In The News

China Hits Back at US on Trade: Bloomberg

Malcolm Scott, Kevin Hamlin and Tian Chen August 5, 2019
The trade war is not ending quickly and tensions grow after the US president announced a new round of tariffs as of September 1. China let the yuan tumble to seven per dollar, the lowest level since 2008. Donald Trump had accused China of currency manipulation, but China may be giving him a lesson in market forces - despite the risk for capital flight. China’s state-owned enterprises will also...

UK-US Trade Deal Not Easy: JD Supra

Sophie Berner-Eyde July 29, 2019
US President Donald Trump has suggested that he and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have plans for a “very substantial” trade deal. The UK cannot negotiate a trade deal until after it leaves the European Union, scheduled for October 31. “UK-U.S. preliminary talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) spanning the last two years, however, have failed to show any meaningful progress and are...

Russia and US Election Systems: New York Times

David E. Sanger and Catie Edmondson July 27, 2019
The US Senate Intelligence Committee has issued a heavily redacted report describing Russian intrusion into US election systems in all states. Richard Burr, the Republican committee chairman, said the US had been “blindsided,” with only a handful of federal and state officials detecting the intrusion. Hackers could have deleted or changed voter data, though there is no evidence that happened. “...

The Amazon Belongs to Everyone: Project Syndicate

Danielle Hanna Rached July 23, 2019
Leaders often reject advice on how to manage development or resources within their national borders, yet the effects of pollution or resource depletion can have global consequences. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro contends that the Amazon is Brazil’s to exploit. “His promotion of the rainforest’s development and attacks on environmental regulation have led, for example, to the expansion of...

UK to Look After Own Ships in the Gulf: Guardian

Patrick Wintour July 22, 2019
Britain seized an Iranian ship off Gibraltar for transporting oil to Syria before Iran seized a British ship, with a crew of mostly Indian nationals. Speaking on a US television channel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US has plans for a military convoy to protect international shipping off the Iranian coast and suggested the UK has a responsibility to protect its own ships....

Dollar Strength Not Born in the US: Financial Times

Bhanu Baweja July 18, 2019
The US dollar remains strong despite declining growth and bond yields in the United States and the world. Global markets may have more control than the US government over the value of the dollar. “Faced with weak growth in the rest of the world, investors gravitate to US bonds and defensive equities, and the dollar strengthens,” explains Bhanu Baweja for Financial Times. The Trump...

Trump Divides the US: New York Times

Julie Hirschfeld Davis July 17, 2019
Donald Trump does not tolerate criticism of his policies, wrongly equating support for him and his policies with love of country. On Twitter, he challenged four Democratic congresswomen who have lambasted the administration’s immigration policies, including overcrowded detention camps and separation of children from their parents. On Twitter, Trump urged the representatives to “go back” to the...