In The News

Angus Deaton’s Nobel Is a Victory for Globalization – And Raises Hard Questions About It

Tim Fernholz October 13, 2015
Economies are built on people’s choices, and the Nobel for economic sciences, the Sverges Riksbank Prize, has been awarded to Angus Deaton for his research in that area. “In a world where we increasingly measure welfare based on what we can consume, Deaton has given policymakers important tools to boost prosperity, particularly in poor countries, while arguing – sometimes controversially – that...

Islamic State Is Prime Suspect in Turkey Bombing as Protests Erupt

Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk October 12, 2015
Suicide bombers attacked a peace rally organized by activists in Ankara, killing at least 97 people. Many suspect that Islamic State extremists are responsible for the attack as the country prepares for the November 1 election: “Opponents of [President] Erdogan, who has led the country over 13 years, blame him for the attack on a rally organized by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, accusing...

Climate Change Threatens Global Financial Crash

Paul Brown October 12, 2015
Volatile weather patterns, with severe droughts, floods and wildfires increase concern about climate change. The uncertainty contributes to a volatile stock market, and the chairman of the G20 Financial Stability Board warns that a panicked sell-off of stocks for companies reliant on fossil fuels could lead to a financial crash. Mark Carney, also governor of the Bank of England, points out that...

Islamic State Is Prime Suspect in Turkey Bombing as Protests Erupt

Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk October 12, 2015
Suicide bombers attacked a peace rally organized by activists in Ankara, killing at least 97 people. Many suspect that Islamic State extremists are responsible for the attack as the country prepares for the November 1 election: “Opponents of [President] Erdogan, who has led the country over 13 years, blame him for the attack on a rally organized by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, accusing...

Us Against Them? Why Globalization Doesn't Have to Pit American Workers Against the World's Poor

Jeff Spross October 9, 2015
Global poverty is in decline. The percentage of the world’s population living in extreme poverty is 14 percent, dropping by half since the early 1990s. Yet wages have stagnated in advanced economies like the United States. “The paradox is that both trends have probably been pushed along by the same forces: globalization and international trade,” reports Jeff Spross for the Week. Many workers in...

Refugee Camps Empty as Syrians Head for Europe

Elisa Oddone and Alisa Reznick October 9, 2015
The United Nations, international charities and neighboring nations like Jordan have organized camps for refugees streaming from the civil war in Syria since 2012. At one point Zaatari Camp was Jordan’s fourth largest population center. But the conflict has lasted too long. Syrians are impatient for jobs, education and stability. Elisa Oddone and Alisa Reznick, writing for Time, describe a...

Rise of Muslim Population Poses Challenge for India

Riaz Hassan October 8, 2015
If current demographic trends continue, the ranks of religious believers in the world could rise through 2050, reports a Pew Research Report. Islam would show the fastest rate of growth, and the unaffiliated would decline in proportion to other religious categories. Riaz Hassan, director of the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding at the University of South Australia,...