In The News

A Field Day for Fracking

Wenonah Hauter July 16, 2014
The US and EU initiated a new round of closed discussions on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a free trade agreement, with much of the content still kept top secret. However, the EU position on raw materials and energy was leaked in May, and the deal could eliminate restrictions on US exports of natural gas to Europe, reports Wenonah Hauter for Other Words. Concerns have...

US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue

July 14, 2014
Tensions run high between the world’s two largest economies over trade and currency, cyberhacking, and maritime disputes in the East and South China seas. Top officials of the United States and China meet annually to review economic, financial and security concerns, and the most recent US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held July 9 and 10. “The S&ED is now the main event in the U.S...

Positively Un-American Tax Dodges

Allan Sloan July 11, 2014
Multinational firms are moving headquarters to avoid US tax rates. The US corporate tax rate is 35 percent compared to Ireland’s 12.5 percent. About 60 firms have abandoned the United States because it taxes all profits worldwide, notes Alan Sloan for Fortune magazine, and he contends the transfers undermine the US tax base, standards and respect for corporate brands: “Inverters don’t hesitate to...

Costly Cures

July 9, 2014
New drug regimens that can cost $100,000 or more are frustrating insurers, employers, physicians and patients who cannot afford rising prices, suggests an article from the Economist. The release of new and expensive medicines has spurred “a coalition ranging from doctors to labor unions to launch a campaign against ‘unsustainable and abusive’ prices.” Many within the industry defend high US...

China’s Challenge in Africa: Avoid Blame of Neo-Colonialism

Gregory Chin July 9, 2014
As with most foreign-policy initiatives, South-South cooperation in Africa poses challenges. “Beijing is seeing growing assertiveness from political leaders across the continent,” explains China researcher Gregory Chin. Africans are wary about “neocolonialism” – major powers removing resources without contributing to the continent’s development. The African nations pose new questions about the...

From the Unipolar Moment to a Multiplex World

Amitav Acharya July 3, 2014
The speed of communications, travel and globalization in general has transformed international relations. World order is no longer unipolar or multipolar; it is more like a multiplex theater than a chessboard, argues Amitav Acharya, in an article based on his new book, “The End of American World Order.” The professor of international relations at American University in Washington writes: “A...

New York Real Estate Is the New Swiss Bank Account

Andrew Rice July 1, 2014
Foreign buyers “have become an overpowering force” in the city’s real-estate market, reports Andrew Rice for New York Magazine. Despite high costs, the city is a global bargain, and buyers of new construction receive huge tax breaks. Buyers scoop up properties at a wide range of prices; units are often rented or even left vacant before quick resale. The Congressional Research Service reports that...