…And the World: We begin today in the Ukraine, where Dutch investigators have arrived to take over the investigation of the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, shot down last week, likely by pro-Russian rebels. A train with the remains of the victims has apparently
…And the World: We begin today in Egypt, where the government there has proposed a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which has launched rockets at Israeli cities prompting retaliatory bombings of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli cabinet is set to meet to discuss the proposal. Doubts the
Yesterday, Western Mass Politics & Insight launched its first crowd funding campaign. This effort is intended to raise funds needed to continue providing the news, commentary & analysis of this busy local election cycle, while staying up on the policy and politics in the cities and
…And the World: We begin today in Israel, where the death of three Israeli teens continues to rock the situation there. Following the teens’ death, for which Israel has blamed Hamas, a Palestinian was brutally murdered in an attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “abhorrent.”
The Feds: We begin today in Washington, where the United States Supreme Court issued narrow, but highly charged rulings on contraception and the fate of public employee unions. In the Harris v. Quinn case, the Court questioned long-standing precedent that allows state prohibition against union
…And the World: We begin today in Iraq, where US Secertary of State John Kerry is calling for Iraq to unite to defeat ISIS, which has overrun much of the north and west of the country. The New York Times reports that efforts to have
…And the World: We begin today in Iraq, where Sunni militiamen and ISIS have taken another town and killed Shia Muslims there. Numerous reports suggest that airstrikes may very well happen. There is also talk of a special forces contingent. Perhaps more intriguingly, the US and
The State of Things: We begin today in Springfield where Gov. Deval Patrick announced and swore in his interim pick for Hampden County District Attorney. Patrick picked Jim Orenstein, a longtime deputy DA in the office as Mastroianni, freshly confirmed and sworn in as a
…And the World: We begin today in Spain, where King Juan Carlos I has announced his abdication after 39 years on the throne. The Spanish king, who gained the throne after the reign of dictator Francisco Franco ended, said it was time to pass the
We hope you all had a safe & happy Memorial Day Weekend! …And the World: We begin today in the Ukraine, where Petro Poroshenko, a pro-European businessman, won the nation’s presidency with a majority thus avoiding a runoff. As Ukrainian forces seemingly ousted separatists from