Saudi backed “Ahrar al-Sham” and “Jeish al-Islam” militant groups continue to gain ground in Syria, according to Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for the U.S. anti-ISIS coalition. Fars News English reports: Russia, Iran and Syria considers Ahrar al-Sham and Jeish al-Islam to be terrorist organizations and has opposed including representatives from either group in the intra-Syrian peace talks, Sputnik reported.
The classic definition of “terrorism” is the use of violence against civilians to achieve a political goal. But the word ultimately has been transformed into a geopolitical insult. If “our” side is the target, it’s “terrorism,” even if it’s a case of local militants attacking an occupying military force.
The President of the National Associated of Scholars has slammed Common Core saying that its program currently implemented in schools across America is deliberately dumbing down our kids, leaving them unprepared for further education and work. Parents and teachers alike have already criticised the Common Core States Initiative program, which was started in June 2010 as part of Obama’s Race-To-The-Top (RTTT) program. They say its method of teaching and testing hold back smart students and stifle creativity.
Ross Douthat examines the phenomenon of Christians who support Trump. He points out that Trump is exploiting divisions that are already present among American Christianity. Many of his supporters who identify as Christians are really only marginal Christians, not churchgoers. But Trump still attracts a sizable minority of regular churchgoers. Why? These, Douthat (following Ben Domenech) theorizes, are Christians who have been shocked to wake up and realize that the things they assumed were true about America and their place in it no longer are. Here’s Douthat: