In The News

World Stares at Trump: Washington Post

Dana Milbank October 21, 2019
Whether on denying climate change is a problem or pulling US troops from Syria while giving Kurdish allies five days to avoid Turkish forces, Donald Trump rationalizes policies that the rest of the world find incomprehensible. The US president seems alone against the world, suggests Dana Milbank for the Washington Post. Trump blames the intelligence community, the news media, academia and...

UN Cash Crunch: Washington Post

David Bosco October 15, 2019
The United Nations is running a deficit of $230 million and has stopped hiring, slashed travel and cancelled meetings due to funding shortages resulting from members failing to pay annual dues in a timely way. “The organization uses factors including a country’s economic size and wealth to assess its ‘capacity to pay’ and determine its annual bill,” reports David Bosco for the Washington Post. US...

The End of Inflation? The Economist

The Economist October 15, 2019
Inflation was once a high priority for economists, and governments put full force into combatting the decline in the purchase value of their respective currencies. Most governments that target inflation have the phenomenon in control or even worry that the rate is too low, despite historically low interest rates and unemployment rates as well as recent stimulus funding. Traditional economic...

US Ends Two Science Advisory Boards: Hill

Miranda Green October 6, 2019
Donald Trump issued an executive order in June, urging departments to consider eliminating a third of the country’s advisory panels. Steps have been taken to disband two: the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Invasive Species Advisory Committee run by the Interior Department. Such panels are typically staffed by...

Economic Battle of Our Time: RealClearMarkets

Allan Golombek October 3, 2019
President Donald Trump emphasized national interests, sovereignty and pride in his remarks before the UN General Assembly. Nations that avoid trade, though, could be at a disadvantage, explains Allan Golombek for RealClearMarkets. “Trade is the glue that largely holds together and fortifies the global economy,” he writes. “Unravel it, and the impact makes itself known – quickly.” With rising...

Mainstreaming of Corruption: Project Syndicate

Sławomir Sierakowski September 30, 2019
Power is lucrative and intoxicating, and some politicians will use any means necessary to remain in office and ruin democratic checks. Special interests, lobbying interests and extremists tend to support nepotism, self-dealing, patronage, misuse of public resources, graft and bending rules, reinforcing a downward cycle of corruption and public cynicism. “In many countries, even supporters of anti...

Not Disclosing ESG Data: Wall Street Journal

Maitane Sardon September 29, 2019
Investors prefer hearing about environmental, social and governance impacts from companies rather than surprise announcements from the media or government investigations. The term ESG investments was coined in 2005. “[W}hile companies that don’t disclose environmental and social data may not always lose investors, they are more often being passed over by new investors, in favor of firms with...