In valedictory @financialtimes.com interview, outgoing UN envoy Pedersen very critical on state of Syrian transition and Shara's management of process: www.ft.com/content/0af9...

@centuryintl.bsky.social colleague @sajadjiyad.bsky.social on competing visions for politics and armed action among Iraq's Shi'ite political and military factions: tcf.org/content/repo...

@hrw.org's @michellerandhawa.bsky.social on continued Lebanese government restrictions on Syrian children's access to education: www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

The same day that Frum submitted his pitch to the Atlantic to profile the Israeli ambassador, Frum also was forced to publicly apologize to the New York Times and Reuters for falsely accusing a Palestinian photographer of faking a series of photographs of bereaved Palestinians in Gaza. 7/30/2014

22 years after Saddam’s fall, Iraq is being pulled toward two starkly different possible futures: a central government that serves its populace—or state capture by armed groups and special interests. (1/5)

@unhcr.org update on voluntary repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, as of September 30: data.unhcr.org/en/documents... • 17,291 have gone through voluntary returns process; • A further 118,764 (not including people whose return was facilitated) have expressed interest.

Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice. He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.

@syriadirect.bsky.social @natachadanon.bsky.social on local reaction to Syria's elections; many interviewees evidently don't understand indirect process: syriadirect.org/mixed-reacti...

@apnews.com's @sewella.bsky.social and Abdulrahman Shaheen on minority representation in Syria's weekend elections: apnews.com/article/syri...

@syriadirect.bsky.social's @walid-alnofal.bsky.social on the multiple intersecting reasons behind Dara'a's water crisis: syriadirect.org/drought-dril...

Syria announces that March 18 will be its official Revolution Day: sana.sy/en/presidenc... For years, celebrations were held on March 15, despite the fact that the Deraa uprising happened on March 18, 2011. Here’s my 2021 essay on how that came to be: tcf.org/content/comm...

Good Nada Homsi @thenationalnews.com on negotiations over repatriation of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons: www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...

Double whammy unemployment day for feds. Government shutdown, and the end of Musk's fork-in-the road deferred resignation program. Here's an updated list of 12 things feds should know before filing UI benefits, from Andrew Stettner at @tcfdotorg.bsky.social See more here: tcf.org/content/repo...

PSP says it secured exceptional approvals for Syrians displaced from Suweida, Rif Dimashq and Jabal al-Summaq to enroll in Lebanese schools: anbaaonline.com/news/302070

@apnews.com's @chehayebk.bsky.social on how Syrian government forces' attack on Suweida's Druze this past July reoriented the province's politics: apnews.com/article/syri...

Asharq al-Awsat account of Syrian judicial delegation's visit to Beirut yesterday: aawsat.com/node/5192606

@hrw.org report on Syria coastal massacres raises question of command responsibility, given top military leadership's role mobilizing forces and coordinating operation characterized by clear, widespread abuses of Alawite civilians: www.hrw.org/report/2025/...

L'Orient-Le Jour's @emmanuelhaddad.bsky.social on divided Hadath: today.lorientlejour.com/article/1478...

40% of the American citizenry says that Israel intentionally kills civilians. 60% of all Democrats say so. latest NYT poll

I don't think we'll ever get another sentence which sums up everything the New York Times embodies quite like "Some legal experts have called it a crime to summarily kill civilians".

The British Labour Party's membership voted for a resolution deeming the war on Gaza a genocide, urging the Labour government to recognize it as such and take further action against Israel.

“The fact that the acting FEMA administrator was unreachable for more than 24 hours speaks to his lack of ability and qualifications for the job.” TCF’s Jeremy Edwards joins MSNBC to discuss reports that FEMA’s Acting Administrator could not be reached for 24 hours during deadly Texas floods.

From Friday: IMF release on conclusion of staff visit to Lebanon: www.imf.org/en/News/Arti...

IDF evacuation orders now cover 79 percent of Gaza—the latest orders added the coastal quadrant of the Netzarim Corridor, but removed some little bits of Khan Younis (the vast majority of which is still under evacuation orders).

Non sequitur, but I remember hearing a Saudi comic interviewed in 2012 and finding out that, because there was nothing that could be easily construed as un-Islamic about stand-up (no music, etc.), Saudi was developing a big stand-up scene and comics were playing major venues. I thought that was fun.

Israeli demands on Syrian sovereignty are insane levels of overreach and should absolutely be rejected.

In speech today, Hizbullah leader Qassem quoted liberally from Barrack interview as evidence, Qassem said, that America wants to “end Lebanon” and turn it into an “extension” of Israel.

For both Lebanon and Syria, Barrack does not seem to be an effective intermediary with the Israelis.

Sources tell @reuters.com's Maya Gebeily that talks on Syria-Israel security agreement became stuck after Israel reintroduced demand for Suweida "humanitarian corridor" that would infringe on Syrian sovereignty: www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Extending those waivers makes sense, if Lebanon hopes to realize the potential of its Syrian refugee returns plan. For more, see: tcf.org/content/repo... www.annahar.com/articles/Opi... today.lorientlejour.com/article/1477...

From Thursday: Lebanese General Security extends until December 31 waivers allowing Syrians and Palestinian-Syrians who entered country irregularly or overstayed legal residency to return to Syria without fines or re-entry bans: www.general-security.gov.lb/ar/posts/490

@apnews.com's @bmroue.bsky.social and @sewella.bsky.social on the state of Hizbullah, one year on from Nasrallah's death, and the organization's efforts to rebuild: apnews.com/article/leba...

Israel is razing Gaza city, continuing its practice of mass demolitions and leaving nowhere for people to return to. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

what fresh hell

This more recent guide was prepared during the DOGE firings, but it has an important section: "10 Things Federal Workers Should Know About Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)" #unemployment #shutdown tcf.org/content/repo...

As a federal government shutdown appears likely, unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) can be a lifeline for federal workers and contractors. This guide from 2023 still holds true. #unemployment #shutdown tcf.org/content/comm...

Barbell strength training Can make your dark heart muscular and huge

Huge shoutout to my collegue Denise Smith (@drde7.bsky.social) for this excellent film on the need to redress the historical underfunding of the nation's HBCUs! #HBCU www.youtube.com/watch?v=HALb...

Though nice to see Jon Finer and Philip Gordon catch up to bare minimum of where activists and the public have been for nearly two years on restricting US arms to the Israeli government, their article erases their own role in abetting the Netanyahu government’s genocide.

New Sioufi Garden is nice 👍🏻

Incredible numbers

My latest for @time.com: On Syrian president Ahmad al-Shara's appearance at the UN General Assembly, and how UN members now welcoming him in New York need to be careful not to encourage him to impose control on a still divided country: time.com/7319571/syri...

Berri remarks yesterday, including response to Barrack: www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/%D8%B3%D9...

My working assumption has been that Barrack’s involvement in Lebanon was basically opportunistic, to try to deliver a win for Trump; and that once he realized there was no easy deal available, he would get frustrated and disengage. That’s what this interview looks like to me 👇🏻 1/2

Feel bad for Lebanese trying to make sense of Barrack interview with The National's Gamble: thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/09/22/tom-barrack-middle-east-peace/ The way he talks reminds me of Biden; I'm pretty sure his brain is 🧀

Ben Hubbard @nytimes.com profile of Syria's Shara': www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/w... Except I think Shara's successive transformations may have been less about broadening his appeal, and more about consolidating his personal/factional leadership over Syria's insurgency (and, eventually, state).

“Black Americans are often the canary in the coal mine,” says @angelanhanks.bsky.social, director of policy programs. So far this year, Black unemployment has climbed from 6.2% to 7.5% and Black homeownership has reached its lowest level since 2021, via @apnews.com.

My latest for @time.com: On Syrian president Ahmad al-Shara's appearance at the UN General Assembly, and how UN members now welcoming him in New York need to be careful not to encourage him to impose control on a still divided country: time.com/7319571/syri...

In foreign policy as in domestic, Trump’s opponents have so far failed to do much more than chase at his heels with reactive objections as he plows ahead with reckless gambits. (1/5)

Enjoy and explore the city by the sea.