Political Systems, Domestic Politics Archives

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

6Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Geopolitics, Human rights, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi invited U.S. officials to make deals on critical minerals. September 6, 2026—Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. Nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian Action calculates that is 21.9 million. Also, more than 5 million Afghans who lived in neighboring countries have been forced to return. What's more, Afghanistan and Pakistan are at war. The Aftermath of the U.S. Withdrawal The United States spent 20 years fighting in Afghanistan, often asserting a strategy of nation-building while the underlying strategic goals went undefined. Scores of civilians were killed...

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

2Jun

By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments

Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

A Venezuelan Expat Makes A Case for Justice That Can Bring About Real Democratic Change Editor’s Note: Venezuelan expat Ernesto Rodriguez reflects on the U.S. military’s Jan. 3, 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro, recounts the authoritarian leader’s grip on power from 2013-2026, makes a case against the years of torture and political corruption, and calls for justice. Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing U.S. federal charges in New York for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses. Let's picture the scene. I'm sleeping back home in Madrid, and I get woken up by a call from Caracas, where the time is around 3 o'clock in the morning. As anyone knows, calls at those hours are usually some form of bad—or at the very least urgent—news. This wasn't an except...

Democratic World Order is ‘Crushed,’ Human Rights Watch Reports

4Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

Democratic World Order is ‘Crushed,’ Human Rights Watch Reports

February 4, 2026—Democracy is in retreat around the world, driven in large part by a “downward spiral” in the United States, according to the 2026 report by the Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit organization based in New York City. “Under relentless pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, and persistently undermined by China and Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed, threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms and protect freedoms,” Philippe Bolopion, HRW executive director. Democratic rights are at risk in the United States and around the world. Photo from Human Rights Watch video. Democratic Retreat While once viewed as a champion of democratic freedoms, the United States now leads the world...

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

26Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

Photo pulled from YouTube video by NYT photographer David Guttenfelder about Jan. 24, 2026 the Minneapolis shooting. Federal Immigration Crackdown Incites Fear, Killings, and Civil Protests January 26, 2026—The United States is on the brink of a national crisis and a government shutdown after the second killing by gunfire of an American citizen by federal forces. Conflict over immigration in the United States is adding to the pressures of growing inequality, corruption, and a national debt above $38 trillion. Tensions are rising due to the deployment of federal forces in U.S. cities who are now targeting U.S. citizens as well as immigrants. ‘Under Siege and Occupation’ Citizens in some cities and states report across social media that they feel under siege or occupation by U.S...

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Closure of Unit Meant to Resolve Police-Protestor Disputes

17Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Closure of Unit Meant to Resolve Police-Protestor Disputes

Before Its Closure in October, CRS Mediated Racial and Ethnic Tensions One of the many cases in U.S. courts today over Trump’s policies is one about the Justice Department’s elimination of a program meant to peacefully resolve racial and ethnic tensions. Editor's Note: The following story is noteworthy due to the ongoing tensions in the United States over immigration, racial profiling, and the federal government's use of force in American cities. Democracy and civil society are being tested. The following story is one footnote in the series of unfolding events. January 17, 2026—One of the many cases in U.S. courts today over Trump’s policies is one about the Justice Department’s elimination of a program meant to peacefully resolve racial and ethnic tensions. The Community Relat...

U.S. Courts Conflict over Free Speech, Immigration, Habeas Corpus

16Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

U.S. Courts Conflict over Free Speech, Immigration, Habeas Corpus

Mahmoud Khalil's Legal Battles Demonstrate the Divides January 16, 2026—U.S. courts are struggling to find clarity amid immigration actions that push the limits of constitutional rights. One of the cases that depicts the chaotic scene of mixed signals is the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident detained by ICE in March 2025 due to his speech on Israel-Palestine. As a graduate student at Columbia University, Khalil was a leading voice in the movement to assert that Palestinians have rights at a time of genocide, occupation, and apartheid. He was one of several legal residents and students detained after speaking up for Palestinian rights. Photo by Reena Rose Sibayan New Jersey Monitor. https://newjerseymonitor.com/2026/01/15/mahmoud-khalil-arrested-court-ruling/ Backgro...

16Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Bit, Types of News: Brief

An America Redefined: ‘Patriots’ First

January 16, 2026—In a column on The Dispatch, conservative journalist Jonah Goldberg writes about a notable change in what defines America under the Trump administration. Goldberg reviews the Labor Department’s digital marketing campaign and finds a consistent theme: it emphasizes a fight for “patriots” born in the United States, features photos of white workers, and mixes them with references to “heritage” and “homeland.” Photo from the Department of Labor in reference to the new America of "patriots." Fascist Flavor? Goldberg looks at specific phrases and notes the resemblance to 1930s-style propaganda in fascist European countries like Germany and Italy. Looking directly at the DOL feed, you can see that the department’s messages are clearly anti-immigration, including H-1B ...

Do Elections Alone Make American Democracy Strong? Supreme Court Justice Alito Weighs In

14Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Quotes

Do Elections Alone Make American Democracy Strong? Supreme Court Justice Alito Weighs In

Editor's Note: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, nominated by former President George W. Bush, has been called “the court’s most consistent conservative” on the 6:3 U.S. Supreme Court. At a time when many observers are looking to the Judicial Branch as a potential backstop against unchecked power, it is worth hearing what he has to say the state of U.S. democracy and the unchecked power of the presidency. January 14, 2026—In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito suggested that American democracy is “still strong” because “we have elections.” “The institutions are working at a certain level. But I think there are serious strains. I hope it’s the product of a particular era that is going to end when things settle down. But ri...

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

15Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Middle East, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

Proposal Creates Perverse Incentive to Restart Gaza War October 15, 2025—As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified today in court over longstanding corruption charges, a key political ally advanced plans to tie an exemption from that trial to wartime. It comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war signified a “historic dawn of a new Middle East.” Netanyahu Ally: No Trial During War Yariv Levin is not just the Justice Minister, he is also the deputy prime minister, minister of the Interior, and minister of Religious Services. He’s also a key Netanyahu ally who, in January 2023, led the judicial overhaul plan to restrict the authority of the Supreme Court. It was a highly controversial reform that cri...

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

11Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

August 11, 2025—In the latest display of executive power, President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., taking over the nation’s capital with military force. “This is liberation day in D.C., and we’re going to take our Capitol back. We’re taking it back…. I’m officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. You know what that is? And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control,” Trump said. “In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order, and public safety.” The White House declared a "crime emergency" and placed the District under the control of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The plan involves 800 National Guard troops charged with removing homel...