| Syria at war: How departure of US forces opens up a Wild East Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:10 PM PST ![Syria at war: How departure of US forces opens up a Wild East]( "Syria at war: How departure of US forces opens up a Wild East") President Trump's withdrawal of US troops from Syria could make the eastern third of the country an open arena for several competing forces and herald a new chapter in the country's bloody civil war, just as it was beginning to wind down. Some 2,200 US Special Forces are deployed in the vast terrain east of the Euphrates River, where they support and train the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a local Arab and Kurdish militia that has played a leading role in the battle against the Islamic State (ISIS). Mr. Trump declared victory over ISIS as the reason for pulling out of Syria, but many analysts warn that the extremist group could bounce back in the vacuum caused by a US departure.
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| Rising hopes for democracy in the American heartland Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:01 PM PST ![Rising hopes for democracy in the American heartland]( "Rising hopes for democracy in the American heartland") At a time when many see looming clouds on the horizon of American democracy, I've been thinking about glimmers of hope. Political activism in America, especially as depicted on social media or TV, tends to focus almost exclusively on die-hard Trump supporters or those who form the official "resistance" to the current administration. The encouraging signs I've seen across the heartland this year are, I believe, part and parcel of a broader awakening that includes both sexes.
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| Hold off the forecasts of doom Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:43 AM PST ![Hold off the forecasts of doom]( "Hold off the forecasts of doom") Paying attention to what troubles humanity is understandable: The out-of-whack needs fixing. Harvard University's Steven Pinker makes the case that humankind's current great leap forward is being overlooked.
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| Why Britain's effort to end knife crime is about more than stopping violence Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:28 AM PST ![Why Britain's effort to end knife crime is about more than stopping violence]( "Why Britain's effort to end knife crime is about more than stopping violence") Sephton Henry is on a mission: he wants to keep British kids away from violence and gangs.
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