The early morning sun rises behind the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
- Rebel-on-Rebel Violence Seizes Syria [WSJ]
- “The prospect of an attack to punish Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons exposed the Nobel Peace laureate’s [President Obama] strained and somewhat tentative relationship with the military. His dramatic oscillation from detachment on Syria to the brink of military action, with him ultimately settling for a potential diplomatic solution, has unsettled many people in uniform.” [WashPost]
- “Stocks around the world surged and the dollar sank after investors anticipating an unwinding of bond purchases were blindsided by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to persist with its current pace of monetary stimulus.” [WSJ]
- “Taken together, Syria and Summers therefore represent—by history’s decree in the case of military power, and by Obama’s own grandiose vision of the Fed’s role in the economy—the most important second-term presentations of power. And Senate Democrats were Obama’s undoing in both cases.” [National Journal]
- “Defense Department officials on Wednesday ordered a broad review of the procedures used to grant security clearances to employees and contractors, acknowledging that years of escalating warning signs about Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis went unheeded.” [WashPost]
- “At the core of Iran’s recent charm offensive is an exchange of letters between President Obama and President Hassan Rouhani.” [NYT]
- Prettier in print
- This week’s cover: “Google vs. Death” by Lev Grossman and Harry McCracken
- “Not the Time for Big Sticks: Obama should hold the bravado and respond reasonably to Iran’s conciliatory signals” by Fareed Zakaria
- “It Takes a Village: How the world’s most influential change agents mobilize for action” by Bill Clinton
- “Unchecked Aggression: The Navy Yard attack and our broken security-vetting system” by Mark Thompson
- “Larry Summers: The man who won’t be Fed chief” by Rana Foroohar
- “A Paler Shade of Green: After years of squabbling, can Washington declare a truce on energy policy?” by Alex Altman
- “The New Smart Set: What happens when millions of kids are asked to master fewer things more deeply?” by Amanda Ripley
- “This is Not a Cigarette: Electronic cigarettes could save lives—or hook a new generation on nicotine” by Eliza Gray
- “10 Questions for Richard Dawkins” by Belinda Luscombe
- The GOP is Threatening Murder-Suicide With New Shutdown Warnings [Daily Beast]
- Could Republican Senator Rand Paul Win the White House? [Vogue]