Vermont's governor has abandoned the single-payer health care plan that was enacted.

He says this is because the tax required to fund it would be too high, but it will surely be less than what the same people would have to pay under the current system.

The US is posting blimps near Washington DC to scan for cruise missiles up to 340 miles away.

That's a good thing to do, if it works (which is not clear), but the blimps could also watch cars and people.

The Lima climate talks seem to have failed, leaving human civilization on course for global disaster.

The political will to avoid disaster was not strong enough to overcome short term interest plus the corruption spread by fossil fuel companies.

The only agreement reached was that countries would propose unilateral measures they will take, starting in 2020, when it will be too late to avoid more or less disaster.

I think that the countries expecting to be hit first by deadly climate disaster have grounds to declare war on the main greenhouse emitting countries. They may as well die resisting climate attack rather than give up and die helplessly.

Such a war would not be mere revenge — those countries may have a chance to protect themselves from part of the expected damage. By destroying fossil fuel export or import infrastructure, they could cut the use of fossil fuel, which could reduce the extent of the disaster they face.

Actions to block activities that are likely to kill of hundreds of millions of people could be justified legally under the defense of "necessity".

Turkish opposition editors and journalists have been arrested under absurd accusations.

Why does Obama insist on sending Shaker Aamer to Saudi Arabia (where anyone may be tortured) rather than to Britain, which is ready to accept him back?