In The News

NPR: Trump Puts a Pause to Lifting Ban on Importing Elephant Trophies

Laurel Wamsley November 20, 2017
The US Fish and Wildlife Service had announced that it would lift a ban imposed on importing sport-hunted elephant parts from Zimbabwe and Zambia, and then President Donald Trump stepped in to block the decision until he reviewed the figures on conservation. In a Twitter message, Trump noted that he would be“hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of...

The Diplomat: US Allies in the Age of Trump

Robert Dujarric November 3, 2017
Barack Obama had emphasized a “pivot to Asia," but the Trump administration promotes "America First" policies. US allies in the region will listen closely during Donald Trump’s 12-day trip to Asia for any signals on priorities. His policies, especially termination of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and baiting of Kim Jong Un in North Korea, do not align with the allies’ interests,...

National Review: Aren’t Republicans Supposed to Care about the Deficit?

Michael Tanner November 1, 2017
In the United States, Republican candidates promise fiscal discipline and debt reduction. With a new budget resolution and plans to adjust the tax code and reduce the corporate tax rate, US political leaders are on track for annual spending deficits greater than $1 trillion, with total debt reaching $30 trillion within a decade. Michael Tanner, writing for the National Review, explains that the...

BBC: The US and Iranian Battle Over Pistachio Trade

Zoe Thomas October 31, 2017
Tensions run high between Iran and the United States. The Trump administration, criticizing the terms, claims that Iran is not in compliance over the nuclear deal and decertified what is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Other signatories – China, Russia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – do not agree and remain in the agreement with Iran. The tensions affect trade, and Iran...

CNN: "Kill Them All" – Russian-Linked Facebook Accounts Called for Violence

Curt Devine October 31, 2017
Representatives of social media companies are testifying to US Congress about Russian meddling in the US election through fake accounts and provocative posts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. Prior to the hearing, Facebook admitted that more than 100 million Americans may have viewed Russian-made posts. At least 25 messages from a small number of accounts called for violence against...

The Atlantic: Tax Havens and the Manafort Indictment

Krishnadevj Calamur October 30, 2017
Paul Manafort, the US president’s former campaign chairman, and a business partner have been indicted for laundering $75 million through shell companies and foreign bank accounts in Cyprus, Seychelles and elsewhere. “The indictment emerged from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election,” reports Krishnadev Calamur for the...

Global Finance: US Manufacturing – The Reshoring Is Real, The Jobs Are Not

Craig Mellow October 30, 2017
Companies are relocating production to the developed nations like the United States, but hiring fewer workers. One case study suggests that a single US worker combined with investment in automation can replace seven Chinese workers. The trend has been in place for several years in both the United States and Europe. Craig Mellow, writing for Global Finance, points to four reasons: Labor costs are...