Ever since their so-called Great Divorce in 1876, St. Louis and St. Louis County have been separate governmental entities. Despite several efforts, particularly in recent decades, any move toward consolidation has stalled.Now, a group called Better Together,...

Bitterly divisive politics in Washington and Jerusalem threatens to bring governmental institutions to a standstill, stalling or derailing any prospects for a new peace initiative. The wrangling casts a cloud of hyperpartisanship in the Israeli Knesset...

Australia’s decision to recognize “West” Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its intention to move its embassy there managed to equally offend officials of the Israeli government as well as the Palestinian Authority—a rare agreement that amounts...

President Donald J. Trump has shot himself in the foot so many times that the soles of his shoes must resemble Swiss cheese.  With his latest decision to pull 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, he and the world at large are likely to pay a substantial penalty...

As he leaves his job as president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Andrew Rehfeld is exchanging one daunting position for an even more demanding responsibility.On April 1, when he becomes the 13th president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish...

Preventing legitimate voters from going to the polls is bad, but rejecting the will of the voters after elections are settled may be even worse.Consider what’s happening in Missouri, Wisconsin and Michigan.In Missouri, voters who opposed right-to-work...

Chamsim is Arabic for “sandstorm,” and that term is an apt metaphor for the always-roiling Middle East.  Consider these major ongoing developments:• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are in legal jeopardy.  Israeli...

At a time when politics seems to be meaner and harsher than ever before, the loss of a man who sought to turn the United States into a kinder and gentler nation is profound. Born into a family of wealth and political power, George Herbert Walker Bush,...

Maybe you missed it if you were celebrating with family and friends last week but, during the holiday rush, President Donald Trump managed to call attention to himself in usual ways. Asked what he was most thankful for, he said he was most thankful for...

Just when it looked as if things could not get any more volatile between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group that runs Gaza, the situation became much worse.First, an Israeli intelligence raid into Gaza went terribly wrong. Israel killed a senior...

In a week devoted to family and friends and football, not to mention stuffed turkeys and stuffed guests, we thought it would be a good time to ease up on opinions about all of the partisan politics and rough rhetoric that usually turn up in this spot.Fires...

Two separate Missouris showed up at the polls last Tuesday.One was progressive. It approved medical marijuana, supported reforms on lobbying and redistricting, raised the state’s minimum wage and, in St. Louis County, imposed stricter limits on the...