
Wolf halts death penalty in Pa.
Acting on concerns he first expressed during last year’s campaign, the new governor cited a wave of exonerations nationwide and questions about the effectiveness of executions.
LETTER: Privatization will lead to increased prices
Splitting up into small chains and mom and pop stores will NOT lead to cheaper prices. Lived in Maryland for years with privatized liquor and the selections were poor and the prices much higher than in PA.
Making the Ukraine Cease-Fire Stick
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL: …Mr. Putin won a lot in Minsk. The fact that the cease-fire is to start on Sunday — and not immediately, as the Ukrainians wanted — gives the Ukrainian separatists a couple more days to press their siege on Debaltseve, a key rail hub where thousands of Ukrainian troops are surrounded, […]
Ex-Penn State officials want appeals courts to take cases
WITF / AP: The criminal case of former Penn State administrators accused of covering up Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse allegations could soon be under consideration by Pennsylvania’s highest court. Lawyers for former athletic director Tim Curley has filed a request with the Supreme Court, asking it to review a county judge’s decision last month. […]
Senate Gives Approval For Defense Secretary, If Not His Boss’s Policies
NEW YORK TIMES: …The nomination of [Ashton B.] Carter was seen as perhaps the best chance for a smooth confirmation process through the newly Republican-controlled Senate. Top Republicans, including Mr. McCain, had expressed admiration for him in recent years. He was also seen as a good choice to manage the Pentagon as it continues to […]
Democrats settle on Philadelphia as site of 2016 convention
The Democratic National Committee said Thursday the convention will be held the week of July 25, 2016. The two other finalists were Brooklyn, New York, and Columbus, Ohio.