As day six of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine got underway, Russia continued to focus on Ukraine’s two largest cities: Kharkiv and the capital of Kyiv. Tuesday brought the second straight day of shelling in Kharkiv. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter. “As a result of air…

Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has quickly turned deadly. Ukraine’s Health Minister reported that 57 people were killed and 169 wounded in the first day of fighting. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said: “These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War.” Dr. Emily Channell-Justice, a director at Harvard University’s Ukrainian…

Now that the question of a Russian invasion of Ukraine has proven itself not to be a hypothetical, Western governments will be pushed to respond. The United States and its European allies are likely to pursue a sanctions campaign, but this is easier said than done. While it has been popular to deride Russia and…

Residents and leaders of the world responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with near universal condemnation. Protests formed at Russian embassies around the world Thursday. According to OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, over 1,600 protesters in Russia have been arrested. Over 900 of those have been arrested in Moscow. “My message to…

A self-described “freedom convoy” group blocked roads and bridges at Canadian cities and border crossings between Canada and the United States. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the protests have disrupted international trade, crippling an already slow supply chain. What do the protesters want?  Convoy organizers want Canada to end its COVID-19 mandates. For example, one mandate requires…

As two of the United States’ biggest foreign policy issues, some have compared the tensions between Russia and Ukraine to the tensions between China and Taiwan. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two situations are not the same. Her comments came as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called for the island…

A likely result of the the ongoing crisis at the Russia/Ukraine border, oil prices rose to their highest levels in over seven years. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up about 2% to $97.32 by midmorning Tuesday. Earlier, it reached its highest price since September 2014 at $99.50. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude jumped by 3.3% to…

Residents of England and Australia have gotten some welcome relief from COVID-19 restrictions. On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced “we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law” regarding COVID-19. The announcement applies only to England proper, but that still covers over 80% of the United Kingdom population. “When the pandemic began, we…

When the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns first went into effect, many predicted a baby boom. Couples were spending more time at home, leaving more time to start a family. But those theories proved incorrect. In the United States, rates have been steadily declining since a peak in 2007. Birth rates from 2020 and 2021 show…

During my eight-day trip to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, I saw a country that is clearly thriving but still reliant on the U.S. for safety and freedom. South Korea’s success is especially dramatic when compared to North Korea. Seoul is an enormous city. It’s a very modern city. It’s a very prosperous city. They’ve…