Hi there, Meridian Readers! This round-up marks our last of 2019, but don’t fret- we’ll be back and better than ever in the New Year. Let’s dive in. State Department Outlines dramatic scale-down of U.S. presence in Iraq Publication: Foreign Policy | By Robbie Gramer Earlier this month the U.S. State Department sent Congress detailed plans to dramatically and permanently reduce the number of U.S. diplomats in Iraq, a measure that critics say runs directly against the Trump administration’s stated goals of countering Iranian influence in the country and undercuts Washington’s efforts to stabilize the Iraqi government. Big yikes....

Hey there, Meridian Readers. It’s a tense time in Washington and a busy time around the world, let’s dive in. Judiciary Committee votes to advance articles of impeachment against Trump to the full House Publication: CNBC | By Yelena Dzhanova and Christina Wilkie Unless you’ve been living under a (pretty big) rock, you’ve heard that the House Judiciary Committee is, uh, not too happy with President Trump. Haven’t been able to keep up with the 14-hour long hearings all week? You’re not alone. Here’s what you missed: Following two days of heated debate, the House Judiciary Committee on Friday...

Happy December, Meridian Readers. We hope you had a restful thanksgiving and are gearing up for all the holiday festivities to come. Let’s jump into this week’s international affairs round-up. North Korea says U.S. must choose “Christmas gift” as nuclear diplomacy deadline nears Publication: CBS News | Via Associated Press In case you haven’t heard, North Korea recently urged the Trump admin to salvage ongoing nuclear negotiations. A statement attributed to a senior diplomat said it was entirely up to the United States to choose what “Christmas gift” it gets from the North. The point of that ominous statement?...

Hey there, Meridian Readers! The holidays are fast approaching, so let’s dive in and make sure you’re prepared for loooots of familial small talk. Diplomacy may be the solution to standoff over Australia’s use of carryover credits Publication: The Guardian | By Katharine Murphy and Adam Morton With so much going on in the U.S. (don’t worry, we won’t mention the “i” word for the sake of everyone’s sanity), you may not have heard about Australia. Here’s the deal: Australian officials have told major business groups there will have to be a diplomatic solution to a standoff between the...