Amnesty Says Possible War Crimes In Mosul by U.S.-Led Coalition

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap, now a law professor at Duke, questions Amnesty’s claim that coalition forces may have committed war crimes. “The law – which even in this context carries, as Amnesty International should know, a presumption of innocence – typically demands evidence of the attacker’s beliefs and intent before ascribing criminal liability. I didn’t see much of that in the report,” he says.

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A Step Toward Better National Security Coordination

“I am m encouraged by President Donald Trump’s decision to name Dina Powell as assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for strategy,” writes political scientist Peter Feaver, a former national security adviser to President George W. Bush. “If she lives up to her potential, I think she will do just that and, along the way, help the administration forge a more effective process befitting the president’s style and the challenges our country faces.”

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The Working Class When Millionaires, Billionaires are in Charge

“This is not to say that business people are bad, or rich people are bad, but it’s important to recognize that everyone’s perspective and policy and government is shaped by the kind of life you’ve lived,” says Sanford School professor Nick Carnes. “If you’ve been rich for a long time, it’s easy to forget about the perspectives of those who don’t have so much.”

 

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Commentary: Trump Has Picked The Most Conservative EPA Leader Since 1981

In tapping Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, President-elect Donald Trump has selected the most conservative nominee for this post in a generation. Pruitt is an outspoken critic of the EPA who led legal challenges against some of the agency’s recent initiatives, including efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and to define which streams and wetlands are subject to federal regulation, writes Megan Mullin, associate professor of environmental politics, with a colleague.

Read More in The Washington Post