This and that

     So much is happening in the world this week it is hard to focus on any one issue.   Australia continues to burn; the Iran crisis has subsided for the moment, but could reignite if either side blinks; dems in congress are trying to reassert Congress' war making power, but face opposition by most of the president*'s party, including my own congresscritter; finally, it looks like despite the best efforts of the DOJ, they couldn't find any crimes committed by Hillary Clinton.
    Tackling them in reverse order, it is probably cold comfort to Hillary that Jeff Sessions hand picked prosecutor is not finding any wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation.  Also, she will be cleared in the "Uranium One" matter, the bete noir of GOP conspiracy theorists.   I hope whoever gets the democratic party's presidential nomination commits to investigating The Donald's various scandals after he is ejected from office in November.
     In the wake of the latest Iran crisis it looks like the partisan makeup of the Senate will frustrate any efforts by dems to reclaim war making authority.  To be sure, most members of the legislative branch have historically avoided this particular duty and the executive have arrogated more and more authority in this regard.
      The Iran crisis continues to simmer, with the crash of a Ukrainian airliner shortly after takeoff from Teheran taking away some of the immediacy from both sides.   If it was a mistaken take down by the Iranians the crash will serve to cool hot heads on both sides.
      Of course the number one crisis in the world today, the massive Australian bush fires are leading many environmentalists to despair.  If even the inhabitants of the island continent can't unite around the climate change enhanced wildfires which their own experts predicted several years ago, what hope is there we will rally around Mother Earth before it's too late.