In The News

Bermét Talant September 26, 2019
Expect global leaders to apply caution in interactions with the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine since May, spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone in July, shortly after the president had suspended an aid payment. Details of the call, possibly connected to a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump, have galvanized global attention. Speaker of the House of...
Kenneth P. Vogel, Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman and Sharon LaFraniere September 26, 2019
US interest in Ukraine focuses on the country’s shared border with Russia, the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea soon after a puppet’s departure in 2014, and interference in the country’s eastern section. US President Donald Trump’s emphasizes other priorities, including improved relations with Russia, according to a non-verbatim transcript of a July telephone call between Trump and...
Seung Min Kim and Colby Itkowitz September 24, 2019
A political leader can legally use aid money and other policies as leverage in guiding countries on specific behaviors. Use of government money or policies for personal political gain is corruption. Donald Trump confirms that he delayed almost $400 million in aid for Ukraine due to concerns about levels of funding provided by European nations. On July 25, shortly after the aid was delayed, the US...
Jane Lubchenco, D. James Baker and Kathryn D. Sullivan September 10, 2019
Accurate weather forecasting saves countless lives and prevents property damage. The agriculture, defense, transportation, energy, travel and other industries rely on accurate forecasts and an expensive infrastructure of observational equipment, supercomputers and models, and researchers. Also, the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contribute to global...
September 9, 2019
The Bahamas is a disaster zone after Hurricane Dorian, and this is a story of globalization in many ways: climate change, immigration, international aid and a global race to the bottom on taxation. The country reports widespread property damage and 45 deaths, with many more anticipated. Researchers suggest that climate change, due to the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, has intensified such...
Lindsay Wise September 8, 2019
Skilled foreigners with US job offers obtain green card approvals, but wait years for permanent status. “The logjam stems from U.S. rules that limit any one country to 7% of all employment-based green cards,” reports Lindsay Wise for the Wall Street Journal. “More than 660,000 of those approved but waiting are from India.” US Congress, polarized over comprehensive immigration reform, generally...
August 27, 2019
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is crudely defiant in exchanges with world leaders about the fires destroying the Amazon. Brazil lacks resources to bring the fires under control after the populist administration imposed shortsighted policies, rejecting environmental protections and encouraging burning rainforest to expand farmland. The Group of Seven nations pledged $20 million to assist...