In The News

The Guardian: Lebanese Leaders Step Up Demands for Return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri

Martin Chulov November 13, 2017
The abrupt resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hairiri has raised numerous questions and exacerbates political tensions in the Middle East. As Martin Chulov observes for the Guardian: “Hariri’s unexpected departure has placed Lebanon at the heart of an intensifying power tussle between Riyadh and Tehran, and has alarmed allies of the fragile state who are scrambling to contain a move they...

The Guardian: Giant Portrait of Toddler Peers Over US-Mexico Border Wall

September 10, 2017
French Artist JR erected a huge photo of an amused toddler gripping the top of the US border wall with Mexico and surveying the territory below, “leaving the impression the entire thing could be toppled with a giggle,” according to the Associated Press. The artwork prompts discussion about proposals to extend the wall the full length of the border, about 2000 miles, and was unveiled the same week...

Forbes: What the Gold Rush in Chinese Football Teaches Us about Globalization

Stefan Hall July 4, 2017
European soccer teams already bear the mark of globalization, with many teams sponsored or owned by investors from other continents. China has been entering the global stage in recent years, and China’s President Xi Jinping has professed his love for the sport. Sports can be a show of soft power, notes Stefan Hall for Forbes, since “sporting events can be used to spread a nation’s cultural values...

The Washington Post: US Life Expectancy Varies by More Than 20 Years From County to County

Joel Achenbach May 9, 2017
Life expectancy at birth reflects the overall mortality level of a population, but the fragmented nature of US health care – with state oversight of health insurance and regulation – contributes to a 20-year gap among some counties. Life expectancy in some places like Kentucky is in decline while rising in parts of New York, California and Alaska. A report from the University of Washington’s...

Financial Times: Ideological Purge for China Universities

Emily Feng April 25, 2017
Societies invest in education for jobs, innovations, creativity and prosperity. Western universities, a tremendous source of soft power, attract students from around the world. Recognizing the value of cross-border learning, universities in China organized joint programs with foreign institutions. But the strongest education programs engage in critical thinking and that challenges ideology. China...

To Save Global Liberalism, Time to Look Beyond Government

Peter Westmacott January 3, 2017
Governments confront numerous challenges in 2017, ranging from a struggle to grow economies and create jobs to combatting terrorism, controlling refugees fleeing from terrorism and managing climate-related disasters. China, Russia and the United States jockey for power on the global stage. “But it’s precisely because governments are distracted or incapacitated that there is a role for non-state...

Algorithms Are Making US Small-Minded

Sydney Finkelstein January 3, 2017
Computer programs tackle requests and problems with sets of rules and algorithms provided by humans, but the goal to please audiences may limit creativity and lead to bland predictability. “The ubiquity of incredibly powerful algorithms designed to reinforce our interests also ensures that we see little of what’s new, different and unfamiliar,” writes Sydney Finkelstein for BBC News. “The very...