In The News

Peter Schwartzstein December 27, 2017
Countries of the Middle East, a region where population growth is high, may be among the first to run out of water. Shortages are associated with a series of conflicts and refugee crises after the country hosted Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis and Syrians. “Globally, water demand is forecast to rise by roughly 50 percent by 2050,” explains Peter Schwartzstein for Newsweek, adding that “21 out of...
David Korten December 26, 2017
Globalization is a tool like the pen and, as such, can be used for worthy or terrible purposes, as YaleGlobal has noted in the past. David Korten, writing for Yes, points out that globalization’s definitions vary and can influence levels of support for the age-old phenomenon. YaleGlobal simply defines globalization as the connections of our world through people, products, ideas and more. Korten...
Tim Fernholz December 21, 2017
The US tax bill is a big win for corporations, with corporate income taxes reduced during a time of record profits, reports Tim Fernholz for Quartz. Emboldened multinationals may expect other countries to do the same. “The US corporate tax rate is being cut by 40%, and rather than taxing global earnings, the US will move to a territorial system, with foreign revenue taxed at a bare minimum,” he...
Peter Beaumont December 20, 2017
The United Nations is an organization where small and less powerful nations can speak out against the powerful. A letter by Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United States, could be regarded as patronizing at best and bullying at worst. She warned UN members that she would be “taking names” of countries rejecting Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel. Jerusalem, controlled...
December 19, 2017
A new US security policy labels China and Russia as “rival powers” that threaten US economic dominance, reports BBC News. A China spokesperson suggested that the United States is “distorting China’s strategic intentions,” and Russia responded by suggesting it “cannot accept” being regarded as a threat. The United States, in emphasizing “America first” policies, must prepare for other countries...
Asha Rangappa December 19, 2017
Law enforcement agencies strive to thwart propaganda and disinformation campaigns, but social media has opened up a new frontier in shaping public opinion. Facebook reported deleting hundreds of accounts based in Russia and paid to promote polarizing material during the 2016 US presidential campaign. “The rise of social media platforms makes the pervasiveness and impact of these operations today...
Eshe Nelson December 15, 2017
Despite ample warnings, including the book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty, inequality continues to rise in most parts of the world: the top 10 percent in the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, India and the Middle East own about half the wealth. More than 100 researchers from 70 nations monitor the dangers through the World Inequality Lab, based at the Paris...