In The News

Is China the Next Mexico?

Jorge Guajardo November 5, 2015
China’s political and economic transformations should be compared with that of Mexico, suggests Jorge Guajardo, a former Mexican ambassador to China, in an essay for Zócalo Public Square. In the 1990s, during the negotiations for the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, analysts cheered Mexico’s economic expertise and openness to free trade by the ruling party with its lock on power. “Lost in all...

When a 127-Year-Old US Industry Collapses Under China's Weight

Joe Deaux November 4, 2015
Companies and consumers alike seek supplies with lowest prices. That trend is prompting Alcoa to cut back on making and refining aluminum. “For more than a decade, output has been moving to where it’s cheaper to produce: Russia, the Middle East and China,” reports Joe Dean for Bloomberg News, adding that low labor, energy and currency costs give overseas plants an advantage. China accounts for...

Is the USDA Silencing Scientists?

Brandon Keim November 3, 2015
The US government may muzzle some of its research scientists who investigate controversial topics. Each department has its own rules, and federal workers are often expected to seek approval from before submitting articles or books for publication, which can delay release of findings or lead to outright denials from timid supervisors who fear funding cuts. Brandon Keim details the experiences of a...

However Welcome, Overdue US Climate Plan Falls Short

Sunita Narain and Chandra Bhushan October 29, 2015
The world celebrates emerging US recognition that climate change is a treacherous phenomenon caused by human reliance on coal and other fossil fuels. The United States has prepared an emissions reduction framework to present to the UN climate treaty secretariat at December’s conference in Paris. Still, a report from the Centre for Science and Environment in India is highly critical of the US...

The Long, Uphill Fight to End Restaurant Tipping

Peter Moskowitz October 26, 2015
New York City reports that international visitors account for about half of all tourism direct spending. One wrinkle for restaurant workers: The United States for the most part stands alone in mandating a low minimum wage for servers - $2.13 nationwide and near $5 in New York – forcing them to rely on customer tips. Peter Moskowitz, writing for Vice, points out that servers can earn anywhere from...

TPP Is Surprising Vote of Confidence in Globalization

Greg Ip October 23, 2015
Workers in many countries are suspicious about free-trade agreements for reducing job opportunities. The Trans-Pacific Partnership has won approval of 12 nations, and now requires separate legislative approval from each. US approval could be “precarious,” suggests reports Greg Ip for the Wall Street Journal, even though the country may be sacrificing the least. He explains that trade agreement...

Among the Lucky Few: Syrian Family Rebuilds in America's Heartland

Ari Shapiro October 21, 2015
Toledo, Ohio, is among the communities doing its best to welcome refugees. “Fewer than 2,000 Syrians have come to the U.S., though the war has displaced more than 12 million since it began in 2011,” reports Ari Shapiro for NPR. He describes the experiences of one of eight families settling in Toledo with the help of diverse faith groups: A Christian group provides language lessons and day care,...