In The News

Russia Plants Arctic Flag

Randy Boswell August 3, 2007
Canada, Russia, the US, Norway and Denmark all have some overlapping claims throughout the Arctic, each hoping to secure a big share of the rich oil, gas and mineral reserves believed to rest under the ice. “Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country can secure rights to seabed territory reaching far beyond the 200-mile limit if it can prove that a portion of the ocean...

US Pledges $20 Billion in Arms to Middle East

Robin Wright July 30, 2007
The US announced plans to sell billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, as well as to renew arms deals with Egypt, Israel and other allies. Goals behind the US plan include strengthening ties with allies and countering Iran’s growing influence in the region. However, some allies express concerns about more weapons flowing into the volatile region. Analysts point out that some...

Sting Reveals Security Gap at Nuclear Agency

Kathleen Day July 21, 2007
Protecting nuclear materials is a challenging task even for the most security-conscious of nations. Investigators from the US Government Accountability Office managed to avoid scrutiny by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and purchase moisture-density gauges that contain radioactive materials. Counterfeit licenses allowed investigators to purchase unlimited amounts of radioactive material...

Congress Set to Tighten Scrutiny of Foreign Deals

Greg Hitt July 16, 2007
In the wake of the public backlash against the proposal that would have allowed Dubai Ports World, owned by the government of Dubai, to manage some US ports, the US Congress is expected to pass legislation that will tighten scrutiny of such investment deals. The legislation includes an extended 45-day examination period of companies owned by foreign governments and also requires the Committee on...

Debtor Nation

Jonathan Shaw July 6, 2007
Americans continue to buy only because they easily borrow from abroad. For now, the cost of borrowing is low, as countries buy low-interest US Treasury bills and bonds. Why foreign lenders send the US money in exchange for low interest rates is a “profound question,” suggests Professor Lawrence Summers. He and other Harvard professors analyze the sustainability of such lending, borrowing and...

Creating “Escape Routes” for Wildlife

Moises Velasquez-Manoff July 4, 2007
As global warming continues, natural habitats will change. In theory, animals would move as their habitats became too warm, but due to the pace of global warming, experts worry that some animals won’t have time to adjust and could go extinct. Conservationists therefore propose building biological corridors, natural spaces connecting habitats, that would allow wildlife to relocate. But people and...

Putting the Brakes on US Fast Track

David Dapice June 26, 2007
Negotiating a free-trade agreement is no easy task. To minimize complications or addition of provisions to cater to special-interest groups, US Congress gave the president the authority to negotiate such pacts, before submitting them for legislative review and an up or down vote. Jobseekers and politicians in the West increasingly worry that labor, health, safety and environmental regulations put...