ShutUp: Day 4. Some Republicans fearing damage to their own party may now be looking for a way out of the shutdown deadlock with a bargain that gives them something, anything, to say they won. House Republicans would have to …

Shutdown, Day 2: President Obama this morning cancelled his planned trip to the Philippines and Malaysia because of the government shutdown. He’s still going to the Asian summit in Bali.   The Senate yesterday rejected a piecemeal House bid to …

Time’s Up. Unless there is a miracle of political agreement today, the federal government turns into a pumpkin at midnight.   The consequences:   More than half of all 1.2 million federal employees will be furloughed, including 400,000 who work …

Econ 101: Stocks flirted with a record close yesterday after the Federal Reserve announced it will continue to prop up the economy with $85 billion a month in new treasury bonds. Analysts were expecting the beginning of “the taper”, with …

Syria: After three days of talks in Geneva, the US and Russia have reached an agreement to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons by the middle of 2014. Doing it in the midst of Syria’s civil war will require the cooperation of …

Syria: Russia and Syria appear to have seized on an offhand remark by Secy. of State John Kerry to reach a political solution for the Syrian chemical weapons crisis in which Russia would take and dispose of Syria’s chemical weapons. …

Syria: The European Union said today that a military strike against Syria should wait until the preliminary results of the UN weapons inspectors’ report. But an EU senior official said the Aug. 21 attack in Syria was clearly carried out …

Syria: Two leading Republicans said it would be a disaster if Congress votes against President Obama’s resolution to attack Syria for using nerve gas. Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsay Graham met with the president yesterday. McCain said failure to …

Syria:  Congress returns Sept. 9th to consider President Obama’s request for approval to strike Syria. The President said yesterday he feels justified ordering action himself but thinks Congress should participate in the decision. “Here’s my question for every member of …

Syria: The British Parliament yesterday rejected by 13 votes a measure to take part in air strikes against Syria in retaliation for using chemical weapons against civilians. The vote is an embarrassing defeat for British Prime Minister David Cameron and …