In The News

Global Call for Action

April 9, 2020
More than 200 political leaders, economists, academics and directors of NGOS have issued a call to action from G20 governments, urging immediate global coordination and emergency measures for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Both crises “require world leaders to commit to funding far beyond the current capacity of our existing international institutions,” explains the letter...

Trump Threatens to Withhold Funding for WHO: NYT

Michael D. Shear April 8, 2020
Critics have blasted Donald Trump’s delay in recognizing COVID-19 as a crisis and failing to implement strong public health measures early on. In a press conference, he directed a similar charge against the World Health Organization and raised the threat of withholding US funding from the global group. The US contribution represents about 10 percent of the WHO budget. “They called it wrong,” the...

US Energy Independence Is Dying: OilPrice.com

Irina Slav April 8, 2020
As COVID-19 spread worldwide, Saudi Arabia and Russia failed to agree on oil production limits. Russia suggested it would slash production only if the United States did likewise, putting a dagger into any notion of US energy independence. Many US firms reject a deal with OPEC or Russia. Production continues, global oil storage is running out; the US economy remains dependent on fossil fuels and...

Lockdown Disrupts Agri Supply Chains: Dawn

Mohammad Hussain Khan April 7, 2020
Wheat is ready for harvest in Pakistan, but the areas are in lockdown since March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many farmers anticipate governments to extend lockdowns. At the same time, they anticipate price pressure for the crops. Sharecroppers face particular challenges. “Whilst a grower has multiple income generation options, a sharecropper depends on one crop or livestock to keep his...

Free Trade’s Underlying Condition: Reuters

John Foley April 7, 2020
Individuals tend to panic and hoard during a crisis. The same is true for nations that must distribute protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic with globalization, reliable supply chains fall by the wayside. With demand running high for protective masks, the US president ordered 3M to supply US markets before Canada and Latin America.“The $80 billion company protests, pointing out that...

George Orwell Lives: The Times of India

Nayan Chanda April 6, 2020
George Orwell’s novel 1984 describes an unsettled society under constant surveillance by a totalitarian government promoting ignorance and striving to control every action and thought. In the absence of trust, leaders expect citizens to agree mindlessly with any proclamation regardless of the facts. Nayan Chanda compares the novel to China’s propaganda and censorship in touting its leadership...

Face Mask Data: Ars Technica

Beth Mole April 5, 2020
East Asia quickly endorsed masks to fight spread of COVID-19, while the United States and Europe, following the lead of the World Health Organization, initially urged reserving such equipment for health providers. That thinking evolved, with health experts recommending cloth masks for citizens while maintaining social distance, washing hands, avoiding crowds and keeping a distance of six feet in...