Globalization without the U.S.

July 10, 2019

There is a new global phenomenon that the U.S. media largely have ignored, but that may have a big impact in the future: Call it “globalization of the rest of the world,” or “globalization without the United States.” While President Trump has withdrawn from some of the world’s biggest agreements — such as the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and the 195-country Paris climate accord — and has announced tariffs on European, Canadian and Mexican goods, the rest of the world is signing major agreements that bypass the United States: On June 28, the ...

Alas, Mad is pulled down by its humor

July 10, 2019

What? Mad magazine will disappear from newsstands after August? Well, as Dorothy Parker is said to have said after hearing of President Calvin Coolidge’s death, “How can they tell?” After 67 years of publishing elegantly illustrated goofiness, Mad’s “Usual Gang of Idiots” is calling it quits — although not quite totally. DC Entertainment, the division of Warner Bros. that publishes the magazine, says Mad will still be available in comic shops and through mail to subscribers. But after its fall issue in August, it will just reprint golden oldies from its 550 ...

Climate change has minor winners and big losers

July 10, 2019

A terrible thought, but suppose the planet were to heat up by 2 degrees Celsius — the level past which environmental damage would be catastrophic. It would also be wildly expensive. That much warming could cost the global economy $69 trillion by 2100, according to a study by Moody’s Analytics. The consulting firm breaks down the pain country by country. Saudi Arabia would be the hardest hit. Among the larger economies, India would suffer greatly, as well as Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. But a handful would actually see their economies grow as result. Canada is most ...

Lazy people don’t immigrate to America

July 9, 2019

Earlier this year I was at my local gas station at 6 a.m. stocking up on caffeine for the commute. I joked with the young Ethiopian attendant about how haggard he looked and how happy he must be to get some rest after a graveyard shift. He smiled at me, pointing out that he still had one more job before going home. He told me that he has three jobs in total and sleeps for a few hours in the afternoon. “America!” he said, knowing that, as an immigrant from Egypt, I would understand what he meant: When you are lucky enough to come to America, you work as hard as you can to ...

‘Free from foreign intrusion’

July 9, 2019

John Sarbanes and Brian Frosh The Baltimore Sun On July 4, Americans of all political stripes join together to celebrate our nation’s independence from overseas monarchs, from foreign influence, from interference in our democracy. This is the moment to apply the lessons of 2016, when our election infrastructure — the core of American democracy — was attacked by a foreign adversary in a choreographed and coordinated effort. State and local election systems across the country were probed and, in some cases, breached. Outsiders exploited digital platforms to wage a ...

He’s not a babysitter, he’s a dad

July 9, 2019

My mom was a working mom before there were really working moms. She went back to school, got another degree in psychology and began a life of juggling her patients, her family and herself. But when I think of my childhood, I have far more memories of my dad. He was the one who taught me to catch, schlepped me to museums and incessantly quizzed and questioned me on the complexities of life. He did not want his daughters growing up dependent on anyone. Now that working moms are the norm, more dads are stepping up, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. Today’s fathers, at least the ...