A new and different kind of global power is on the rise – one that is informal and citizen-based. Attitude surveys indicate that citizens in rich as well as poor countries – aided by dramatically falling costs of communication, participation, and coordination – are aware of the risks a hyper-connected global market system creates, and […]
Ben S. Bernanke says the headwinds that have held back the U.S. economy may be abating, leaving the country poised for faster growth as his tenure as Federal Reserve chairman comes to an end. Read Here – Bloomberg
2014 is the year of the horse in China. But for the rest of us, it might prove to be the year of China. Read Here – Time
Beijing lawmakers and sociologists have urged the government to prepare for a possible baby boom after the capital relaxes its family planning policy next year. Read Here – Xinhua
The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7 percent in November, the lowest since November 2008, raising questions about how much longer the Fed will keep fueling the economy with monetary stimulus. Read Here – Businessweek Let It Ride – The Economist
President Barack Obama pledged an aggressive expansion of U.S. efforts to draw foreign investment by clearing away red tape and having U.S. diplomats court investors who want to break into the market. Read Here – Reuters
Shuanghui International’s $7.1 billion purchase of US pork giant Smithfield was a US milestone for many reasons. Not only was it the biggest investment ever by a Chinese company, it also was proof that the US government could make impartial decisions about Chinese investment. And it meant that 70,000 US workers are now in the employ of […]
It is this longer-term erosion that speaks to France’s economic failure. Germany offers a useful counterpoint. Whereas ten years ago the French economy rivaled Germany’s, today France produces only half the value added. French exports, having fallen more than 20 percent since 2005, are lower today than anytime during the last twenty years. Read Here […]
The World Bank’s survey of Women, Business and the Law reports that almost 90 percent of the world’s countries still have at least one legal difference restricting women’s opportunities in 2014. Read Here – Businessweek
The day Asian leaders have long dreaded is here: The era of rapid growth is over. It has taken five years, but the fallout from what Asians call the “Lehman shock” is finally hitting gross domestic product and living standards, writes William Pesak Read Here – Bloomberg
looking beyond borders 