Is US policy in Syria driven by politics or emotion?

Human stories from a world in conflict. No Images? [Click here]( Oct. 26, 2018 There has never been a Palestinian on Jerusalem's city council. That's why Palestinian Ramadan Dabish says he's running for a seat on the council. After all, Palestinians make up more than a third of Jerusalem’s population, but they receive far less than their share of city funds and have higher rates of unemployment and poverty than their Jewish neighbors. But the road to victory won't be easy. And his fellow [Palestinians' reluctance to vote in municipal elections is not making his campaign any easier.]( When Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 — a move opposed by most of the world — most Palestinians in the city did not become Israeli citizens, but rather, legal residents of Jerusalem. They receive social services and pay taxes, and they can vote in municipal elections, but the majority choose not to. Community activists say voting in Israeli elections would mean agreeing to Israeli rule. Dabish's electoral fortunes may hang in the balance of who turns out to vote. ### In London, Solstar is a women-run gym that has a different vibe from most other fitness centers. Emblazoned on Solstar's T-shirts is the motto "Training together for the struggle," with a giant star and a clenched fist. The name Solstar is derived from "solidarity" and the star is the socialist star. [Self-defense and fitness are part of the gym, but so are politics.]( The gym's owner trains people at Solstar for what she sees as a bigger fight — an ideological one. She is concerned about the rise of far-right groups both in the UK and the US. She's also worried about the rise in populist groups like UKIP, or the UK Independence Party, which helped pass the Brexit referendum. She wants to equip people to physically defend themselves if they are attacked, say, at a protest or rally that turns violent. ### The United States has troops on the ground in Syria, but President Donald Trump has never seemed particularly interested in gains and losses on the ground in the complicated civil war. As a candidate, he railed against American wars in the Middle East that had cost the nation money and lives, promising not to embroil the country in future misadventures under his leadership. US forces were in Syria to fight ISIS and fight ISIS only. The civil war between rebels and the Syrian government was not America’s problem and not America’s fight. But while Trump ran on an anti-interventionist Middle East policy, he simultaneously pushed a hard-line anti-Iran stance that seemed incompatible with promises of limited involvement in Syria and the broader Middle East. Now, the administration appears more ready to back up its Iran rhetoric with actions — actions that would mean a deeper and prolonged involvement in Syria. And while the Trump administration’s Iran stance clearly plays a role in the sudden shift on Syria, [the president’s own emotions and personal interactions may have had something to do with it as well.]( ### There are an estimated 695 school-aged refugee children who arrived in Stanislaus County from 2013 to 2017, according to the California Department of Social Services. For those who arrive in their teens, age could determine whether they’ll have access to public high schools. A Supreme Court ruling in 1982 found that foreign-born students, regardless of immigration status, should have the same access to public schools as their native-born peers. But states determine the minimum and maximum ages for access to free public education. In turn, local school districts set their own enrollment rules based on those ages. [Some older teens who come from war-torn countries have missed part of their education and become too old to attend traditional high school.]( Advocates say these local rules and practices sometimes push newly arrived students from the benefits of having a high school experience. Experts say there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but programs that immerse students in English classes — while providing opportunities to be in mainstream classes as soon as possible or at the same time — are usually the most effective for newly arrived teens who are English learners. Peer teaching and having one-on-one interactions with teachers also help these students catch up. [Most Palestinians living in Jersulem boycott elections. But one Palestinian is running anyway.]( There are municipal elections in Jerusalem at the end of the month. One man hopes to be the first Palestinian voted onto the city council. To win, he’ll need Palestinians to break a five-decade boycott against voting in Israeli city elections. [Learn more >]( [Members of this leftist London gym 'train together for the struggle']( Well before the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, or the rise of the UK Independence Party, the co-owners of Solstar gym in the London neighborhood of Tottenham were training to fight back against what they see as the rise of violence on the part of the right-wing. [Learn more >]( [Is US policy in Syria driven by politics or emotion?]( While the Trump administration’s Iran stance clearly plays a role in the sudden shift on Syria, the president’s own emotions and personal interactions may have had something to do with it as well. [Learn more >]( [When war keeps students from starting high school on time, should they be allowed an extra year?]( Advocates say too many schools aren’t giving older teens the chance to get a good high school experience. [Learn more >]( The Atlantic [An election in Poland’s cap]([ital could shape the f]([utur]([e of populism]( “Warsaw is a kind of laboratory in which PiS tries to replicate its success.” Wired [My Father Says he’s a ‘targeted individual.’ Maybe we all are.]( The author’s father is one of thousands who believe the government is subjecting them to mind control. As a daughter and a journalist, she felt a duty to investigate his claims. Were the “targeted individuals” America’s prophets all along? Roads and Kingdoms [From Lithuania, with love]( In February 2015, a cryptic email reached correspondent Ann Cooper from around the globe and across 28 years. It would pull her back into one of the most extraordinary reporting jobs in her career. Longreads [Returning to the city that made us refugees]( On a visit to Banja Luka, the city her family fled during the Bosnian War, Ana Barić encounters old wounds and alternative realities. 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