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Punishing Putin mostly means punishing his foes

After being surprised by broad-based protests in late March, the Russian authorities were ready to prevent a repeat on Monday. Police detained hundreds across the country as well as opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The protests themselves were thinner, too — planning to be arrested, which is likely, is not for everyone — but thousands still turned out. As I watched ...

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India central bank’s freedom gets crucial test after rate decision

Clashes between central banks and governments happen the world over. India is no different, yet the recent friction between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over a controversial rate call offers up a test case of central bank independence in this $2 trillion economy. Last October, the RBI led by governor Urjit Patel adopted ...

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Trump’s Obamacare crisis

Like too much else in Washington, the slow-motion collapse of Obamacare was an eminently avoidable crisis. The question, now that it is happening, is whether President Donald Trump and Congress want to work together to contain it. With Anthem Inc.’s alarming decision to quit Ohio’s health-insurance marketplace, 18 more counties can now be added to the territory where people who ...

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