May 13, 2013

This issue of The Weekly Standard featured Christopher Caldwell's cover story on Italy's political crisis, examining how the country's bankrupt and fractured political elite maintained power despite institutional collapse. The magazine also covered major domestic controversies including Stephen F. Hayes's investigation into how the Benghazi talking points were altered to obscure the truth, Lee Smith's critique of the Obama administration's inconsistent Syria policy and eroding red lines, and Michael Warren's examination of the Obama administration's murky 'transparency' agenda. Additional pieces explored cheating scandals in American schools, the qualities that define political winners, and training operations for Afghan Local Police.