Larks & Katydids

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.”  Shirley Jackson

CHINA

China Attacks Pentagon Report, Laments U.S. ‘Cold War Mentality’ 

Hong Kong was supposed to liberalize China. How did the opposite happen? OPINION

Hong Kong and Beijing: Getting Back to “Basics”

Trump and China: The honeymoon is over OPINION

Rescue called off at flattened village as Chinese authorities warn of landslides

U.S. to list China among worst human trafficking offenders

FOREIGN POLICY

The real target of Donald Trump's threats towards Syria is not Bashar al-Assad, but Iran

Can There Be Peace With Honor in Afghanistan?

Trump sanctions Chinese bank in bid to rein in North Korea

US decision to approve Taiwan arms undermines US-China relations

U.S. warship sails near disputed island in South China Sea

VENEZUELA

Venezuela’s slide into chaos is splintering the Chávez movement 

Is Venezuela on a path to civil war?

Venezuelan bonds are a fabulous investment, if you don't mind the starvation

In Venezuela, prisoners say abuse is so bad they are forced to eat pasta mixed with excrement

Helicopter used for protest flight against Maduro, heightening Venezuela

Canada's lamentable double standard towards Venezuela OPINION

SYRIA

Timeline of Escalation in Syria: U.S. vs. Iran, Russia, Syria and “Pro-Regime” Forces post January 20, 2017

White House Threatened Syria While Trump Yawned, Insiders Say

Syria rejects US chemical attack allegations

US wants to steer clear of Syrian civil war: Mattis

Syria: Policy Made in Tampa?

READ

Behold the Dreamers FICTION 

The Good Earth Trilogy FICTION

Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost NONFICTION

Chaos Under Heaven: The Shocking Story Behind China's Search for Democracy NONFICTION

IRAQ

Thousands of Iraqis have fled Mosul, but this American family moved in 

Dispatch from Iraq: The anti-ISIS fight, economic troubles, and political maelstrom 

Mosul: Iraqi forces take al-Nuri Mosque in final push to seize Old City 

At least 14 killed in Iraqi IDP camp suicide bomb 

ISIS

ISIS will lose Mosul and Raqqa. What happens next?

The Hardest Fight Comes After Mosul Falls 

The Islamic State’s Caliphate Is Finished in Iraq, Abadi Says 

Raqqa: US-backed forces breach Old City's wall 

How ISIS Will Go On Without Mosul 

HEALTHCARE

Changes to state innovation waivers in the Senate health bill undermine coverage and open the door to misuse of federal funds

How the money would flow in your county if the Senate health-care bill passes

State Medicaid Leaders Call Senate Health Care Bill 'Unworkable'

Premiums would spike for older people under Senate repeal bill

American health care is a bad case of American exceptionalism

Cynthia, a 45-year-old from California, summed up the fight well. “This isn’t about ideology, religion, class warfare or politics any more,” she said. “This is about the absence of humanity in our country’s leaders.”

AMERICAN DREAM

Hoarding the American Dream PODCAST

Don’t want to be a Dream Hoarder? Here are 5 things you can do right now.

Is the American dream really dead?

How Jews Invented The American Dream

NOTE: The news sources here vary.  Not all sources have the same credibility, but in an effort to share some different perspectives, they are included here.  This compendium itself cannot claim to be unbiased.  Please take into consideration where these different perspectives originate in assessing their value.  Thank you.