In The News

This Is How Democracy Dies: Atlantic

Yascha Mounk and Roberto Stefan Foa February 7, 2020
Democracy requires hard work, patience, compromise and trust. Citizens may be dissatisfied with a leader but must stay informed and engaged in politics. Yet support for democracy around the world is in decline. The University of Cambridge’s Centre for the Future of Democracy analyzed data from more than 154 countries, 3,500 surveys covering more than 4 million respondents, and social-science...

5 Points on the Coronavirus: Yale Medicine

Kathy Katella February 7, 2020
The new coronavirus originating in China has spread quickly in a globalized world of frequent travel and cross-border trade. But globalization of communications also ensures timely reports on symptoms and best practices as well as collaboration among the world’s public health researchers. So far, 35,000 cases have been confirmed with more than 700 deaths. The new virus, believed to have started...

Global Economy Without Cushion: Project Syndicate

Stephen S. Roach February 6, 2020
Global recessions are rare, but the world may have dodged one in 2019. The world posted GDP growth of 2.9 percent that year, far below the average 3.5 percent posted since 1980. Deviations from the trend signal a warning even for strong economies and corporations, suggests economist Stephen S. Roach with Yale University. “Unlike individual economies, which normally contract in an outright...

Coronavirus and Globalization: Spiegel

Georg Fahrion, Kristina Gnirke, Veronika Hackenbroch, Martin Hesse, Martin U. Müller, Katharina Graça Peters, Michael Sauga and Bernhard Zand February 6, 2020
A coronavirus moves through populations with astounding speed. A Wuhan doctor identified seven cases as a public health issue on December 30. Local authorities berated him for breaking the law before he fell ill, too. The world reports 20,000 confirmed cases in 24 countries with more than 500 deaths. China, responsible for about one-third of global economic growth, responded by closing businesses...

US Travel Ban Includes Nigeria: Al Jazeera

Shayera Dark February 6, 2020
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending travel restrictions for citizens of six countries including Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. Previous orders restricted travel for Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen as well as Chad, North Korea and Venezuela. Nigerians express concern about blocks on family members, and current visa holders...

Senate Acquits President Trump

February 5, 2020
The US Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on two charges: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The vote was not completely along party lines. Multiple Republicans conceded that the president’s actions – urging Ukrainian officials to investigate a political rival and delaying the release of military aid – were wrong. Yet many also rationalized that no crime had been committed and...

Murders at Monarch Sanctuary: Common Dreams

Julia Conley February 5, 2020
The murder of two activists dedicated to protecting monarch butterflies has turned attention to illegal logging in Mexico. “El Rosario sanctuary provides a home for millions of migrating monarch butterflies each year and draws thousands of tourists annually,” reports Julia Conley for Common Dreams. “But the reserve has also drawn the ire of illegal loggers in Mexico, who are banned from cutting...