In The News

UK December Election: BBC

October 29, 2019
Lawmakers in the United Kingdom failed to reach agreement about how to exit the European Union so they will give voters a chance to select a new set of members in parliament. “By a margin of 438 votes to 20, the Commons approved legislation paving the way for the first December election since 1923,” reports BBC News. Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggests “the public must be ‘given a choice’ over...

Ethical Minefield of Microchipping: Spiegel

Kristina Läsker October 28, 2019
Thousands of people in Sweden, Germany, the UK and the US have agreed to implant microchips embedded in glass tubes the size of a rice grain in their bodies. For travel conglomerate TUI staff volunteers in Stockholm, the chip allows them to open doors and other electronic locks and activate printers. Employees assume risks. TUI is based in Germany, where such a workplace plan is described as a “...

Brexit Is a Cultural Revolution: Atlantic

Yascha Mounk October 27, 2019
Boris Johnson’s Brexit withdrawal agreement, similar to one proposed by former Prime Minister Theresa May, won approval in the House of Commons. Members of parliament who feared Britain would lose influence with May’s plan have higher expectations for a similar plan proposed by Boris Johnson. “The next weeks still hold a lot of uncertainty; from new elections to a no-deal Brexit, all options...

Brexit Bill “in Limbo”: BBC

October 23, 2019
Uncertainty over Brexit continues. The British parliament took a step toward Brexit, approving a withdrawal agreement, but declines to hurry, rejecting a three-day timeline as proposed by the prime minister. A few days earlier, parliament forced the government to seek an extension to ensure a deal is in place before the UK leaves the European Union. Boris Johnson still wants the UK to leave by...

Support Withheld on New Brexit Deal: Guardian

Andrew Sparrow October 19, 2019
The battle over Brexit continues within the United Kingdom as members of parliament voted on an amendment that requires the prime minister to seek a delay on breaking with the European Union. The Letwin amendment “withholds approval of the prime minister’s deal until the legislation to enact it – the EU withdrawal bill – is passed,” reports Andrew Sparrow in live reporting for the Guardian.The...

Timeline of Ukraine Scandal: Kyiv Post

Oleksiy Sorokin. October 19, 2019
Government officials withholding military aid to Ukraine for a political favor is at the heart of an impeachment inquiry underway since September 24. A telephone call and testimony to three committees of the House of Representatives indicate that Donald Trump directed his private attorney and government staff to re-investigate and disqualify numerous US investigations that have found Russia was...

Sea of Troubles: The New Republic

Ben Ehrenreich October 17, 2019
Conflict, a changing climate, famine and poverty destroy communities throughout the Middle East and Africa, driving thousands of people of all ages to risk crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe’s safety. Authorities have documented more than 18,000 deaths in the Mediterranean since the start of 2014. Worries about unchecked immigration have boosted far-right populism, and Europe’s leaders...