In The News

Saudis Threaten New Oil-Price War: WSJ

Benoit Faucon and Summer Said July 1, 2020
Oil prices plummeted in March when OPEC and non-OPEC producers including Russia could not agree on production cuts to stabilize oil prices. Producers opened the taps, and oil prices went into negative territory with worries over storage space. By April, 23 nations agreed to a 10 percent cut in output. But many producers depend on oil revenue for budget, and Saudi Arabia promised a new price war...

Trump Briefed on Russian Bounties Report: NYT

Charlie Savage, Eric Schmitt, Nicholas Fandos and Adam Goldman June 30, 2020
US intelligence agencies briefed Donald Trump in late February on reports that a Russian military intelligence unit paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to two sources, reports the New York Times. The White House claims the report lacked consensus or verification, and the president did not receive a briefing. Uncertainty often...

EU Opens Borders to 14 Countries: DW

June 30, 2020
The European Union, seeking to protect its citizens from the Covid-19 pandemic and citing epidemiological factors like testing trends and serious public health responses, is opening its borders to nationals from 14 nations. The EU is also extending a travel ban imposed in mid-March for travelers from the United States, Brazil, Russia and most other countries beyond July 1. The United States, with...

Iran Reins in Family Planning: BBC News

June 29, 2020
Iran is limiting provision of family planning services at state-run facilities to counter a decline in population growth. Iran’s median age is 32, slightly higher than the world’s median age of 30. The World Bank reports Iran’s fertility rate at 2.1 children per women, which is replacement level. The government also reports that marriage rates dropped by 40 percent in a decade. “Vasectomies will...

Vandalism Against Multilateral Systems: El País

Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León June 29, 2020
The United States has withdrawn from many global organizations, reducing its own leadership role while enhancing influence for China and Russia. Latin American governments could respond to the Trump administration’s efforts to place a US citizen in charge of the Inter-American Development Bank, disrupting traditional governance. The administration often selects individuals who reject the mission...

Chile’s Constituent Assembly: La Tercera

June 27, 2020
Chile has formed a Constituent Assembly, charged with proposing a new constitution. Bruce Ackerman, constitutional law professor of Yale University, offers guidance and maintains that the assembly should not include delegates who are members of the existing government. “If you allow the existing regime to control half of the seats, these members won’t be very interested in correcting the status...

Saharan Dust Plume Hits US: Washington Post

Andrew Freedman, Matthew Cappucci and Jason Samenow June 26, 2020
Storm winds have pushed a thick, 5,000-mile long dust cloud from the Sahara Desert to the United State, deteriorating air quality even as the region struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic. “Although plumes of Sahara Desert dust are routinely ejected from Africa’s west coast during June, the ongoing event is extraordinarily rare, scientists said,” reports the Washington Post. “This event stands out...