In The News

US Intelligence Coup: Washington Post

Greg Miller February 12, 2020
Swiss Encryption company Crypto AG began working for the US government during World War II. Customers included 120 countries, including US allies that had no clue the company was “secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence,” reports Greg Miller for the Washington Post. The purchase was made in 1970 through shell companies. The intelligence agencies...

Sinn Féin Gains in Irish Election: AP

Jill Lawless And Nicolae Dumitrache February 11, 2020
UPDATED: Sinn Féin won nearly 25 percent of the vote in Ireland’s February 8 election. “In a surge that upended Ireland’s traditional two-party system, the left-wing nationalist party beat both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, the centrist parties that have governed Ireland since it won independence from Britain a century ago,” reports the Associated Press. “Sinn Fein’s left-wing proposals for tackling...

Not by Bullying: Times of India

Nayan Chanda February 11, 2020
The World Health Organization reports more than 40,000 cases of the new coronavirus with 1000 deaths, exceeding the 2003 SARS death toll. Public health responses vary around the world, and China now relies on those to assess its ties with other nations. For example, China has chastised the United States and other countries for imposing travel bans that incite panic and isolate the Chinese economy...

Why Parasite Won Best Picture Oscar: Screen Rant

Kayleigh Donaldson February 10, 2020
Global audiences embrace stories with global themes. The film Parasite won four Academy Awards, including best picture. The satire explores equality in South Korea: A struggling family with few qualifications connive their way into working for a wealthy family clueless about their own self-worth. The son is tutor, daughter is art therapist, father as chauffer and mother as housekeeper. Kayleigh...

Investors Come Back for Bitcoin: Financial Times

Eva Szalay and Laurence Fletcher February 10, 2020
Bitcoin’s excellent performance in 2019 has attracted investors from banks and asset managers once again, despite past worries about the currency’s reputational risk, lack of regulation, and volatile returns. In 2017, bitcoin went above US$20,000, prompting Wall Street banks to rush and develop their own digital currencies with blockchain technology. CME Group launched the first futures on a...

Australia's Burn-Me Cities: Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Farrelly February 9, 2020
Heavy rain falling in eastern Australia has doused the bushfires but not the horrific memories of destruction. Australians must rethink how they build cities and prepare for a changing climate. “Cities have always been shaped by fire,” writes Elizabeth Farrelly for the Sydney Morning Herald, and she refers to the sturdy, stark architecture that followed the 1666 Great Fire of London that...

PFAS Contaminated Water and Food: Guardian

Tom Perkins February 8, 2020
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of about 5,000 manmade fluorinated chemicals, widely used to produce waterproof and stain-resistant textiles. These chemicals, which don’t break down naturally, are known as “forever chemicals.” But they are also water soluble, polluting soil and nearby drinking-water sources.” It is estimated that PFAS are in 99% of Americans’ blood, and...