In The News

The New York Times: When Climate Change Becomes a Credit Problem

Jeff Nesbit December 13, 2017
This year has shown that disasters linked with climate change carry enormous economic costs, and communities that ignore the risks of climate change can expect increased upfront borrowing costs. “In a welcome but long overdue development, one of the world’s leading credit-rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service, announced recently that it would give more weight to climate change risks in...

AL.com: Listen Up, America, Alabama Has Spoken

December 13, 2017
US elections have big implications for the rest of the world, and all eyes were on the special election in Alabama for a single US Senate seat. Turnout was heavy and voters elected Democrat Doug Jones over the Republican candidate who expressed opposition to immigration and rejected scientific consensus around climate change. Roy Moore also supported increased military spending and described...

The Wall Street Journal: US Tax Overhaul Raises Alarms Among Foreign Executives

Robert Wall, Nina Trentmann and Natalia Drozdiak December 1, 2017
US proposals to cut taxes for corporations and wealthy individuals are troubling executives of foreign firms. The United States is the world’s largest market for many companies and tax changes can affect global profits, explains a team of writers for the Wall Street Journal. Reduced taxes could mean reduced government revenues and increased uncertainty that slow consumer spending. Some...

Bloomberg: Former US National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty

David Kocieniewski and Greg Farrell December 1, 2017
The retired US general who campaigned for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and served as the administration’s first national security adviser is pleading guilty to a single charge of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about communications with the Russian ambassador. Lying to the FBI is a federal felony with a five-year prison term. “The charge against [Michael] Flynn, 58, adds...

Project Syndicate: America’s Supply-Side Scam

Stephen S. Roach November 28, 2017
A US tax proposal delivers big tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens. US companies already pay a low effective corporate tax rate. US corporations already rank high in competitiveness. Stephen S. Roach – author, senior lecturer at Yale University and former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia – argues the country cannot afford tax cuts that will expand the country’s large deficit. A low savings rate...

The Washington Post: With Technology, Researchers Figure Out North Korea’s Nuclear Secrets

Anna Fifield November 22, 2017
Anyone with satellite imagery tools and persistence can monitor activities on the ground in North Korea or, for that matter, China or the United States. Reports emerged that North Korea had tested a solid-fuel missile engine in October, unconfirmed by the government. The East Asia Program of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies’ nonproliferation center in Monterey, California, went...

Wired: FCC Plans to Gut Net Neutrality, Allow Internet “Fast Lanes”

Klint Finley November 22, 2017
The US Federal Communications Commission has published its plans to reverse net neutrality rules that ban blocking or slowing certain internet content. Proponents describe the action as “fast lanes” and ending government “micromanaging.” In truth, corporations and anyone willing to pay will have unhindered internet service, while small startups and organizations could struggle for notice or even...