America

There are just two drivers setting the pace for today's risk mood: the OPEC meeting in Vienna which started a few hours ago, and the ECB's announcement as well as Mario Draghi's press statement due out just one hour from now. Both are expected to not reveal any major surprises, with OPEC almost certainly unable to implement a production freeze while the ECB is expected to remain on hold and provide some more details on its corporate bond buying program, although there is some modest risk of upside surprise in either case.

A law in Kansas is creating chaos among voters, especially younger voters in the state. In 2013, Kansas passed a law that requires residents to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and if it isn't provided, the registration is put in suspense, leaving residents unable to vote. While you must be a US citizen to vote in American elections, most states allow those who register to simply sign a statement affirming they are citizens and provide a driver's license number, Social Security number, or other proof of residence according to Reuters.

Last month, several Baghdad bombings attributed to ISIS killed more than a hundred civilians and wounded hundreds more. The attacks are a tragic reminder that Iraq is still a nation in turmoil. But they should also be a reason—more than 13 years after the decision to topple Saddam Hussein and undertake nation-building in Mesopotamia—to reevaluate U.S. policy in Iraq.

Authored by Eric Zuesse via Strategic-Culture.org,

First, let's look at where we stand in each of Obama's current 'missions'...

LIBYA

Submitted by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute,

As the grandfather of three young ones, ages 5 to 9, I get to see my fair share of kid movies: plenty of hijinks, lots of bathroom humor, and an endless stream of slapstick gags. Yet even among the worst of the lot, there’s something to be learned, some message being conveyed, or some aspect of our reality being reflected in celluloid.