News

Recently, Hurricane Michael pummeled the Gulf coast and the Mid-Atlantic states, causing widespread property damage and loss of life. On the heels of that, Northern California has experienced the worst fire season on record. Firefighters and rescue efforts are overwhelmed, with some small towns facing complete devastation. The loss of life is staggering, with hundreds of people still missing. Wildfires have raced through the bone-dry hills and valleys, driven by fierce Santa Ana winds—an unusual phenomenon in that area.

Ten years have passed since the 2008 financial crisis, and most Americans are now pleased with the direction of their nation’s economy. Unemployment is down and the stock market is up! Most news outlets are primarily concerned not with arguing about the strength of the economy, but with making sure that their party or president gets credit for it. They excel at claiming good headlines as feathers in the caps of either former President Barack Obama or sitting President Donald Trump, but fail to ask harder, more relevant questions.

After years of independent comments by EU leaders calling for a European Army, and following “pressure” from U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to increase defense spending, European leaders now appear ready to act. According to the EU Observer, “German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday backed the idea of creating a ‘real, true’ army for the European Union,” supporting an earlier call by Emmanuel Macron of France.