TMB: Why American Foreign Policy is Headed for Disaster‏ plus more

Convergence of the Twain
By Matthew ContinettiOver the last several weeks, reading news of disorder and upheaval from Venezuela to the Levant to Ukraine to Iraq to Afghanistan, I have thought often of a poem written almost a century ago.



Report: Taliban Insurgency to Grow After Troop Drawdown
By Bill GertzThe Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan will intensify following the drawdown of U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan later this year, according to a Pentagon-sponsored independent study.


Oxfam Accused of Ties to Terror Group
By Adam KredoThe aid group Oxfam International is said to be partnering with two Palestinian organizations tied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), according to an Israeli advocacy group that defends victims of terrorism.



Lawmakers, Veterans Groups Want More Accountability at VA
By Daniel WiserLawmakers and veterans’ advocacy groups are intensifying their push to hold officials at the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) department accountable amid reports of preventable deaths, backlogged disability claims, and widespread mismanagement in recent months.

‘The Wind Rises’ Review
By Sonny BunchHayao Miyazaki releasing an animated film about the whimsical inner life of Jiro Horikoshi in America is roughly the equivalent of Brad Bird releasing a film about the whimsical inner life of Robert Oppenheimer in Japan. 



Why Conservatives Dislike Wendy Davis
By Andrew StilesConservatives tend to dislike Wendy Davis. Her defenders, meanwhile, tend to write psychoanalytic discourses on the real reason why conservatives don’t like her.



Politicizing Everything Makes You Sound Stupid, Bigoted
By Sonny BunchAce today highlighted a crucial aspect of my hobby horse that I haven’t spent a ton of time on. Namely, those who live the politicized life often come across sounding, well, dumb.


Here Are All 314 Times Al Sharpton Mentioned Race in 2013

By David RutzMSNBC host Al Sharpton mentioned race in some capacity a total of 314 times on PoliticsNation in 2013, according to Washington Free Beacon analysis. That is an average of more than once per broadcast.

TMB: Union Members Indicted for Burning Down Quaker Church‏ and some more

Union Members Indicted for Burning Down Quaker Church By Bill McMorrisThe federal government on Tuesday indicted multiple union members for burning down a Quaker church in 2012.

  Hagel Gives Vague Answers When Questioned at Synagogue By Adam KredoSecretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sought to downplay the viability of a U.S. military strike on Iran during an informal chat Tuesday evening at a Washington-area synagogue.

  Report: Anti-Zionism Integral to European Left-Wing Thought By Alana GoodmanAnti-Zionism is an “integral part” of left-wing ideology in Europe and serves as a replacement for anti-Semitism, according to a report on global anti-Semitic trends in 2013 released by Israel’s Information and Diaspora Ministry in January.

  HHS Seeking Access to ‘Full Twitter Historical Data’ By Elizabeth HarringtonThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a “social media analytic tool” that will give the government access to “full Twitter historical data,” according to a solicitation released on Tuesday.

  Matt Doheny Jumps into House Race Despite GOP Elise Stefanik Support By Daniel WiserThree-time loser Matt Doheny has decided to jump into the Republican primary for New York’s 21st Congressional District despite overwhelming local support for candidate Elise Stefanik, according to reports.

  Knock It Off with the LEGOs, Jerks By Sonny BunchThe biggest movie in America is The Lego Movie, which has grossed $142 million in just 11 days, shattering expectations. LEGO-based video games—that is, video games that take existing properties such as Batman and reimagine them in jokey, LEGO-based universes—are insanely popular. And you can’t go a day without discovering some jackaninny has “LEGOed” something; for instance, here are the posters for this year’s best picture nominees at the Academy Awards redone as LEGOs
.
  Oliver Stone Turns on Obama By Washington Free Beacon StaffHollywood director and ardent liberal Oliver Stone attacked President Obama from the left this past weekend, saying the President reneged on his campaign promises and has a “lack of spine”.

TMB: CBO: Minimum Wage Hike Could Leave 1 Million Unemployed‏

CBO: Minimum Wage Hike Could Leave 1 Million Unemployed By Bill McMorrisThe 40 percent minimum wage hike touted by President Obama and congressional Democrats would cut 500,000 jobs and could leave as many as 1 million people unemployed, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Split within Al Qaeda Over Syrian Rebels Grows   By Bill GertzSharp divisions among al Qaeda terrorists in the Middle East are continuing despite a recent appeal by the group’s top leader to heal the rift between two warring factions.


Subpar: Anti-Obama Street Art Covers Santa Monica By Elizabeth HarringtonAn unknown artist is covering the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., with posters declaring President Obama to be “subpar.”


German Company Denies Selling Death Cranes to Iran By Adam KredoThe chairman of a German company whose cranes are reportedly being used for public hangings in Iran lashed out at critics and dismissed calls for his company to end its relationship with Tehran on humanitarian grounds.


Owners of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Stock Unable to Access Future Earnings By Daniel WiserA recently revealed memo from the Treasury Department indicates that owners of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac common stock will not be able to access any future earnings from the mortgage giants, a previously undisclosed arrangement that experts say might violate securities laws and amount to a de facto nationalization of the companies.
Former Democratic Congressman Arrested in Zimbabwe By WFB StaffFormer Rep. Melvin Reynolds (D., Ill.) was arrested in Zimbabwe, the Associated Press reports.


Scalia Dissents: Chicago Deep Dish ‘Not Pizza’ By WFB StaffSupreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia issued a decision Monday that Chicago-style pizza is “not pizza,” the Washington Times reports.



Kate Upton Has The Right Stuff By Robert CharetteI respect Sports Illustrated‘s reasonable business decision to slap a troika of swimsmokes on its cover to triple the promotion potential of its 50th Swimsuit Issue. Three is better than one and six is better than two. But it was to my dismay that the mag appeared to be operating under the assumption that Kate Upton is yesterday’s news.

Shrinkage By David RutzThe labor force participation rate, a key indicator of economic strength, has undergone a sharp decline during the Obama administration, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

TMB: The Hillary Papers and the Death of the Mainstream Media‏ and more

Column: The Hillary Papers and the Death of the Mainstream Media  
By Matthew ContinettiThe school of literary criticism known as reception theory holds that a text should be studied in light of its effect on its contemporaries, that a reader should be aware of the “horizon of expectations” in which a text is produced.


Union-Backed Groups Spend Hundreds of Thousands Attacking Cotton, Jolly
By Lachlan MarkayProminent Democratic groups backed by some of the nation’s largest labor unions made large independent expenditures on Tuesday attacking Republican candidates in Arkansas and Florida.


Lawmakers Call for GAO Audit of Cover Oregon Failure
By CJ CiaramellaRepublicans called for a federal audit of the beleaguered Cover Oregon website Wednesday after allegations of criminal fraud surfaced recently.



Wireless Threat
By Bill GertzObama administration security officials say President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are not strongly opposing a South Korean plan to use Chinese telecommunications gear in an advanced wireless network, thus increasing concerns of cyber spying espionage against U.S. military forces in the country.

USDA Gave $303,890 in Wool Loans to Couple Who ‘Owned No Sheep’
By Elizabeth HarringtonThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave $303,890 in wool loans to an Iowa couple that “owned no sheep.”



‘Robocop’ Review
By Sonny BunchRobocop, it seems, is the go-to property for Hollywood studios interested in handing millions of dollars to foreign directors interested in attacking America.




Marvel vs. DC
By Sonny Bunch(Warning: Nerd-post ahead.) Growing up, I was always more fond of Marvel than DC. Sure, I enjoyed Batman as a concept but I had a hard time getting into the books: I was a Spider-Man sort of kid.



Barber on Dems Cashing Out By Opposing Keystone Pipeline

By WFB StaffThe Washington Free Beacon’s Ellison Barber joined Fox News Thursday to discuss a recent Free Beacon report that found some Democrats who oppose Transcanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline have thousands of dollars invested in Transcanada’s competitors.

TMB:Democrats Who Oppose Keystone XL Pipeline Own Shares in Competing Companies‏ Plus More

Democrats Who Oppose Keystone XL Pipeline Own Shares in Competing Companies
By Lachlan MarkayDemocrats who oppose the Keystone XL pipeline have thousands of dollars invested in direct competitors to the company looking to build the pipeline, public records show.


Lawmaker: Iran Deal Still ‘Shrouded in Secrecy’
By Adam KredoA leading House lawmaker is calling on President Obama to publicly release the full text of the recently signed Iran nuclear deal, which is currently being held under lock and key in a secure compound on Capitol Hill.



White House Launches Infrastructure Cyber Security Initiative
By Bill GertzThe White House on Wednesday announced new policies improving public and private security efforts to protect critical U.S. infrastructures against the growing threat of cyber attacks.


Senate Votes to Restore Military Pensions
By Elizabeth HarringtonThe Senate voted to restore military pensions on Wednesday, ending a months long battle over a controversial provision in the bipartisan budget deal that cost veterans thousands in lost retirement pay.



FEATURE: What I Saw at the Chris Kyle Memorial Rodeo
By Bill McMorrisHamilton is a small town many Texans know by heart. It’s an hour west of Waco, two south of Dallas, two east of Abilene, and two and a half north of San Antonio. I went there to attend the First Annual Chris Kyle Memorial Roping at the Circle T Ranch.

Twitter Totalitarianism
By Sonny BunchAt the suggestion of David Frum, I’m currently reading It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway: Russia and the Communist Past. David Satter’s book is a fascinating look at the crimes of the Soviet Union and the inability of the Russian people to fully cope with the crimes of the Stalinists.


Texas Doctors Flee Obamacare

By WFB StaffDr. Stephen Brotherton, President of the Texas Medical Association, warned that Obamacare will lead to a loss of jobs in the medical field.

TMB: Belarus Confirms Software Work for U.S. Medical and Insurance Companies‏ and more

Belarus Confirms Software Work for U.S. Medical and Insurance Companies  By Bill GertzSoftware developed in the former Soviet state of Belarus is part of networks used by U.S. medical and insurance companies that are now part of President Barack Obama’s health care reform program…

  Iran: Ballistic Missile Test a ‘Firm Response’ to U.S. By Adam KredoIran’s defense minister said on Tuesday that the recent firing of two ballistic missiles was a shot across the bow to the Obama administration, which continues to maintain that the “military option” against Tehran is still on the table.
 

Report: White House, State Dept Failed to Recognize Security Situation in Benghazi By Daniel WiserThe White House and State Department failed to recognize the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Benghazi, Libya, and left the military inadequately prepared to respond to the terrorist attacks there, according to a new report.
  Torch-Carrying Environmentalists Protest at Oil Exec’s Home By Lachlan MarkayMasked protesters carrying torches and threatening organized violence protested outside the home of an executive at a major oil pipeline company last week.

  Experts Slam Schumer’s Junk Science By Lachlan MarkayExperts criticized a top Senate Democrat this week for pushing the federal government to ban a food additive that regulators say is safe at the behest of a food blogger whose campaign against the chemical has spurred a public outcry.
 

Shirley Temple’s Horrible Thoughtcrime Against Jeffrey Wells By Sonny BunchIn his writeup of Shirley Temple Black following her death last night at the age of 85, Oscar prognosticator and noted wifi connoisseur Jeffrey Wells begrudgingly acknowledged the accomplishments of, arguably, one of the biggest stars in the history of Hollywood before closing with this cutting jibe…
  Jimmy Kimmel Is Exactly the Man to Unveil the 2014 Swimsuit Issue By Robert CharetteJimmy Kimmel has come a long way from giving away Ben Stein’s money and having girls jump on trampolines. He’s transitioned from overweight basic cable shock jock to the best late night host working today. Dating Sarah Silverman will do that to a fella.

 
Say My Name By Washington Free Beacon StaffWashington Free Beacon reporter Alana Goodman’s scoop featuring new insights on former First Lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Monday made waves around the country Monday, becoming a discussion topic on every cable news channel and broadcast network.