case Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder Regarding the Case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:20:54 EST Attorney General Eric Holder today released the following statement regarding the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Los Angeles Physician Assistant Pleads Guilty in Two Medicare Fraud Cases By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 18:12:11 EDT A Los Angeles physician assistant pleaded guilty today to defrauding Medicare by signing fraudulent prescriptions for durable medical equipment while working at two separate medical clinics in California. Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Guilty Plea in Credit Suisse Offshore Tax Evasion Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 19 May 2014 18:38:07 EDT "This case shows that no financial institution, no matter its size or global reach, is above the law. When the Department of Justice conducts investigations, we will always follow the law and the facts wherever they lead." Full Article Speech
case Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at Press Conference Announcing Guilty Plea in Credit Suisse Offshore Tax Evasion Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 19 May 2014 18:41:46 EDT "While today’s action is a significant milestone in our law enforcement efforts, our work in the offshore area is far from done, and we expect additional public actions in this area in the coming months." Full Article Speech
case Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division Kathryn Keneally Speaks at Press Conference Announcing Guilty Plea in Credit Suisse Offshore Tax Evasion Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 19 May 2014 18:48:16 EDT "The central mission of the Tax Division is to enforce our nation’s tax laws fairly and consistently. This is a responsibility that we owe to every honest taxpayer who pays his or her fair share. As part of this mission, we are committed to using all enforcement tools against those who seek to avoid their legal obligations, and their responsibilities to their fellow citizens and taxpayers, by hiding their assets in foreign bank accounts." Full Article Speech
case Justice Department and Montana Officials to Hold Press Conference Announcing Negotiated Agreements Regarding the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:13:45 EDT Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael Cotter, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg and Missoula County Commissioner Bill Carey will hold a press conference TOMORROW, TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. MDT), to announce negotiated agreements regarding the handling of sexual assault cases Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Justice Department Officials to Hold Press Call Announcing Negotiated Agreements Regarding the Handling of Sexual Assault Cases By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:15:06 EDT Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels and U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael Cotter will hold a press call TOMORROW, TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014 at 1:45 p.m. EDT (11:45 a.m. MDT), for reporters who are unable to attend in person the 1:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. MDT), press conference announcing negotiated agreements regarding the handling of sexual assault cases Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Attorney General Holder Vows Justice Department Will Continue to Look at Banks That Help Payment Processors Carry out Consumer Scams, Says More Cases to Be Resolved Soon By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:00:43 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday said that the Justice Department will continue to investigate financial institutions that knowingly facilitate consumer scams, or that willfully look the other way in processing such fraudulent transactions. He acknowledged that multiple investigations were ongoing in this area, and said he expected several of those cases to be resolved in the coming months Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Attorney General Holder Pledges Support for Legislation to Provide E.U. Citizens with Judicial Redress in Cases of Wrongful Disclosure of Their Personal Data Transferred to the U.S. for Law Enforcement Purposes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:42:23 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Obama administration, as part of successfully concluding negotiations on the E.U.-U.S. Data Protection and Privacy Agreement (DPPA), would seek to work with Congress to enact legislation that would provide E.U. citizens with the right to seek redress in U.S. courts if personal data shared with U.S. authorities by their home countries for law enforcement purposes under the proposed agreement is subsequently intentionally or willfully disclosed, to the same extent that U.S. citizens could seek judicial redress in U.S. courts for such disclosures of their own law enforcement information under the Privacy Act Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Two Alabama Men Sentenced for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Crimes in Separate Cases By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:42:43 EDT Deundra Milhouse and Fredrick Hill, both residents of Alabama, were sentenced today in separate stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) cases, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tamara Ashford of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama. Milhouse was sentenced to serve 81 months in prison and Hill was sentenced to serve 74 months in prison Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Associate Attorney General Tony West Outlines Justice Department’s Approach to Toxic Mortgage Cases By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:46:01 EDT “If an institution is unwilling to admit its wrongful conduct in a statement of facts; or balks at paying a substantial penalty that reflects that conduct; or refuses to do right by those affected, then we will not shrink from litigating as long as we must to fulfill our law enforcement mandate.” Full Article Speech
case Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department Filings in Voting Rights Cases in Wisconsin and Ohio By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 09:41:55 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department has submitted filings in voting rights cases in Wisconsin and Ohio. The department’s involvement in these two cases represents its latest steps to enforce the remaining parts of the Voting Rights Act against restrictive state laws, following up on the department’s lawsuits last year against similar measures in Texas and North Carolina Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Defendant Extradited to Face Charges in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:41:13 EDT Ivan Soto-Barraza, who is charged with the first degree murder of United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was extradited to the United States from Mexico today, announced Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Seventh Defendant Indicted in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:08:23 EDT Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson yesterday, becoming the seventh man charged in connection with the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, announced Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Justice Department Asks Court to Dismiss Oakley Training School Case After Conditions for Confined Youth Improved Under Consent Decree By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:23:17 EDT Today, the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss its case involving Oakley Training School in Raymond, Mississippi, because the state of Mississippi and the Division of Youth Services have significantly improved conditions for confined youth at Oakley. The reforms, implemented under a consent decree, resulted in increased protections to prevent harm to youth, improved suicide prevention practices, improved medical, dental and mental healthcare, increased rehabilitative services and improved special educational services Full Article OPA Press Releases
case Justice Department Asks Court to Dismiss Saint Elizabeths Hospital Case After Conditions Improved Under Consent Decree By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:42:04 EDT Today, the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss the injunction to address civil rights violations at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., because the District of Columbia and the Department of Behavioral Health have significantly improved the care and treatment of persons confined to Saint Elizabeths Hospital. Saint Elizabeths is the district’s facility for treating individuals with mental health conditions. The reforms, which were implemented following requirements under a court order, have ensured that persons at Saint Elizabeths Hospital are discharged to the community with adequate supports to live in integrated settings. Further, the reforms resulted in important improvements in integrated treatment planning, psychological and psychiatric services, nursing care and protection from assault. Full Article OPA Press Releases
case OmniActive Expands Gingever Range and Showcases New Prototypes at Engredea 2018 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:43:00 GMT At Engredea 2018 in March in Anaheim, CA, OmniActive will be highlighting the latest addition to its ginger ingredient range, Gingever 10% powder, expanding its application to tablets, capsules and beverages. Full Article
case Medtech startups to pitch investors at annual MassMEDIC Showcase By www.bizjournals.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:24:39 +0000 On Friday, 21 emerging medical device companies will present their technologies and business plans to a group of local investors at the annual MedTech Showcase, hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council. More than 300 venture leaders and business leaders are expected to attend the event tomorrow, Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Westin Waltham, 70 Third Ave. As a main event, John McDonough, president and CEO of Lexington-based T2 Biosystems (Nasdaq: TTOO), will be interviewed… Full Article
case Casein-encapsulated calcium eases GI concerns, study finds By www.nutraingredients-latam.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 15:31:00 +0100 Researchers working with a group of postmenopausal women found that a technology using casein to encapsulate calcium nanoparticles reduced GI issues compared with more conventional calcium carbonate or calcium citrate supplements. Full Article Research
case Case Study: When does “technology” turn into medical device By thenextelement.wordpress.com Published On :: Sun, 08 Feb 2015 18:59:48 +0000 This semester I’ve embarked on an adventure to co-teach a class in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Masters in Biotechnology program. What sold me on the experience was the majority of my responsibility is interacting with second year students on their final major project (essentially their thesis). That said, I will give one lecture, which will be “healthRead More Full Article Uncategorized biotech biotechnology cancer drug drug development health IT health tech mobile health Wisconsin
case COVID-19 cases higher among San Diego's Latinos; advocates call for more testing By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 14:16:36 -0400 In several states and in parts of California, black and Latino people are dying of COVID-19 at higher rates than their white and Asian counterparts. Full Article
case Here are the Orange County communities with coronavirus cases By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 18:09:55 -0400 Orange County reported one additional coronavirus-linked fatality Thursday, bringing the region's total death toll to 66. Full Article
case Most California counties fall short of reopening criteria as coronavirus cases climb By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 13:53:41 -0400 The vast majority of California isn't close to meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom's reopening requirements, a Times analysis finds. Full Article
case L.A. County coronavirus cases top 30,000 as some businesses reopen By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 14:27:44 -0400 Amid a plateau in the number of new coronavirus-related deaths in Los Angeles County, officials Friday were easing into an economic recovery plan. Full Article
case Here are the Orange County communities with coronavirus cases By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 14:55:41 -0400 Orange County continues to confirm more coronavirus cases. Here's the latest community breakdown. Full Article
case Map of how many coronavirus cases have been confirmed across the country By www.nbcnews.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 22:36:37 GMT U.S. health officials are monitoring for cases in the United States. Full Article
case MAP: How coronavirus deaths compare to confirmed cases across the U.S. By www.nbcnews.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 22:37:58 GMT Track the latest numbers on deaths in U.S. states and territories. Updated daily. Full Article
case These states have the most coronavirus cases. See the day-by-day breakdown. By www.nbcnews.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 22:38:37 GMT From New York to Washington, see the per-day count of new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in each state. Updated daily. Full Article
case Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket By www.nbcnews.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 14:14:57 GMT Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power. Full Article
case The impact of 2018 ASCO-CAP HER2 testing guidelines on breast cancer HER2 results. An audit of 2132 consecutive cases evaluated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-05-04 Full Article
case Rad53 limits CMG helicase uncoupling from DNA synthesis at replication forks By feeds.nature.com Published On :: 2020-04-27 Full Article
case Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases—Book Review By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 14, 2020 Jan 14, 2020William James reviews Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases edited by Thierry Balzacq, Peter Dombrowski, and Simon Reich (Oxford University Press, 2019). Full Article
case Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases—Book Review By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 14, 2020 Jan 14, 2020William James reviews Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases edited by Thierry Balzacq, Peter Dombrowski, and Simon Reich (Oxford University Press, 2019). Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case Rising Covid-19 cases, differences with bosses, sink Parveen Pardeshi By economictimes.indiatimes.com Published On :: 2020-05-09T17:12:21+05:30 As Mumbai continued to lead the charts in Covid-19 cases and resultant deaths, the city’s civic chief was on Friday summarily shunted out and replaced by a junior with no experience of heading any of the state’s top five municipal corporations. Full Article
case The Case for Transatlantic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Dec 18, 2019 Dec 18, 2019The evolving strategic dynamics in the Indo-Pacific are of paramount importance for the future of the rules-based international order. While the United States is redirecting strategic focus to the region as part of its Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, Europe is also stepping up its role—leveraging a strong economic profile, long-standing bilateral ties, and active engagement in various regional multilateral forums. The European Union (EU) and its member states can make distinct contributions to an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based regional order, though not necessarily always in lockstep with Washington. Full Article
case The Case for Transatlantic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Dec 18, 2019 Dec 18, 2019The evolving strategic dynamics in the Indo-Pacific are of paramount importance for the future of the rules-based international order. While the United States is redirecting strategic focus to the region as part of its Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, Europe is also stepping up its role—leveraging a strong economic profile, long-standing bilateral ties, and active engagement in various regional multilateral forums. The European Union (EU) and its member states can make distinct contributions to an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based regional order, though not necessarily always in lockstep with Washington. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By www.belfercenter.org Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case From Islamists to Muslim Democrats: The case of Tunisia’s Ennahda By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 17:03:19 +0000 Full Article
case The Overwhelming Case for No First Use By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 13, 2020 Jan 13, 2020The arguments in favor of the United States' declaring that the only purpose of its nuclear weapons is to deter others who possess them from using theirs — in other words, that in no circumstances will this country use nuclear weapons first — are far stronger than the arguments against this stance. It must be hoped that the next US administration will take this no-first-use step promptly. Full Article
case After second verdict in Freddie Gray case, Baltimore's economic challenges remain By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 23 May 2016 15:27:00 -0400 Baltimore police officer Edward Nero, one of six being tried separately in relation to the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, has been acquitted on all counts. The outcome for officer Nero was widely expected, but officials are nonetheless aware of the level of frustration and anger that remains in the city. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake said: "We once again ask the citizens to be patient and to allow the entire process to come to a conclusion." Since Baltimore came to national attention, Brookings scholars have probed the city’s challenges and opportunities, as well addressing broader questions of place, race and opportunity. In this podcast, Jennifer Vey describes how, for parts of Baltimore, economic growth has been largely a spectator sport: "1/5 people in Baltimore lives in a neighborhood of extreme poverty, and yet these communities are located in a relatively affluent metro area, in a city with many vibrant and growing neighborhoods." Vey and her colleague Alan Berube, in this piece on the "Two Baltimores," reinforce the point about the distribution of economic opportunity and resources in the city: In 2013, 40,000 Baltimore households earned at least $100,000. Compare that to Milwaukee, a similar-sized city where only half as many households have such high incomes. As our analysis uncovered, jobs in Baltimore pay about $7,000 more on average than those nationally. The increasing presence of high-earning households and good jobs in Baltimore City helps explain why, as the piece itself notes, the city’s bond rating has improved and property values are rising at a healthy clip." Groundbreaking work by Raj Chetty, which we summarized here, shows that Baltimore City is the worst place for a boy to grow up in the U.S. in terms of their likely adult earnings: Here Amy Liu offered some advice to the new mayor of the city: "I commend the much-needed focus on equity but…the mayoral candidates should not lose sight of another critical piece of the equity equation: economic growth." Following an event focused on race, place and opportunity, in this piece I drew out "Six policies to improve social mobility," including better targeting of housing vouchers, more incentives to build affordable homes in better-off neighborhoods, and looser zoning restrictions. Frederick C. Harris assessed President Obama’s initiative to help young men of color, "My Brother’s Keeper," praising many policy shifts and calling for a renewed focus on social capital and educational access. But Harris also warned that rhetoric counts and that a priority for policymakers is to "challenge some misconceptions about the shortcomings of black men, which have become a part of the negative public discourse." Malcolm Sparrow has a Brookings book on policing reform, "Handcuffed: What Holds Policing Back, and the Keys to Reform" (there is a selection here on Medium). Sparrow writes: Citizens of any mature democracy can expect and should demand police services that are responsive to their needs, tolerant of diversity, and skillful in unraveling and tackling crime and other community problems. They should expect and demand that police officers are decent, courteous, humane, sparing and skillful in the use of force, respectful of citizens’ rights, disciplined, and professional. These are ordinary, reasonable expectations." Five more police officers await their verdicts. But the city of Baltimore should not have to wait much longer for stronger governance, and more inclusive growth. Authors Richard V. Reeves Image Source: © Bryan Woolston / Reuters Full Article
case The case for reinvigorating U.S. efforts in Afghanistan By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:40:00 -0500 President Obama is right to keep at it in Afghanistan, argues a new policy brief by Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research for the Brookings Foreign Policy program. Some have criticized the president’s decision to maintain a significant troop presence there (5,500 troops), instead of following through on the planned military withdrawal. But Afghanistan remains very important to American security, O’Hanlon contends, and the situation in the country is far from hopeless in spite of recent setbacks. We should reinvigorate American efforts in Afghanistan, he argues—not returning to levels seen in previous years, but ramping up somewhat from our current posture. O’Hanlon calls Obama’s resolve in Afghanistan commendable, but writes that he and his administration are still making mistakes on U.S. policy toward the war-torn country. He advises that Washington make two specific changes to its military strategy in Afghanistan: Allow U.S. and NATO airpower to target the Islamic State and the Taliban (currently, they can only fight those groups if directly attacked). The narrow rules of engagement constraining foreign forces were intended to push Afghan armed forces to defend their territory themselves. While a worthy goal, O’Hanlon says, these rules often prevent us from attacking ISIS (though the targeting strategy towards the group may be changing) as well as the Taliban. They also impose unrealistically high demands on Afghan forces and make too fine a distinction between an array of aligned extremist groups operating in the country. Expand U.S. force presence from the current 5,500 troops to around 12,000 for a few years. In O’Hanlon’s opinion, our current numbers are not enough to work with fielded Afghan forces, and skimping on ground forces has contributed to security challenges in places like Helmand, for instance, which experienced new setbacks in 2015. More broadly, leaders in Washington and Brussels should stress the value of a long-term NATO-Afghanistan partnership, rather than emphasizing an exit strategy. This will signal Western resolve to the Taliban and other groups. While the next commander in chief should set the United States on a gradual path toward downsizing American troops in Afghanistan, he believes it would be a mistake for Obama to do so in the short term. The long haul O’Hanlon also argues that the United States needs to take a longer-term perspective on key political and economic issues in Afghanistan. On the economic front, there seems to be little thinking about an agricultural development plan for Afghanistan, associated infrastructure support, and land reform, among other challenges. On the political front, conversations often tend to focus on shorter-term issues like organizing parliamentary elections, reforming the Independent Election Commission, or modifying the current power-sharing arrangement. In the process, conversations about foundational political strategy focusing on Afghan institutions and the health of its democracy get short-changed. The parliament is in need of reforms, for instance, as is the political party system (which should encourage Afghans to group around ideas and policy platforms, rather than tribes and patronage networks). O’Hanlon concludes that the situation in Afghanistan today, while fraught, is understandable given the Taliban’s resilience and NATO’s gradual withdrawal of 125,000 troops. We should not be despondent, he writes—rather, we should identify specific strategies that can help improve the situation. At the end of the day, Afghans must make the big decisions about the future of their country. But as long as the United States and its partners are still providing tremendous resources—and as long as security threats emanating from South Asia continue to threaten the United States—leaders in Washington should use their influence wisely. Authors Anna Newby Full Article