In The News

Taking on Tehran: Project Syndicate

Richard N. Haass June 18, 2019
Iran has been public enemy number one for the Trump administration, with the United States withdrawing from the nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama and imposing harsh sanctions. Iran’s oil exports and the economy as a whole is experiencing a harsh slowdown. Other nations abide by US policy, but the Iranian regime may outlast the US pressure due to its inimitable institutional...

America’s Cruelty Playbook: Irish Times

Una Malally June 16, 2019
Political leaders in southern region of the United States are making strides to limit abortion rights with the ultimate goal of reversing the Roe v. Wade court decision that protects a woman’s right to end a pregnancy. The laws target poor and vulnerable women while the wealthy women can travel to obtain care. Citizens often ignore the slow chipping away at rights in a few places, though recent...

China Warning on US Study: South China Morning Post

Sarah Zheng June 5, 2019
The escalating US-China trade war could last for months or years with uncertainty spreading throughout both economies. “China issued an official warning on Monday for Chinese students seeking to study in the United States, amid heightened tensions between the two countries,” reports Sarah Zhen for the South China Morning Post. “The Ministry of Education urged students and academics to ‘raise...

What Is 5G? Digital Trends

Christian de Looper June 1, 2019
Cities anticipate rapid installment of faster 5G networks and communities confront decisions on spectrum bands and the firms that will install. China will likely be the first with commercial 5G service, with other countries quick to follow, reports Christian de Looper for Digital Trends. In a summary of 5G highlights, with emphasis on US capabilities, he explains that the new networks are...

Trump Vows Rapid Tariffs for Mexico: Reuters

Steve Holland and Frank Jack Daniel May 31, 2019
Donald Trump counts on tariffs as a tool for convincing other nations to do his bidding. He vows to target Mexico unless it reduces the number of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers crossing the southern border, imposing tariffs of 10 percent as of June 10 and rising to 25 percent in October. Mexico had shifted to the top US trade partner in goods after Trump imposed tariffs on China. “...

The Mueller Statement

May 30, 2019
After release of the Mueller report in April, Donald Trump and his supporters insisted that the 400+ pages cleared him of collusion. Both branches of Congress continue investigations, while the White House resists subpoenas and interviews, maintaining the “case is closed.” So representatives are conflicted about whether to launch impeachment proceedings. Special Counsel Robert Mueller presented...

Hate Globalization? Embrace Stagnation: Bloomberg

Noah Smith May 22, 2019
Productivity growth is slowing down in the United States, part of a global trend, reports Noah Smith for Bloomberg. Comparing how much workers produce across countries is difficult because of variances in data reporting. Economists have long credited technological and organizational changes for rising productivity, but Smith suggests reduced globalization may also be a factor. “From 1993 to 2008...