In The News

Optimistic CEOs at Davos: Wall Street Journal

Chip Cummins and Marie Beaudette January 28, 2020
The World Economic Forum at Davos attracts world leaders, CEOs and celebrities every January to discuss economic trends. Despite some pessimistic forecasts on economic growth, the CEOs attending the 2020 forum remain optimistic about global economy for the most part, with the United States and China having signed phase one of a trade deal - offering greater certainty for economies. In addition,...

Russia Cabinet Resigns: DW

January 16, 2020
Russia struggles to transition away from President Vladimir Putin’s leadership. In power for two decades, Putin announced constitutional reforms that could influence the parliamentary elections in 2021 could keep him in power beyond 2024. Russian law prohibits him from running for a third consecutive six-year term. In the past, Putin and former Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev abided by the law by...

Slowbalization: Lobe Log

John Feffer December 25, 2019
The slow food movement – relaxing, eating local, focus on tradition – has influenced slowness in other areas of life including education and travel. “To a world addicted to ever greater connection speeds, ever faster modes of transportation, and ever more caffeinated feats of multitasking, the go-slowers recommend a perverse resistance to the frenzied scherzo of modern life in favor of a more...

Lebanon and Syria Sinking in Debt: The Economist

December 23, 2019
Effects of Lebanon’s recent political and economic crisis, stemming from a drop in remittances and bank deposits, have spilled over into Syria. The two nation’s economies have been intertwined for some time. Following the Lebanese civil war (1975-90), Syrian workers helped rebuild the war-torn country. Lebanese banks were once “a safe place for wealthy Syrians to park their cash [and] since the...

$20 Trillion Threat of Climate Change: OilPrice.com

Nick Cunningham December 14, 2019
Businesses and investors who deny climate change is underway can anticipate the loss in trillions of market value. Natural disasters are on the rise and cost more, and entire asset classes and sectors can expect repricing. “One glaring example is the real estate market along coastlines, which will see both physical damage and a dramatic repricing as the threat becomes increasingly clear,”...

Argentina Faces Economic Crisis: Buenos Aires Times

December 13, 2019
Alberto Fernández, sworn in as president of Argentina, inherits enormous debt, recession, inflation, a 10 percent unemployment rate and 40 percent poverty rate, reports the Buenos Aires Times. The peso has lost two thirds of its value since 2018. The many challenges compound the hardship in paying external debt. Fernández promises to increase economic growth but offers no details, partly because...

¥13 Trillion Stimulus Plan in Japan: Japan Times

December 4, 2019
Governments with heavy debt loads are hooked on stimulus and low interest rates. Japan, the world’s third largest national economy, has national debt worth more than 230 percent of its GDP. The Japan Times reports that government officials could add more debt by finalizing plans for a ¥13 trillion stimulus package. The government hopes to take advantage of negative interest rates from the country...