WaPo:
Putin remains tremendously popular in Russia, but his rule has long been predicated on a basic bargain with voters: They gain economic prosperity and stability in exchange for acquiescence to a political life devoid of real opposition. His half of the deal now appears in question.
HuffPost:
Why You Should Care About The Collapsing Russian Ruble
Plunging oil prices and economic sanctions have pushed Russia's economy to the brink of collapse. "Couldn't happen to a nicer dictator than Vladimir Putin," you might be thinking, but it could have repercussions for all of us.
TIME:
It’s very likely, in other words, that Russia’s higher interest rates will slow its already slowing economy. Rosnef, a state-owned oil company, has already accused the central bank of “pushing Russia towards recession.”
But if that’s true, then why is Russia pursuing such a policy? The reason is that Russia has an arguably even more urgent problem than its slowing economy. Russia’s currency, the ruble, has been in free-fall as oil prices have dropped, and is now down 47% against the dollar since the beginning of the year. This is a big problem for Russian companies that need to pay their debt in dollars, and whose rubles are now worth nothing on international markets. Worse, Western economic sanctions have prevented businesses from accessing reserves of foreign currencies overseas. Without drastic action, Russia could find its economy permanently crippled by an all-but-worthless currency.
Pakistan and
Sydney, and Russia. It's enough to actually break into the nightly news, which hardly ever covers the rest of the world.
More politics and policy below the fold.
Politico:
Speaking at a Moscow event in early October, Russian President Vladimir Putin sounded cocky about the sanctions imposed on his country by Washington and its European allies. The penalties, Putin said, were “utter silliness” that would only hurt Western businesses.
But now that Russia’s economy is rapidly imploding, with oil prices plunging and the ruble collapsing, Putin is the one feeling the pain. And the question already being debated in Washington is whether President Obama’s strategy of economically sanctioning and isolating Russia deserves any credit.
Politico:
Republican senators pounded Ted Cruz over the weekend, lashing him for his procedural tactics and ultimately voting in large numbers against his immigration gambit.
Now, Cruz’s allies off Capitol Hill are looking for revenge
Politico/Fredrick A.O. (“Fritz”) Schwartz, Jr. :
How the Torture Could Start Again
The Feinstein report opens the door to future presidential waterboarders.
National Journal:
The Senate narrowly confirmed a new surgeon general whose nomination was delayed for months in a fight over his comments alleging that guns are a public health issue. The confirmation represents a victory for gun-control advocates, even as recent polling has shown Americans moving in the other direction toward gun-rights protections.
The Senate's 51-43 vote confirming Massachusetts physician Vivek Murthy as the next surgeon general marks the end of a protracted fight over gun control and Murthy's views on it. Murthy, who will be the first Indian-American surgeon general to serve in the U.S., waited more than a year for Senate confirmation after the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups threatened to throw their resources against members supporting his nomination. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid determined earlier this year that he couldn't put his red-state members in that position before the 2014 midterm elections and shuffled Murthy to the back of the nominations pile.
Indeed, three pro-gun Democrats opposed the nomination on Monday evening: Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin is up for reelection next year in an increasingly red-leaning state and is already facing Republican attacks—particularly on guns. Manchin, who won his seat in part thanks to his Second Amendment bona fides, lost the favor of the NRA in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, when he cosponsored legislation with Republican Sen. Pat Toomey to tighten restrictions on gun ownership.
Murthy got supporting votes from the five Democrats who lost their seats in the 2014 midterm elections: Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and Mark Udall of Colorado all voted for Murthy, despite having faced advertising that questioned their commitment to gun rights throughout their campaigns.
WaPo:
Washington State voters last month defied the gun lobby and approved a measure extending firearm background checks private transfers. For the gun reform movement, the victory was not only a policy success but also potentially a strategic one, offering a roadmap for activism to come.
That gun reformers see a path forward is significant, because for at least two decades they have lost much ground to their better-funded and better-organized opponents. Firearms laws at the national level and in many states have loosened; the public has grown more supportive of guns in the home and more skeptical about gun regulation; grassroots cadres have arisen to normalize firearms in public life; and political partisans have hardened in a way that makes compromise on the issue very difficult.
Against these strong headwinds, the gun control movement struggled to keep moving. But after a spate of mass shootings — Virginia Tech, Tucson, Aurora, and Sandy Hook, among others — pro-reform groups are mobilizing on a scale not seen in more than a decade and doing so with resources and tools that their predecessors lacked.
WaPo:
Republican reaction to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s plan to limit who can own a gun in Virginia ranged from icy to dismissive, while gun-control activists applauded his outspokenness on the polarizing issue.
McAuliffe (D) this week unveiled a package of proposals, including a renewal of the state’s one-a-month limit on handgun purchases and a requirement that buyers at gun shows undergo background checks.
The governor also wants to keep guns away from people convicted of crimes related to domestic violence and to revoke concealed-handgun permits for parents who are behind on child-support payments.