Pandemic Readings from Economists
1. Jim Stock 2. Michael Greenstone and Vishan Nigam 3. Sergio Correia, Stephan Luck, and Emil Verner 4. Robert Barro, Jose Ursua, and Joanna Weng
Why North Korea’s Missile Launches Are ‘Business as Usual’
*Rintaro Nishimura* *Security, * Kim Jong-un’s message is this: business as usual. With or without coronavirus, 2020 was going to be the year North Korea ramped up its efforts to build its defense program. Launches are a means to check the capability of their weapons. It also helps defend the narrative that Kim Jong-un will not back down and that the country will continue to fight hostile forces. On Saturday, March 21, North Korea fired a pair of short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The missiles were fired from a site near Sonchon in North Pyongyang province a... more »
Musicians Get Some Aid from Spotify (And from Congress)
*Stephen Silver* *Technology, * As coronavirus and its related quarantines continue to shut down much of the U.S. economy, among those who are really having a hard time are musicians, and others employed in the music industry. Here comes Spotify and Congress to the rescue? As coronavirus and its related quarantines continue to shut down much of the U.S. economy, among those who are really having a hard time are musicians, and others employed in the music industry. Most music venues are closed, as are recording studios, which have caused income to dry up for many who make their ... more »
5G iPhone Launch May be Delayed Thanks to Coronavirus
*Ethen Kim Lieser* *Technology, * [image: The Apple logo is displayed at an event at their headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Lam] The novel coronavirus has already forced major events like the Summer Olympics, MLB’s Opening Day and SXSW to be canceled or delayed. It will indeed be interesting to see if Apple can topple that trend. Autumn is usually Apple’s season to release its new lineup of iPhones. But with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to wreak havoc around the world, Apple may be forced to change its plans. According to a N... more »
Here’s Where the Coronavirus Crisis Could Help Thaw Diplomatic Standoffs
*Michael O'Hanlon* *Security, World* [image: North Korea, COVID-19, Coronavirus, America, Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump] Success is not impossible. In this moment of global tragedy, but also solidarity, it is worth asking: are there problems we might actually be able to solve in the time of coronavirus? Can we find opportunity in this terrible crisis? The potential for diplomatic breakthrough seems plausible in places where pride, stubbornness, and emotional history have impeded negotiations that might otherwise go forward. In such situations, coronavirus might provide an excuse fo... more »
Peacock and Other New Streaming Services Still Set to Launch (But No Olympics)
*Stephen Silver* *Technology, * Is this a good idea? The quarantines that have resulted from the coronavirus outbreak may have caused the economy to take a major hit, but they've been a big boon to streaming services. A report this week found that all eight of the major existing streaming services have posted subscription gains since the current crisis began. The existing services are set to get competition later this spring and summer, with the arrival of three new streaming entries. And according to a new report, the new services are planning to proceed with their launches as... more »
Why the Coronavirus Is No Reason to Ease Sanctions on North Korea
*Jihyun Park* *Security, Asia* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2019%3Anewsml_RC137238E550&share=true] Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jung are too dangerous. On May 9, 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo handed a document to Kim Jong-un at a meeting during his second visit to North Korea. While the content was kept confidential, Kim Jong-un passed the document to Kim Young-cheol, the Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea. However, after the meeting, Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jung, who was waiting outside of the conference room, ran to ... more »
The Real Coronavirus Crisis: Could Netflix Run Out of Content?
*Stephen Silver* *Technology, * In an interview on CNN this week, Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said he’s not concerned about that possibility, at least not yet Considering the massive amount of content that's currently housed on Netflix, one would think it impossible for them ever run out. And while watching every single thing on the service that they want to watch is likely out of the question for any particular Netflix subscriber, the streamer's business model depends on new stuff arriving just about every day. Whether it's TV seasons, movies, standup special... more »
America Nearly Went To War To Free Mexico From France
*Warfare History Network* *History, Americas* After the Civil War, America's eyes turned south. *Key point: *The withdrawal of French forces soon led to the fall of Maximilian’s cardboard government. The continued presence of a handpicked French puppet emperor in Mexico, which had so worried the Lincoln administration during the Civil War, remained a sore point with American political and military leaders after the Union victory in 1865. Almost as soon as he had accepted Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, in April of that year, General Ulysses S. Grant turned his... more »
North Korean Missile Tests Are Not in Lockdown During Coronavirus Pandemic
*Eric Gomez* *Security, Asia* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2020%3Anewsml_RC2MOF9NXXK4&share=true] Kim has his reasons. The coronavirus pandemic is going to change the world but it won’t change North Korea’s missile tests, which have occurred three times since the beginning of the global public health crisis. The missile tests serve as a reminder of the persistent stalemate that has existed since the failed Hanoi summit of late February 2019. This state of affairs will likely persist for the rest of the coronavirus pandemic and potentially b... more »
U.S. Army Developed a Cannon That Can Destroy a Target at Nearly 40 Miles
*Peter Suciu* *Security, * Expert: While the M1299 won't match the 75-mile distance of the Paris Gun – at least not yet – those rounds will be far more accurate on enemy positions The purpose of artillery has always been to hit a target at extreme distances, and this month the U.S. Army demonstrated a precision-guided artillery projectile that had an effective range of 39.8 miles during a live-fire exercise earlier this month at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. That is the distance between Washington, D.C. and Annapolis, Maryland. At the demonstration on March 6, two shots... more »
This Is How One Nation is Fighting Coronavirus
*Michael Rubin* *Security, Africa* Somaliland’s lack of diplomatic recognition often translates into international neglect, but sometimes, models for proper and proactive management can come from unexpected places. Africa—with dense megacities, poor health infrastructure, and heavy Chinese investment—remains a growing coronavirus [COVID-19] concern, even as African governments respond aggressively to the public health threat. East Africa, especially, is at risk because the coronavirus pandemic coincides with the arrival of locust swarms disrupting agriculture and the economy. On... more »
Bernie Sanders Was Never Going to Revolutionize National Security
*Van Jackson* *Politics, Americas* If you want revolution, you better have a plan beyond people power. Because Washington sure as hell does. Imagine Bernie Sanders had won the Democratic nomination and then the presidency. He built a grassroots movement across the country, eschewed big donors, and was staffed primarily by Beltway outsiders. He promised to end endless wars, slash the defense budget, reject trade deals that harmed the middle class, and combat the rising tide of authoritarian capitalism around the world. While the foreign policy aspects of his revolution were more ... more »
Israel and Iran Are Enemies, But They Joined Forces To Stop Iraq's Nuclear Ambitions
*Sebastien Roblin* *History, Middle East* Iraq never stood a chance. *Key point: *Unwilling to directly retaliate against Israel, Saddam instead hammered Iran’s own nuclear nuclear research facility in Bushehr. At dawn on September 30, 1980 four American-made F-4E Phantom jets screamed low over central Iraq, each laden with air-to-air missiles and three thousand pounds of bombs. Prior to entering Iraqi airspace they had rendezvoused for aerial refueling with a Boeing 707 tanker escorted by two more advanced F-14 Tomcat fighters—the type immortalized six years later in the film ... more »
Israel's Neighbors Never Had A Chance To Win The Six Day War
*Warfare History Network* *History, Middle East* It was a truly decisive victory. *Key point: *A surprise attack can go a long way. The Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF’s, or Zahal’s) strategic invasion of the West Bank region of Jordan began at 5 pm on June 5, 1967. The assault was launched by one of two armored brigades attached to the Peled Armored Divisional Task Force (Ugdah Peled), part of Zahal’s Northern Command. Initially, the attack was aimed merely at neutralizing Royal Jordanian Army 155mm artillery fire that was striking the Israeli Air Force’s (IAF’s) strategically vit... more »
Meet Taistelukenttä: The Finnish Modern War Film Everyone Should Watch
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2015%3Anewsml_GF10000109046&share=true] A prediction of what might come? *Key point: *The older film is used to train Findland's military. Here's how the updated one will reflect the realities of how a potential adversary, such as Russia, wages war. The pedagogical value of short films for military recruits is well known to the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). In some units, every class sees some short films that are meant to prepare them in some way for their jobs as soldiers. One o... more »
Solid Tank, Solid Price: Will China's VT-4 Outsell America's Abrams Tank?
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Asia* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2016%3Anewsml_S1AETJHGXVAA&share=true] The market is heating up. *Key Point:* The VT-4 gets the job done and doesn't break the bank. But if a country wants top-of-the-line and doesn't mind spending, then the M1 Abrams is the way to go. While China’s primary tank is the ZTZ-99, its military industry (in the Western tradition) has also developed completely original designs for export. One of the designs that’s achieved considerable success is the VT-4, which has been recently adopted ... more »
Yes Russia Has Its Own "Warthog": Meet the Powerful Su-25
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2015%3Anewsml_GF10000039007&share=true] Is it as good? *Key Point:* The Su-25 was very effective. It has been used many times and Moscow wants to keep and modernize this important plane. The Su-25 is one of the most visible signs of the Russian Air Force’s might. Since its debut during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s, the Su-25 has seen service in every conflict involving Soviet or Russian forces, from Chechnya to Georgia to Syria. *This piece was originally featured in July 20... more »
Pentagon To Withhold Covid-19 Coronavirus Data Within Its Ranks
*Reuters:* *Exclusive: As coronavirus spreads, U.S. military to withhold some infection data* WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military has decided it will stop providing some of the more granular data about coronavirus infections within its ranks out of concern that the information might be used by adversaries as the virus spreads. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper outlined the plan in an interview with Reuters, saying that he wanted the military to keep providing broader data about infections in the armed forces, which rose by 30 percent to 227 cases on Wednesday. But Esper, a... more »
“Those who are in a shelter or without shelter cannot self-isolate”: Halifax deals with homeless population during COVID crisis
The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. Amid a public health emergency that relies on people keeping six feet apart to halt the spread of COVID-19, a team is putting on a full court press to deal with one group of citizens. Housing Nova Scotia, the Halifax Regional Municipality, the YMCA, and […]
Europe marks 25th anniversary of open borders with closed ones
Just In - 1 day ago
The European Union has marked the 25th anniversary of its Schengen open-border policy with internal land borders shut or subject to heavy checks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Wake Up! Your Fears Are Being Manipulated
[image: undefined] I’m not worried about the guy coughing next to me. I’m worried about the ones who seem to be looking for Jim Jones. Jones was the charismatic founder of the cult-like People’s Temple. Through fear-based control, he took his followers’ money and ran their lives. He isolated them in Guyana where he convinced over 900 of them to commit suicide by drinking cyanide-laced grape Kool Aid. Frightened people can be made to do anything. They just need a Jim Jones. So it is more than a little scary that media zampolit Rick Wilson wrote to his 753,000 Twitter followers: “Peo... more »
Australian MP Joins Armenian-Assyrian-Greek Initiative for Genocide Recognition
Assyrian International News Agency - 1 day ago
Australian lawmaker John Alexander (fourth from left) with some of the Joint Justice Initiative advocates.Member of Parliament and Chair of the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, John Alexander has signed an Affirmation of Support joining the Joint Justice Initiative launched by the Armeni
Coronavirus: News media sounded the alarm for months – but few listened
Jacob L. Nelson, Assistant Professor of Digital Audience Engagement, Arizona State University at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 1 day ago
There's a lot of scholarship, but a likely reason is pretty basic: People simply don't trust what they're reading and hearing.
5 reasons the coronavirus hit Italy so hard
Sara Belligoni, Ph.D. Student in Security Studies, University of Central Florida at Politics + Society – The Conversation - 1 day ago
The coronavirus found dangerously fertile ground in elements of the country's demographics, business, geography and culture.
Advice for Parents: Talking to Kids About COVID-19
Below is a blog post from the University of Kentucky College of Education Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology’s Candace Hargons about best practices when talking to your kids about COVID-19. In these unprecedented and trying times, most of us are having to manage our own fears and concerns about how we want to live through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harvest Health, Verano end mammoth marijuana merger
What was one of the largest acquisitions ever announced in the marijuana industry – a deal valued at $850 million when Phoenix-based multistate marijuana operator Harvest Health & Recreation said a year ago it would buy Chicago’s Verano Holdings – has been mutually terminated, the two companies said Thursday. The coronavirus and other financial and regulatory […] Harvest Health, Verano end mammoth marijuana merger is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Farm Credit Canada COVID-19 assistance available to cannabis sector – with a catch
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) said cannabis businesses hit by economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply for short-term, government-backed credit and loan payment deferrals, a move that could provide a financial lifeline for some companies. The credit, extended in the form of a loan, would come from a 5 billion Canadian dollar ($3.5 […] Farm Credit Canada COVID-19 assistance available to cannabis sector – with a catch is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Has Global Reaction To The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Been Overblown?
*WNU Editor:* When I look at *recent pandemics* .... 1.1 million deaths Asian flu (1957 - 1958), 1.0 million deaths Hong Kong flu (1968 - 1970), and 200,000 deaths Swine flu (2009 - 2010) .... compared to today's 22,000 deaths from Covid-19 .... has the reaction been overblown? Will this pandemic produce the same death total numbers that pandemics in the past 60 years have produced even though the global population has more than doubled during this time and Covid-19 death rates are now declining in China, South Korea, and other Asian countries? Currently, the global number of Covi... more »
BREAKING: Commander keeps spreading a virus around!
*THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020The suits keep letting him do it:* Donald J. Trump, the commander in chief, strode before the nation's cameras at roughly 6 PM Eastern. The news channels had been teasing the briefing for over an hour. The commander took control of prime time, then quickly began to spread his virus around: TRUMP (3/25/20): The governor is doing a very good job. I spoke to the governor—Governor Cuomo—last night and this morning, and he mentioned that, in his remarks, that he’s using the—that we are using—and *I think he feels, because he understands negotiation—he thinks w... more »
Se Bastasse una Canzone
Eros Ramazzotti – Se Bastasse una Canzone (Live) Link: https://youtu.be/jSin2FKPDB4 NB: Ads benefit the youtube channel. This blog is still … Continue reading →
Run Forrest, run!!!!
In response to my article “Tom Hanks on the Mend” _____________ Run Forrest, run!!!! Lance Tom Hanks survived 4 years on an island as a castaway He spent a year in an airport without being able to leave Caught AIDS in Philadelphia He was in World War II and rescued Private Ryan; He went to ... Read more Run Forrest, run!!!! The post Run Forrest, run!!!! appeared first on Ice Age Now.
Battered Souls – A Podcast About Transformation with Dylan Charles – Episode #001
*Dylan Charles* - There's been no better time to get this new podcast up and running. Thanks for tuning in!
Economic hysteria getting worse
The hysteria from China virus is getting worse. This afternoon, I went to this public market in Makati, convenient because there is no or little queuing, unlike in Shopwise, Landmark, SM Hypermart, etc. Close. And all sari sari stores, 7-11 near it are also close. It will open tomorrow said some locals there, until 1pm only. Three days ago, March 23, first time the LGU barangay implemented social distancing and limited the number of buyers inside. In nearby sari-sari stores, this notice was posted -- The store should not sell to people without quarantine pass. Nopera virus, no w... more »
Can the Intra-Party Rift Be Healed, At Least For Now? Or Must the Fight Be Fought in 2020?
*by Thomas Neuburger* I’ve written before about the wide and deep rift that splits all three layers of the Democratic “party”*. Today, that split within these layers — office-holders and leaders; activists and campaign workers; voters and angry non-voters — is widening. *A Legacy of Betrayal* The split is greatest in the third layer, among the voters, as the sense of betrayal is greatest there as well. For many who were inspired by Obama’s promise of hope and change, 2008 is seen as a betrayal in retrospect, as they watched his Yes-We-Can promises (for example, to scrap the salar... more »
Announcing 2020 Mini-Fundraiser for Water Cooler!
2020 Mini-Fundraiser for Water Cooler
States Lifting Regulations to Help Business During COVID-19 Shows How Useless These Laws Are
[image: laws]The ability to suspend these laws without fear of endangering the public opens the door to questioning their purpose.
Video of Cop Shooting Tiny Chihuahua So Bad, Cop Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty
[image: dog]A police officer has been convicted of animal cruelty and forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after infuriating video showed him shoot a chihuahua.
‘Good Boy!’: Cop Praises K-9 as He Forces It to Maul Surrendering Man Until He Passes Out
[image: K-9]Florida taxpayers will likely be shelling out $400,000 to a convicted criminal because a sadistic cop forced his K-9 to maul him as he surrendered.
Professors Fear Online Lectures Will Be Shared By Scary Conservatives
From reclaimthenet: As more lectures go online because of the coronavirus pandemic, some professors are worried that what they’re teaching could be exposed to “right wing sites” and are discussing ways to limit the distribution of what they teach online. These discussions started when Texas Christian University Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Farris tweeted: “If you are recording a lecture on anything controversial, be prepared for right wing sites to ask students to share it.” Dr. Rachel Michelle Gunter, a Professor of History at a community college in North Texas, r... more »
Open Borders: Now Do You See What We’re Missing?
In Open Borders, I never claim that immigration restrictions make life in the First World bad. I don’t try to scare people into supporting more immigration, a la, “Without more immigrants, we’re doomed.” What I claim, rather, is that immigration is a massive missed opportunity. While life is fine the way it is (or was, until […] The post Open Borders: Now Do You See What We’re Missing? appeared first on Econlib.
Edible Forest Gardens: A Quick Review of a Very Beautiful and Useful Book
A permaculture gardening book for those isolated and seeking a project, or just a good read.
Rural and Native communities call for halt to Keystone XL due to coronavirus threat
Photo: Faith Spotted Eagle (right) and members and supporters of Brave Heart Society and the Yankton Sioux Tribe inside a solar-equipped tiny house built to take on tour of proposed KXL “man camp” locations to raise awareness about MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women). The tour has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus public health emergency. Photographer: Jen Cohen)
Trump’s Misplaced Reliance on Justice Department Memoranda to Protect His Financial Records
Trump Tower Chicago. (Flickr/ShyCityNXR, https://flic.kr/p/nW8Xgq/; CC BY-NC 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/) This term, the Supreme Court will decide *Trump v. Vance*, a blockbuster case concerning the legality of a state grand jury subpoena for President Trump’s tax returns and other financial records directed at his accounting firm Mazars. Though the court has temporarily postponed oral argument in the case in light of the coronavirus pandemic, it has not given any indication that the delay in argument will push back resolution of the case beyond this term.... more »
Coronavirus Worsens Yemen’s Long Tale of Woe
Global Issues News Headlines - 1 day ago
SANA’A, Yemen, Mar 26 (IPS) - Abdul Mohammed is a humanitarian worker for Oxfam Yemen In every room in Yemen's Al-Saba'een hospital, patients in critical condition waited on chairs, and still others laid on the bare ground. I saw women and girls sharing beds in pairs, and children laying close together being treated. Read the full story, “Coronavirus Worsens Yemen’s Long Tale of Woe”, on globalissues.org →
East Asian Lessons for Controlling Covid-19
Global Issues News Headlines - 1 day ago
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 26 (IPS) - By the third week of March 2020, the number of Covid-19 deaths in Italy had overtaken the number of deaths in China. Authorities all over the world are restricting the movements of their populations as part of efforts to control the spread of Covid-19. Read the full story, “East Asian Lessons for Controlling Covid-19”, on globalissues.org →
COVID-19 in the Time of Insecurity
Global Issues News Headlines - 1 day ago
AMMAN, Jordan, Mar 26 (IPS) - Humankind has outlived multiple pandemics in the course of world history. The kingdoms and states of Central and Western Europe abolished the institution of serfdom once it had become clear that medieval rule in the aftermath of devastating pestilence would founder without ending the dependency and servitude that characterized the Dark Ages. The vulnerability of entire nations to the risk of total collapse in the absence of widespread access to the most basic healthcare in the Spanish Flu spurred governments to build the public health systems that hav... more »
For New York, Coal Is Out and Renewables Are In
The last coal-fired power plant in New York is closing and its power will be replaced by renewable energy—wind and… The post For New York, Coal Is Out and Renewables Are In appeared first on IER.
For the umpteenth time: it's not the object that's the problem, it's the person using it!
How many times have we tried to explain that a tool - like a gun, or a knife, or a hammer, or a motor vehicle, or whatever - is not to blame for its misuse? It has no moral volition of its own, no ability to choose. Those reside in the person using - or misusing - it. Blame *them* for the problem, not the thing they're using! This has just been demonstrated yet again to the police in London, England. Robbery gangs have turned to using pushbikes in the face of a police crackdown on moped crime, it has been revealed. Both the Metropolitan and City of London police have seen a rise... more »
AP Sources: US to Indict Venezuela’s Maduro, Aides
The indictment of a functioning head of state is almost unprecedented and is bound to raise tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Can China take over the West peacefully?
In the U.S., the initial unemployment claims were filed by 3.283 million people last week, obviously an all-time record. That's slightly up from 250-450 thousand that you get during a mundane hurricane such as Katrina. The shutdown is equivalent to a Katrina that takes place in every state and in every week. I expect the reading published next week to be even worse. In spite of that troublesome figure, the Dow Jones continues its rises of this week and goes up by 4.5% today. It's a bit fishy. Maybe some whale is buying? Can a country like China, the strongest non-Western power, explo... more »
Accelerating Albania and North Macedonia Membership EU Tries to Save Face amidst Coronavirus Debacle
Both states are not even remotely close in an economic or democratic sense to be candidates More The post Accelerating Albania and North Macedonia Membership EU Tries to Save Face amidst Coronavirus Debacle appeared first on The Duran.
We Won’t Go Back to Normal, Because Normal Was the Problem: The Thirteenth Newsletter (2020)
26 March 2020 — Tricontinental Li Zhong (China), Paintings for Wuhan, 2020. Dear Friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. It is hard to remember that just a few weeks ago, the planet was in motion. There were protests in Delhi (India) and Quito (Ecuador), eruptions against the old order that ranged … Continue reading We Won’t Go Back to Normal, Because Normal Was the Problem: The Thirteenth Newsletter (2020)
Johnson’s “herd immunity” strategy and the London Conference on Intelligence whitewash: Britain’s ruling class and eugenics
Last Sunday, the London Times reported on a private event held at the end of February at which leading Conservative government advisor Dominic Cummings explained the UK’s coronavirus response. Those present summarised his position as “herd immunity, protect the economy, and if that means some pensioners die, too bad.” A senior Conservative source described his view as “let old people die.”
Boris Johnson’s coronavirus measures: Political criminality that will cost tens of thousands of lives
“Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses,” Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared Monday.
Has Saudi Arabia Shot Itself in the Foot With Its Oil Price War?
The impact of coronavirus has destroyed the demand for oil and neither Saudi Arabia, Russia or the United States will escape the resulting price war unscathed. The post Has Saudi Arabia Shot Itself in the Foot With Its Oil Price War? appeared first on MintPress News.
Was The U.S. The Best Prepared Country For A Global Pandemic?
*FOX News:* *US was more prepared for pandemic than any other country, Johns Hopkins study found* The United States was ranked the best-prepared country in the world to handle a pandemic in late 2019 by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (JHCHS) -- an assessment seemingly at odds with claims by Democrats that the Trump administration left the country vulnerable to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The Global Health Security Index was was "developed with guidance from an international panel of experts from 13 countries, with researc... more »
Doctor Mengele Rising
The only way that Donald Trump and his kleptocratic cronies can make their America great again is to make their servants work for them again. This is notwithstanding the corrupt political duopoly's relative pittance of $1,200 checks and a few extra months of guaranteed enhanced unemployment benefits. These are nothing but the shiny little baubles they twirl before us in order to mask the multi-trillion dollar permanent slush fund that they've allocated for themselves. Democracy is not only a myth, it has officially been declared a dead myth. This is especially true when more than a ... more »
China Uses Coronavirus Panic as Excuse to Crack Down on Churches
[image: china-uses-coronavirus-panic-as-excuse-to-crack-down-on-churches] Amid the outbreak, the Communist Chinese government has reportedly been busy vandalizing, destroying, and spying on churches while suppressing religious worship.
New Mexico Sues Google for Spying on School Kids
[image: new-mexico-sues-google-for-spying-on-school-kids] The state of New Mexico is suing Google for illegally violating the privacy of students by secretly collecting sensitive data through Google “Chromebooks” and the company's infamous “G Suite for Education.”
Emergency of Expanding Government
[image: emergency-of-expanding-government] As localities seek to take over ambulance services from private providers, the reasons such services should stay private become apparent.
Creativity and Compassion Continue to Combat the Coronavirus
[image: creativity-and-compassion-continue-to-combat-the-coronavirus] News about the impact and death toll of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, is constant. Yet we shouldn’t lose sight of the exceptional vitality that the private sector is demonstrating during this mess.
Flying Blind: Air Force KC-46 Tanker Pilots Can't See What They Are Doing
*David Axe* *Security, * The cameras don't work. *Key point:* The gap comes at the same time that the Air Force insists it needs more tankers. The U.S. Air Force just admitted that its new aerial tanker doesn’t work. But the service still wants to keep buying the flawed refuelers while also retiring older tankers that everyone knows work just fine. The Air Force has decided it would deploy Boeing new KC-46 tanker only in the event of a major war, the service's chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein told U.S. Transportation Command and Defense Secretary Mark Esper. *Aviation Week* w... more »
Coronavirus Is Testing Medical Supply Chains To the Breaking Point
*Emily Tucker* *Security, World* [image: A medical staff member wearing a protective suit works at the special unit of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine for the patients who are suspected to have contracted COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, in Moscow, Russia March 25] Will they survive? The COVID-19 pandemic has brought medical supply chains into the spotlight. There has been a national shortage of testing kits, and at least one drug is already unavailable because of the outbreak, though it hasn’t been publicly named. As operations engineers who focus ... more »
Four Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Could Unfold
*Adam Kleczkowski, Rowland Raymond Kao* *Health, * What is the future of COVID-19? Certain models can help us predict several outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused several thousand deaths, widespread health problems, massive anxiety and economic losses. Most people are concerned with what happens day by day as we wait for control measures to work. But we should also be concerned about whether or not we will be living with the virus for a long time. Will we be able to eradicate COVID-19, as we did with Sars? Or will we need to learn to live with it like we do with th... more »
Donald Trump's Nationalist Response to the Coronavirus
*Paul R. Pillar* *Politics, * "One might think that even the faithful who have their MAGA hats pulled firmly down above their eyes would have their faith shaken by such abrupt shifts, but evidently that is not the way politics and public opinion in the United States work today." A crisis as sweeping in its economic and social effects as the covid-19 pandemic will have lingering political effects on a global scale. Sometimes such an international trauma sears important, beneficial, and lasting lessons into the consciousness of publics and governments alike. This might not happen,... more »
Russia Has Made China's Air Force Stronger Than Ever
*Lyle J. Goldstein* *Security, Eurasia* The PLA Air Force has made impressive progress in a short period of time. *Key point: *For decades, the flow of expertise and equipment generally went in one direction. Can a more equitable arrangement be found? Chinese air power these days is something to behold. In the course of just about thirty years, Beijing’s aerial inventory has gone from quite obsolete to cutting edge. It’s worth noting, moreover, that Chinese airpower is but one tool that Beijing can wield in the skies. If its massive missile forces perform as expected, destroying ... more »
Notes on the Present Crisis: Korea Coronavirus Edition
*James Holmes* *Security, * U.S. Naval War College Professor James Holmes: Let’s learn from South Koreans; reach out to North Koreans while entertaining no illusions about prospects for cooperation, and stand to our defenses. In his poem “The Present Crisis” (1845), the Cambridge, Massachusetts abolitionist James Russell Lowell called crises “God’s stern winnowers, from whose feet earth’s chaff must fly.” That’s a familiar sentiment as pestilence—one of the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—tramples societies and economies across the globe. Some societies have fared bette... more »
The Coronavirus May Change How We Work for Good
*Lisa Cohen* *Security, Americas* [image: Reuters] Many of the tasks employees are doing now were not imagined even weeks ago. People are becoming crisis managers, sanitation monitors, and work-from-home co-ordinators. Nearly a million people in Canada have already applied for employment insurance, and analysts are predicting that coronavirus-related jobless claims in the United States could exceed three million. Job loss is only one of the many effects of COVID-19 on work and workers. These effects cascade beyond accelerating the ongoing work-from-home movement. Some of these c... more »
Boeing Is Building New F-15EXs Like Legos
*David Axe* *Security, * But is this fighter a good investment? It had been 15 years since the U.S. Air Force received a new F-15 Eagle fighter from Boeing when the flying branch in mid-2019 made a surprise announcement. It would begin purchasing copies of an updated version of the twin-engine dogfighter -- the F-15EX -- in order to complement the service’s F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. The basic F-15 at the time was a more than 50-year-old design. It first flew in 1972. The F-15EX, however, is a new airplane that only *looks *like a classic F-15. The new Eagle’s guts are amo... more »
Watch This Futuristic Army Attack Helicopter Destroy Russia's Best Tank
*Michael Peck* *Security, * The helicopter doesn't exist yet. The call goes over the radio as three T-14 Armatas – Russia’s most advanced tank – explode under a salvo of missiles. Their killers -- American attack helicopters – swoop away in search of fresh prey. They quickly find it in the form of what looks T-15s – the armored troop carrier version of the Armata. The T-15s are also wiped out. None of this was real. The battlefield was fictional, the Armata tanks just entering service now, while the Invictus attack helicopters – assuming the U.S. Army even buys them – wouldn’t b... more »
What to Do While Under Coronavirus Lockdown
*Clare Holdsworth* *Health, * It can be hard to deal with a sudden lack of life plans. Coronavirus has brought about an unprecedented global shutdown. China imposed lockdowns in cities in Wuhan and other cities in the province of Hubei from late January, many of which are starting to relax. Much of Europe is under what largely amounts to house arrest. The UK government, meanwhile, recommends stringent social distancing for the most vulnerable for a minimum of 12 weeks. Schools, universities, bars, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops are closed, with no timetable for reopeni... more »
Cuba Tries To Keep Its Sole Submarine A Secret, But We Now Have A Photo
*David Axe* *Security, * Delfin’s small size belies its destructive potential. *Key point: *Havana doesn’t have the option of leveraging numbers in order to create major obstacles to U.S. Navy deployments. Cuba has exactly one submarine. And we finally have a good, recent photograph of it. Forbes reporter H.I. Sutton was among the first to circulate a tourist’s 2020 snapshot of the Cuba navy’s sole *Delfin*-class submarine. The photo depicts the diminutive *Delfin *pierside in Havana. A nearby trawler offers some sense of scale, emphasizing just how tiny *Delfin* is. The Cuban ... more »
Russia's Typhoon: This Is the Biggest Submarine on the Planet
*Caleb Larson* *Security, * [image: The Russian nuclear submarine Dmitry Donskoy is prepared for the Navy Day parade in Kronshtadt, a seaport town in the suburb of St. Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2017. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov] The Typhoon-class of Soviet/Russian submarines is the largest in the world. Once masters of the sea, there is now only one lonely Typhoon left, the other 5 of its class are retired, decommissioned, or laid up. The Typhoon-class is massive. According to Russian sources, a submerged Typhoon-class displaces 48,000 tons. For a sense of size, the largest submari... more »
Iran's Seizure Of A British Tanker Was A Wake Up Call For The Royal Navy
*David Axe* *Security, Middle East* Britain's navy is a shadow of its former self. *Key point *That the Royal Navy struggles to maintain two warships in the Persian Gulf reveals just how overstretched the fleet is. The Royal Navy plans briefly to double its number of warships in the Persian Gulf following an attempted attack by Iranian forces on a British oil tanker on July 20, 2019. But the temporary increase in British warships in the region, from one to two, underscores just how few ships the Royal Navy can deploy even in an emergency. Iranian boats tried to “impede” the Bri... more »
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment