In The News

Capitalism or Socialism? Common Dreams

Robert Freeman April 8, 2019
The United States prepares for the 2020 presidential election and Republicans as the party in power insist that their opponents, the Democrats, are increasingly socialist and want to upend the capitalist system. Proper economic governance cannot rely on all capitalism or all socialism, and the definitions suggest that successful and prosperous countries rely on a combination of both. “Tools of...

Poor Diets Linked to Deaths Worldwide: Time

Jamie Ducharme April 4, 2019
Healthy diets could reduce chronic disease and prevent one in five premature deaths globally, reports a study for the Lancet. “The sweeping review – which analyzed nearly 20 years of dietary data from 195 countries, alongside epidemiological studies about nutrition-related health risks and benefits estimates that poor diets killed 11 million people around the world in 2017, mostly by contributing...

India Test Threatens Space Station: Washington Post

Rick Noack April 2, 2019
India became the fourth country in the world to destroy a satellite in low orbit, but in the process created space junk that threatens the International Space Station. India’s satellite was 186 miles and the ISS typically travels at least 205 miles from Earth, but the missile attack shot debris into higher space, explains Rick Noack for the Washington Post. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine...

Brexit Damage for Asia and Africa: Global Finance

Andrew Woodman March 28, 2019
British voters and leaders are divided over whether and how to exit membership in the European Union. The economic damage could spread beyond Europe. The German Development Institute suggests that a no-deal Brexit would mean returning to World Trade Organization tariffs – with “49 vulnerable states will no longer have access to the UK market through an Everything But Arms (EBA) agreement that...

Costs of Global Uncertainty: Project Syndicate

Michael Spence March 27, 2019
Global economic activity is on decline as investors and businesses confront uncertainty. The US-China trade war contributes to the hesitation, as trade partners ponder the costs and benefits of global economic connectivity and players retreat toward old patterns. For example, China’s state-owned enterprises, a target for complaints from the United States and elsewhere over subsidies, have an...

EU Copyright Reform: Deutsche Welle

March 26, 2019
The European Parliament approved a new copyright law, 348 t0 274 with 36 abstentions, that protects original content. Social media and other platforms that reprint content are expected to ensure their content does not violate copyright rules, and behemoth Google News would be expected to pay publishers for snippets shown in search results. Some critics worry about internet freedom, but exposure...

Thanking a Global Supply Chain: Times of Israel

Cindy Sher March 21, 2019
A lot of trade goes into a cup of coffee, and at the urging of his son, authur A.J. Jacobs wanted to express his gratitude. So he set out to research the individuals who helped make the routine of a morning cup of coffee possible and wrote a book. “During his quest, which took him from a farm in Colombia to a steel plant in Indiana, he discovered how interconnected the world is,” explains Cindy...