Written by Econintersect
Early Bird Headlines 04 June 2017
Econintersect: Here are some of the headlines we found to help you start your day. For more headlines see our afternoon feature for GEI members, What We Read Today, which has many more headlines and a number of article discussions to keep you abreast of what we have found interesting.
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Global
The end of globalisation? Don’t be so sure (Financial Times) It is remarkable how much projections of the distant future can depend on the experience of the immediate past. At the turn of 2017, evidence was piling up that the globalisation of the world economy, and more broadly the international liberal order, was in headlong retreat. The European Union had been wracked by a refugee crisis that tested governments’ commitment to openness and co-operation, and found some severely wanting. In a campaign dominated by immigration and a return to national sovereignty, the UK had reversed its four decades of political integration with continental Europe and voted for Brexit. And most dramatically, the US had just elected a president who seemed determined to destroy America’s role as a geopolitical hegemon and anchor of the global economy. This article discusses three new books that present counter-arguments to those above.
U.S.
White House to ramp up infrastructure effort in coming days (The Hill) The White House will kick its major infrastructure initiative into high gear next week with a string of high-profile events aimed at ramping up support for one of President Trump’s chief campaign promises. The administration had been under increasing pressure to show progress on the $1 trillion rebuilding package, which Trump broadly outlined in his budget proposal last week.
While work on the infrastructure proposal has been underway for months, next week will mark the administration’s most public effort yet to sell stakeholders, lawmakers and the public on Trump’s plan.
Still, the full legislative package likely won’t be unveiled until later this summer. In the meantime, the White House will start to flesh out more details about the proposal over the next week.
Written Proof That the President’s Lobbyist Ban Is Worthless (The New York Times)
We wanted to believe that President Trump was doing the right thing when the White House announced in January that executive branch officials would be banned for two years from working on policy or regulations they once were paid to influence as lobbyists and lawyers.
His pledge now seems worthless. On Wednesday, after weeks of prodding, the administration released waivers it had granted to White House staff members to let them violate the rule. The waivers – for at least 16 staff members – are further evidence of the White House’s disregard, even contempt, for good government.
Democratic Party Resistance to Medicare for All Traceable to Campaign Funding (The Real News Network)
US Pulling Out of Paris Agreement is Not Such a Bad Thing (Twitter) Hat tip to Barry Rotholtz. Michael Liebreich offers a “tweet storm”:
1. I’m not sure @RealDonaldTrump pulling the US out of the Paris Agreement is such a bad thing. We may be surprised at how things play out. It is very counter-intuitive, exhibits good Second level thinking, and could very well play out as @MLiebreich expects:
2. The figures Trump quoted on the costs of Paris to US are pure tosh. If that’s all he’s got, it’s trivially debunked, will not age well.
3. It’s no longer possible to pretend Trump is anything other than a buffoon. This will have domestic as well as international consequences.
4. Internationally, US officials will be shocked by their pariah status, not just on climate. The world has moved on since the Dubya years.
5. Far from encouraging other countries to quit Paris, it will strengthen their resolve. The EU and India must now deliver or be humiliated.
6. Domestically, this should mark the point when sensible Republicans finally start rowing back to the scientific and social mainstream.
7. This will spur a tidal wave of climate action by US states, cities, businesses & citizens. I bet the US will meet its Paris 2030 pledge.
8. So pulling out of Paris stiffens everyone else’s resolve to act on climate, marginalising Trump and the anti-climate headbangers. Sweet!
9.Finally FWIW: EU leaders miscalculated in ruling out renegotiation. It’s a voluntary deal FFS! Let him demand an extra scoop or whatever.
10. I nearly forgot! A number of clean energy technologies are beyond the tipping point & will keep eating fossil market share in any case.
UK
Six killed as militants plow van into crowd on London Bridge, stab others (Reuters) Militants drove a van at high speed into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing Saturday night revelers on the street and in nearby bars, killing at least six people and wounding more than 30. Armed police rushed to the scene and shot dead the three male attackers in the Borough Market area near the bridge, as authorities urged Londoners on Twitter to “run, hide, tell” if they were caught up in the violence.
The attacks come days ahead of a June 8 election and less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Theresa May in Election Jitters Caught Lying About Tory Plans to Cut The National Health Service (The Real News Network)
India
India, Once a Coal Goliath, Is Fast Turning Green (The New York Times) India canceled 13.7 gigawatts of proposed coal-fired power plants last month alone, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said. The government has admitted that an additional 8.6 gigawatts of coal-fired generation capacity built at a cost of $9 billion is potentially no longer financially viable because of competition from renewable sources, the institute said.
Philippines
Police identify lone gunman behind Philippine casino attack (Reuters) The lone gunman behind Friday’s deadly attack on a casino in the Philippine capital has been identified as Jessie Carlos Javier, a 42-year old Filipino, police said.
Japan
Japan holds evacuation drills as North Korea presses on with missile tests (Reuters) North Korea has been increasing the number of its missile test launches in recent months, launching 12 so far this year and three last month, with many splashing into the Sea of Japan, some inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, which extends up to 200 miles from its shores.
Tokyo has repeatedly condemned the test launches, which are in violation of U.N. resolutions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government earlier this year instructed municipalities to hold evacuation drills, heightening a sense of urgency among the public.
Security experts say the drills won’t necessarily protect everyone from ballistic missiles, but going through the evacuation procedure in a simulated situation will help people survive in an actual attack.
China
Mattis praises China’s efforts on North Korea, dials up pressure on South China Sea (Reuters) The United States is encouraged by China’s efforts to restrain North Korea but Washington will not accept Beijing’s militarization of islands in the South China Sea, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday.
The comments by Mattis, during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, show how U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is looking to balance working with China to restrain North Korea’s advancing missile and nuclear programs while dealing with Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea.
U.S. allies have been worried by Trump’s actively courting Chinese President Xi Jinping to restrain North Korea, fearing Washington might allow China a more free rein elsewhere in the region.
