In The News

Lawfare: RIP Federal Common Law of Foreign Relations?

Ingrid Wuerth August 19, 2018
Common law is developed by precedents rather than specific statutes. Ingrid Wuerth notes for Lawfare that the federal common law of foreign relations is a shrinking field with court interpretations undergoing revisions over the years. “The field was built in part on the claim that customary international law is federal common law and in part on the claim that federal judges should displace state...

New York Times: Trump’s Claims of No Collusion

John O. Brennan August 16, 2018
The US president whose campaign is under a special counsel investigation for Russian interference took steps to withdraw the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. “Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array...

Financial Times: Turkish Lira Plunges as Trump Threatens Tariffs

Ayla Jean Yackley and Demetri Sevastopulo August 10, 2018
Turkey’s currency is falling against the dollar even as the US president threatens more tariffs – 20 percent on aluminum and 50 percent on steel. Turkey’s president calls the actions “economic war.” Turkey, like the United States, is among the top 10 countries that produce steel. The lira’s fall “ricocheted into Turkey’s bond market, sending the yield on the local currency 10-year bond above 20...

Globe and Mail: Saudi Arabia Breaks Ties With Canada

Steven Chase August 7, 2018
Canadian officials called for the release of civil-rights and women’s rights activists being held in Saudi Arabia and expressed concern about a crackdown on dissidents. “In response, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador Sunday, recalled their ambassador and frozen new trade dealings with Canada, decrying what they called foreign interference in their domestic affairs,” reports Steven...

New York Times: What Tariffs Have Unleashed for US Farmers

Robert Leonard July 27, 2018
The United States is a major agricultural power, and about half of all US corn and soybeans are exported. China and other countries targeted with tariffs from the Trump administration immediately retaliated by targeting US agriculture products. “Indeed, the impact of his tariffs will probably be felt by family farms and the area for generations,” writes Robert Leonard in an opinion essay for the...

Harvard Political Review: Globalization as Growth Opportunity

Victor Agbafe July 25, 2018
Large numbers of voters in developed economies blame globalization for the loss of jobs and reduced wages. Yet automation is increasingly more responsible for job losses while globalization still provides benefits and many companies rely on global markets for growth. “In many cases, globalization has increased the choices of goods and services available to consumers while also lowering their...

Wall Street Journal: For Immigrant Families, Scars of Separation Remain

Arian Campo-Flores and Melanie Grayce West July 21, 2018
Parenting styles vary with cultures around the globe. Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a new policy of abruptly separating children from immigrants and asylum seekers, with no warning and no plan in place for eventual reunions. A US court gave officials deadlines to organize reunions for more than 2,000 children. Another court ordered a temporary end to deportations. Parents...