In The News

April 16, 2020
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 remain deceptively low throughout Latin America, yet the exponential spread will hit the region hard. A group of former leaders point to uneven policy response and warn that the shock and uncertainty could pose catastrophic consequences for the region. Leaders must move rapidly, prioritizing public health rather than trying to evade the threat with populism,...
Theodore Schleifer April 10, 2020
Inequality has widened as governments rely on tax cuts for the wealthy and delay investment in infrastructure, disaster preparedness, education or other social programs that benefit entire societies. Starved of revenues, many governments fail in their pandemic response. “The US government has repeatedly proven to be sluggish at best and impotent at worst at controlling the carnage of the...
April 9, 2020
More than 200 political leaders, economists, academics and directors of NGOS have issued a call to action from G20 governments, urging immediate global coordination and emergency measures for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Both crises “require world leaders to commit to funding far beyond the current capacity of our existing international institutions,” explains the letter...
Irina Slav April 8, 2020
As COVID-19 spread worldwide, Saudi Arabia and Russia failed to agree on oil production limits. Russia suggested it would slash production only if the United States did likewise, putting a dagger into any notion of US energy independence. Many US firms reject a deal with OPEC or Russia. Production continues, global oil storage is running out; the US economy remains dependent on fossil fuels and...
Mohammad Hussain Khan April 7, 2020
Wheat is ready for harvest in Pakistan, but the areas are in lockdown since March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many farmers anticipate governments to extend lockdowns. At the same time, they anticipate price pressure for the crops. Sharecroppers face particular challenges. “Whilst a grower has multiple income generation options, a sharecropper depends on one crop or livestock to keep his...
Benjamin Parkin April 4, 2020
As the COVID-19 spreads in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide shutdown with a strict curfews and limitations on running non-essential businesses. The shutdown poses disruptions for one of India’s pillar industries – IT outsourcing serves many major multinational companies, such as Citibank and Pfizer. With more than 900 confirmed cases at outsourcing firms, IT...
Ben Hall, Martin Arnold and Sam Fleming March 30, 2020
The European Central Bank plans to expand asset purchases by €750 billion over the next nine months, aimed at preventing a profound depression. Such a plan boosted the bond market in Europe, leading to decreased finance costs of EU member governments. Even though the ECB’s monetary interventions can partly alleviate the downward pressure on the economy, deeply divided national leaders focus on...