In His Final Days, Obama Quietly Expands War Powers Before Handing Them Off To Trump
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161129/18102236153/his-final-days-obama-quietly-expands-war-powers-before-handing-them-off-to-trump.shtml
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
In His Final Days, Obama Quietly Expands War Powers Before Handing Them Off To Trump
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161129/18102236153/his-final-days-obama-quietly-expands-war-powers-before-handing-them-off-to-trump.shtml
Religion and Refugee Resettlement in the United States
| Religion and Refugee Resettlement in the United States |
The U.S. State Department’s Shaun Casey and RefugeeOne’s Melineh Kano examine the role of religious communities in refugee resettlement in the United States. Learn more
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"Seven Deadly Sins; Seven Lively Virtues" with Fr. Robert Barron
"Seven Deadly Sins; Seven Lively Virtues" with Fr. Robert Barron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG4VF0jU568
Guest Post by Chas Freeman: China, Trump, and Trade
Here
is a map of US soy bean production sent to me by an insightful analyst
of US-China relations. Our biggest export to China (see
below), and one largely open to substitution. It closely overlaps
states where Trump won.
Will China's Hunger For U.S. Soybeans Last?
© farmdoc daily
It
wasn’t always this way, but in the past two decades, China has emerged
as the world’s biggest importer of soybeans, including a projected 1.171
billion bu. from the United States during the 2014-15 marketing year,
according to recent analysis by University of Illinois ag and consumer
economists, John Newton and Todd Kuethe. They reported their latest
import observations on the university’s farmdoc daily website.
That’s
a stark contrast from the mid-1990s. For the 1995-96 marketing year,
China imported only about 18 million bushels of soybeans. Since that
time, however, the country’s economy enjoyed rapid annual double-digit
growth. Today, China could stand to import as much as 2.7 billion
bushels of soybeans worldwide, according to USDA projections.
“Put
simply, as the world’s largest importer, China’s massive appetite for
soybeans is a significant driver of global and domestic soybean
markets,” the authors write.
Newton and Kuethe developed a novel way of depicting this rising demand.
“One
way to visualize China’s demand for soybeans is to map the consumption
categories as they relate to county-level soybean production acres
across the U.S,” they note.
Mapped
out this way, one can see that Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans in
1995-96 was satisfied by the production of just two counties – McLean
and Livingston counties in Illinois (shown in red below).
Now
fast-forward to the 2014-15 marketing year. The USDA estimates that
U.S. soybean exports to China could total 1.171 billion bushels.
“To
meet this forecast of Chinese export demand production from the top 133
counties would be required,” the authors write. “This geographic
footprint spans from the Upper Midwest, through the Corn Belt and down
into the Mississippi Delta.”
Newton
and Kuethe also note that as U.S. exports to China have risen, they
have also declined in 40 other countries by a total of about 400 million
bushels. The lion’s share of this decline belongs to lower exports to
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan by nearly 150 million bushels since 1995.
Then they ask the essential question – “Are all our beans in one
basket?”
“While
historical growth rates have been impressive, recent forecasts suggest
the Chinese economy is unable to maintain that growth rate,” they note.
With
another bin-busting crop expected for 2015, soybean farmers should keep
a sharp eye on several factors, including competition from other
countries (especially Argentina and Brazil), and understand how the
value of the dollar can influence export opportunities as U.S.
commodities fluctuate in value relative to those elsewhere in the world.
“It
will be especially important for U.S. soybeans to continue finding a
Chinese home if prices are expected to remain at or above current
expectations,” the authors write.
Want more market talk and speculation? Visit the "Marketing 2015" thread, which is by far the most popular conversation on the AgWeb discussion boards.
Advent Word of the Day by Sr Anne | Pauline Books and Media
St
Paul was stating the obvious when he wrote, “The runners in the stadium
all run in the race, but only one wins the prize.” That prize, Paul
remarked, was only a wreath of leaves, “a perishable crown.” In Advent, God invites us (as Jesus invited today's Saint, the Apostle Andrew) to put aside anything that could slow us down and keep us from the finish line of communion with God. What keeps you from running easily toward the God who comes to us?
Look it up! 1 Corinthians 9:24
WPR Articles Nov. 22 — Nov. 30
WPR Articles Nov. 22 — Nov. 30
Where Europeans See Catastrophe in Trump’s Victory, Asians See Chance for Change
By: Ellen Laipson | Column
Europe
and Asia are reacting quite differently to Donald Trump’s election as
U.S. president. Many Europeans see the outcome as a sign of the decline
of the liberal international order. Asians see an opportunity to build a
new order in which Asian powers will be more prominent in setting the
rules.
Bachelet’s Labor Policy Leaves No One Happy in Chile
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
A
month-long strike by Chile’s public sector employees ended earlier this
month after workers failed to win a pay increase of 7 percent and
instead accepted President Michelle Bachelet’s initial proposal of a 3.2
percent raise. In an email interview, Peter M. Siavelis discusses labor
relations in Chile.
How West Africa Became Fertile Ground for AQIM and ISIS
By: Anouar Boukhars | Feature
Al-Qaida
in the Islamic Maghreb and its affiliates have expanded their footprint
in the Sahel and West Africa, looking to economic hubs and coastal
areas that had previously been spared from violence. Unless regional
governments and international actors change strategy, instability will
likely deepen.
In India, Women’s Issues Make Headlines, but Not Progress
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
India’s
minister for women recently declared that the country’s rape problem
was exaggerated, and that the Indian media’s overemphasis on rape was
negatively affecting tourism. In an email interview, Nandita Bhatla, of
the International Center for Research on Women, discusses women’s rights
in India.
Can Cooler Heads Prevail in the South China Sea?
By: Prashanth Parameswaran | Briefing
Since
an international tribunal ruled in July that China’s claims to the
South China Sea lacked legal basis, key actors have tried to ease
tensions. Despite progress, translating these gains into sustainable
solutions for the disagreements between China and five other claimants
will prove difficult.
Could Foreign Policy Failures Sink Macedonia’s Government in Elections Next Month?
By: Paul Mikov | Briefing
When
Macedonians go to the polls in parliamentary elections next month,
foreign policy should weigh heavily on their minds. The government has
declared that its foreign policy has been a success. But from relations
with its neighbors to progress toward membership in NATO and the EU, how
true is that?
Fear of the Unknown as Mexico Awaits the Trump Era
By: Carin Zissis | Briefing
On
the morning after the U.S. election, the front pages of Mexican dailies
responded to Donald Trump’s win with shock, and those fears aren’t
unfounded. While it’s uncertain whether Trump will make good on his
campaign promises, Mexico—and the U.S.—should brace themselves for the
economic fallout.
From Immigration to Security, Why China Is the Key to Understanding Japanese Policymaking
By: Chris Burgess | Feature
China
has come to drive Japanese policymaking in just a few years, from
Okinawa and tourism to migration policy and labor shortages, and from
educational and constitutional reform to security, whaling and trade.
Understanding Japan’s social and political shifts, then, requires
watching China.
Would Kyrgyzstan’s Constitutional Referendum Tighten Atambayev’s Grip on Power?
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Kyrgyzstan will hold a referendum on Dec. 11
on proposed reforms to its constitution that would give more power to
the prime minister, though many fear it would tighten President Almazbek
Atambayev’s grip on power. In an email interview, Medet Tiulegenov
discusses Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional referendum.
The Battle to Repair Iraq’s Social Fabric, Beyond Mosul’s Front Lines
By: Matthew Schweitzer | Briefing
With
international attention focused on the battle for Mosul, there is an
ongoing crisis on a forgotten battlefield in another part of northern
Iraq. Predominantly Sunni towns like Hawija are a test for whether
Iraq’s government and its proxies can mend ties and calm sectarian
tensions.
To Counter Populism, Start by Taking Globalization’s Discontents Seriously
By: Judah Grunstein | Column
The
U.S. presidential election offered a clear example of how emotion and
affect increasingly drive political behavior. But now that the shock of
Donald Trump’s victory has worn off, resolve, and not despair, must be
the order of the day for those who would seek to shore up the liberal
international order.
Can South Africa’s ANC Survive Zuma’s Culture of Corruption?
By: James Hamill | Briefing
Even
by the standards of his corrupt and largely disgraced presidency, the
past month in South Africa has represented a nadir for Jacob Zuma. Has
this notorious survivor finally run out of time? The ruling African
National Congress, split between rival factions, finds itself in a
no-win position.
Can Trump Calm European Nerves Over His Election?
By: Magnus Nordenman | Briefing
The
surprise election of Donald Trump as America’s 45th president has upset
long-standing assumptions about America’s role in the world. America’s
European friends and allies are among those most worried about the
future U.S. role in Europe, at a time when the continent is surrounded
by instability.
Vulnerable to Climate Change, Costa Rica Works to Become a Carbon-Free Economy
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last
month, Costa Rica ratified the Paris Agreement. After the vote, the
environment minister said, “Costa Rica showed the world that it has the
courage to take bold and timely decisions to work for a sustainable
development.” In an interview, Mariel Yglesias discusses Costa Rica’s
climate change policy.
Will the U.N. Post Make Nikki Haley Wish She Was Back in South Carolina?
By: Richard Gowan | Column
U.N.
officials who feared that Donald Trump would nominate a unilateralist
firebrand as ambassador hope that Nikki Haley is someone they can do
business with. But if she struggles, it may not be due to her lack of
foreign policy experience, but because of flaws in both the U.S. and
U.N. systems.
Nigeria Looks to Untapped Mineral Riches to Revive Its Oil-Dependent Economy
By: Matthew C. DuPee | Briefing
Nigeria’s
expansive but untapped mineral wealth is no secret. With sagging global
oil prices and an ongoing local insurgency in the oil-rich Niger Delta,
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is moving to
develop plans to diversify the economy, with its sights set on the
mining sector.
Will the Iran Nuclear Deal Survive Under Trump—and at What Cost?
By: Ellen Laipson | Column
Despite
Donald Trump’s tough talk about canceling the Iran nuclear deal during
the presidential campaign, it appears he may let the agreement remain in
effect. But hostility to Iran seems rampant among his advisers, meaning
the spirit of the agreement will likely be violated, with serious
costs.
Local Governance Vacuums Are at the Heart of Mexico’s Teachers’ Protests
By: Jerónimo Mohar, Benoît Gomis | Briefing
The
Mexican state of Michoacan is not only a bastion of drug cartels, but of
a dissident teachers’ union vehemently opposed to education reforms.
The same conditions that allowed organized crime and vigilante groups to
flourish there are providing fertile ground for the teachers’ union to
wreak havoc.
The Costs of Uncertainty With Trump’s Trade Policies
By: Kimberly Ann Elliott | Briefing
No
matter who was elected president on Nov. 8, there was going to be a
pause in U.S. trade policy. Donald Trump said he would go much further
than Hillary Clinton, but there is uncertainty about what Trump will
actually do once in office. Here is a rundown of key trade issues that
Trump will face.
Why Trump’s ‘America First’ Could End Up Getting Left Behind
By: Judah Grunstein | Column
The
irony of Fidel Castro’s death is that, in closing the symbolic book on
the Cold War, it accentuates the feeling that we are living through the
closing moments of the post-Cold War period. A level of uncertainty has
been introduced into national, regional and global politics not seen
since 1991.
Fr. Bob Warren's This Week's Reflection: Waiting
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Jamestown Board Member KT McFarland Named Next Deputy National Security Advisor
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Michael Flynn, a Top Trump Adviser, Ties China and North Korea to Islamists
Michael Flynn, a Top Trump Adviser, Ties China and North Korea to Islamists
Bishop Barron's Advent Reflecton First Wednesday in Advent: The Days are Coming
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