In The News

“Almost Too late”: Fears of Global Superbug Crisis in Wake of Antibiotic Misuse

January 7, 2016
Overuse of antibiotics, particularly in the agriculture industry, and a lack of new drugs to combat evolving superbugs could contribute to a global health crisis. An essay in the Guardian reports that “a gene was discovered which makes infectious bacteria resistant to the last line of antibiotic defence, colistin (polymyxins). The resistance to the colistin antibiotic is considered to be a ‘major...

The World Wary as US Federal Reserve Declares End to Debt Crisis

Chris Miller January 5, 2016
Central banks around the globe responded to the 2007-2008 global debt crisis by reducing interest rates and loosening monetary policy to encourage consumer spending, investment, employment and price stability. After seven years the US Federal Reserve lifted interest rates in December and signaled the possibility of gradual rate hikes, a move described by Chairwoman Janet Yellen as a process of “...

Treasuries Extend Global-Debt Rally on China, US Growth Worry

Ari Altstedter and Allison McNeely January 5, 2016
Investors seek secure havens for their savings and governments continue to issue debt. Manufacturing continues to decline in both the United States and China, adding to a surplus in oil stocks, and analysts suggest the news from China followed by a halt in trading prompted a steep decline in global stock prices. “The Treasury rally goes against the consensus that yields will rise in 2016 with...

10 Big Technology Trends Likely to Emerge in 2016

Gadgets 360 Staff January 1, 2016
Technology revolutionizes the world, and predicting technology trends can be tricky. NDTV in India gives it a try by identifying 10 trends, warning “surprises can pop up out of anywhere, anytime.” Leading the list is major tech firms pushing online dependency on licensed services, updates, tracking with ongoing subscriptions and fees. Streaming adds bandwidth pressure and increased reliance on...

The 5 Key Trends in Globalization That Are Changing the US and the World

Edward Goldberg December 23, 2015
Events in one country or one industry can have repercussions that spread throughout the world. Edward Goldberg, a professor who teaches about globalization, identifies five trends for the Huffington Post: China’s economy is slowing, and the government will likely adjust, eliminating inefficient state-owned companies and accepting citizens’ need to adapt to rising unemployment through...

2016: Time for Energy to Reinvent Itself?

Tara Schmidt December 22, 2015
The US Energy Information Administration estimates that renewable energies represent more than 10 percent of world’s marketed energy consumption. A technological breakthrough could make renewables like solar or wind more competitive, suggests Tara Schmidt, Global Trends Research manager, in an essay for Forbes. “While renewables continue to grow, the fossil fuel industry is facing more...

Number of Workers per Retiree Declines Worldwide

Joseph Chamie December 22, 2015
Most governments must juggle budgets and confront the fact that the world has fewer people of working age to support the swelling ranks of the elderly. Joseph Chamie, a demographer, analyzes the Potential Support Ratio, or PSR, and suggests the statistic could reveal more about the overall health of an economy than GDP or other common indicators. “The PSR has weighty implications for governments...