| Policy or politics? Trump's sudden Syria move kicks up a storm Posted: 20 Dec 2018 02:17 PM PST ![Policy or politics? Trump's sudden Syria move kicks up a storm]( "Policy or politics? Trump's sudden Syria move kicks up a storm") When President Trump reversed US policy on Syria Wednesday by ordering a full and rapid withdrawal of the 2,000 troops on the ground there, stunned officials and foreign policy analysts saw a number of individuals and factors behind the surprise decision. For some, it was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who met with Mr. Trump recently and spoke with him by phone Friday, whose arguments convinced the president to make the move. Others speculated it was the recent fall of one of the Islamic State's last toeholds in Syria that prompted the president's mission-accomplished decision.
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| Two years, and counting: Why Congo’s long wait for elections matters Posted: 20 Dec 2018 12:32 PM PST ![Two years, and counting: Why Congo's long wait for elections matters]( "Two years, and counting: Why Congo's long wait for elections matters") For two years, voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been waiting to go to the polls to choose a new president, after 18 years under Joseph Kabila. The country has never had a peaceful transfer of power – let alone a democratic one. A low-grade civil war grinds on in the country's east, and Congo is battling the worst Ebola outbreak in its history.
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| Yes, you can discuss politics at the holiday table. Here’s how Posted: 20 Dec 2018 11:44 AM PST ![Yes, you can discuss politics at the holiday table. Here's how]( "Yes, you can discuss politics at the holiday table. Here's how") Was there a firm prohibition on politics at the dinner table? A slight majority of Americans, 53 percent, find political discussions with people who don't agree with them "stressful and frustrating," according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. As all signs point to an increasingly polarized political atmosphere, it seems easier to just ban politics from the holiday dinner table in hopes of keeping the peace.
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| Facebook’s terrible, horrible year Posted: 20 Dec 2018 11:38 AM PST ![Facebook's terrible, horrible year]( "Facebook's terrible, horrible year") More than a quarter of the 7.7 billion people on Earth, some 2 billion, are Facebook users. This year the mega company has been the subject of government hearings in the United States and been scrutinized by Britain's Parliament. Its chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, and chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, have been grilled by public officials.
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