Britain, Russia Face Diplomatic Spat over Attempted Killing

The United Kingdom and Russia are engaged in a diplomatic brawl after an attempted killing of a ex-spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter with a nerve agent. The former spy is a Russian who defected to the UK sometime prior, was poisoned on British soil on March the nerve agent, believed to have been manufactured in Russia. The niece of the poisoned man has said that both only have a slim chance of surviving, which would make the attempted killing an actual killing.

In response, Britain expelled  23 Russian diplomats from the country earlier this month. In addition, other countries have condemned the action and expelled Russian diplomats, including the United States, which is closing the Russian mission in Seattle.

Russia has responded, announcing that it will expel 50 British diplomats and diplomatic staff from the country, as well as diplomats from other countries. This comes as Russia has faced global criticism for its foreign policy, increasingly domestic authoritarianism, and its meddling in foreign elections.

Trump White House Faces Turnovers, Continuing Controversies

The Trump White House has continued to suffer staff turnover this month, with the secretary of state, secretary of veteran’s affairs, and national security adviser all fired this month. More strikingly, the announcements were made official, especially in the case of State Secretary Rex Tillerson, through tweets from the President himself.

None of the staff changes were completely unexpected. Tillerson and Trump had long had a rocky relationship, especially since Tillerson reportedly called Trump a “moron,” a charge Tillerson never completely denied. Both had disagreed over certain foreign policy issues, such as North Korea, publicly and often contradicted each other. Trump has nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to succeed Tillerson.

VA Secretary David Shulkin, who faced criticism over his handling of the VA (much like his predecessors in the Obama administration, in which Shulkin served as deputy VA secretary), will be replaced (if confirmed) presidential physician Ronny Jackson.

National Security Adviser HR McMaster will also be leaving the Trump administration; he will be replaced by John Bolton, who served under George W. Bush as US ambassador to the UN. Bolton has remained an active figure in conservative circles, appearing at conferences and delivering commentary on Fox News. Bolton, known for his hawkish foreign policy views, does not require Senate confirmation.

Trump is also facing controversy over alleged payouts by his personal attorney to conceal an affair with pornographic actress Stephanie Clifford (professional name Stormy Daniels) . The affair allegedly occurred in 2006, when Trump had already married Melania. Trump has denied any affair took place.

Winter Olympics End, US Fails to Impress as Politics Took Center Stage

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea ended n Sunday, following two weeks of sporting events. Norway emerged the strongest nation, winning in both number of gold medals won (14) and total medals won (39). The US came in fourth in both categories, with 9 gold and 23 total. While the American performance was the worst in recent Winter Olympics, the women’s ice hockey team defeated Canada to win the first gold for the US in the sport since 1998.

Politics laid a cloud over this year’s games as well. While the North Korean and South Korean teams marched under a united flag at the opening ceremonies, as well as competed together in women’s ice hockey, tensions remain as North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, continues his nuclear weapons program and testing of rockets. His sister, Kim Yo-jung, made an appearance at the opening ceremony and stood near US Vice President Mike Pence. Some American media outlets were criticized for the positive coverage they gave her given her position as propaganda director for the brutal regime.

With Billy Graham’s Death, Many Remember His Legacy

Graham in 1966

The Reverend Billy Graham, who preached before hundreds of thousands in persona during his ministry, as well as to hundreds of millions more through broadcast feeds, died last week on February 21 as the age 99. Graham was born on November 7, 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and began his ministry in the 1940s. He began to be noted for his massive crusades, preaching around the worlds in tents and stadiums, often accompanied by the singer George Beverley Shea, who, by virtue of singing at Graham’s crusades, sang to more people live than any other person in history. Shea died in 2013 at 104.

Graham, who was known for trying to avoid the political battles that other preachers, such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, fought, nonetheless was known for his close relationships with many US presidents, having met every president from Truman to Trump (though he met with Trump in 2013 before he became president). He was known especially for his close relationship with Richard Nixon, a bond which would land him in controversy years later once tapes were revealed of conversations between the two in which Graham said derogatory comments about Jews and their control on the media. Graham had since profusely apologized for his remarks to Jewish leaders.

Graham’s health began to fail in the mid 2000s, preaching his last crusade in New York in 2005, his first being in 1947. Graham continued to make limited appearances, speaking with President Obama in 2010 and attending his 95th birthday party in 2013. Graham had been steadily losing his vision and hearing in the years prior to his death.

Graham was preceded in death by his wife Ruth, who died in 2007. His son Franklin Graham has long been the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization and, unlike his father, has taken a more active role in the political arena and is known as a close ally of President Trump.

Graham’s funeral will take place in Charlotte on Friday. Billy Graham has been lying in the Capitol Rotunda, the first to do so since the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) in 2012 and an honor often reserved for only the most honorable Americans, especially in the case of private citizens.

Bombing in Kabul Kills 103, Injures 235 More

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, on January 27, which killed 103 and injured 235 more. The bomb, hidden in an ambulance, was one of the deadliest in recent Afghan history.

The attack comes as the Taliban terrorists are growing their reach in the country. The Taliban has an active presence in 70% of the country, according to a new BBC study, with outright control in 4%. As recently as October 2017, the Taliban only had a major presence in 44%. The Taliban’s struggle comes as the United States has ramped up its efforts to dislodge the group from influence in the country.