In The News

COVID-19 Debt Deluge: Project Syndicate

Jayati Ghosh March 16, 2020
Crises immediately expose any weaknesses in public infrastructure, and COVID-19 will reveal needs in public health and economic systems. Societies realize that privatization and cost-cutting for health care for vulnerable populations expose all citizens to infection, explains Jayati Ghosh. Analysts anticipate a recession with supply chain disruptions and entire regions locked down. “A world...

Central Banks Line Up to Rescue Markets: Asia Times

Umesh Desai March 15, 2020
Financial markets fell sharply during the second week of March, rivaling the 1987 plunge. Central banks try to stabilize economic systems hit by the health crisis of COVID-19. “Expectations of fiscal support measures are rising in addition to the deep rate cuts by various central banks already included in bond prices,” explains Umesh Desai for Asia Times, describing how a new series of liquidity...

Countries That Contained COVID-19: New York Times

Benjamin J. Cowling and Wey Wen Lim March 15, 2020
China reports new infections of COVID-19 have slowed with strict containment measures and travel restrictions. China also discouraged home quarantines and set up special monitoring locations. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan have deep ties to China and prevented massive outbreaks without drastic shutdowns, explain Benjamin J. Cowling and Wey Wen Lim for the New York Times. The measures include a...

EU, UK Urged to Clarify Citizens’ Rights: EURACTIV

Benjamin Fox March 14, 2020
Between 300,000 and 1 million British people live part of the year in Spain and 150,000 live in France. Two reports suggest that such citizens confront a “no man’s land” on citizens’ rights post-Brexit as governments tend to treat such residents as tourists. “The findings suggest that ex-pat Britons face a lack of clear information, unresolved questions and confusion over residency regulations,...

China and Global Balance of Economic Power: Lowy

Roland Rajah and Alyssa Leng March 13, 2020
A rising China since 1980 has changed the global trade landscape. The world’s leading manufacturer, the largest trading nation and second largest economy has displaced the United States from its traditional dominance. Roland Rajah and Alyssa Leng analyzed bilateral trade data from the International Monetary Fund’s Direction of Trade Statistics database, focused on exports and imports, and...

EU Condemns Trump Travel Ban: AP

Lorne Cook and Samuel Petrequin March 12, 2020
Nations try may approaches to combat COVID-19, including school closings and bans on public gatherings, even as the World Health Organization head points to alarming levels of inaction. “The European Union on Thursday lashed out at President Donald Trump’s ‘unilateral’ decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States over the coronavirus, saying that the illness doesn’t respect...

Social Distancing Saves Lives: MarketWatch

Matthew McQueen March 12, 2020
More than half the global population could eventually be infected with COVID-19, and the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable. Sudden outbreaks can overwhelm health systems with limited staff, hospital beds and equipment. Already US testing capacity is stressed. To avoid disaster, public health experts advise avoiding large gatherings and maintaining social...