Whims of a Weaver

ICYMI: Recapping the News January 26, 2014

This recap might be the start of a weekly segment highlighting events, news, and commentary that I find to be significant and (largely) overlooked. It is by no means comprehensive. Here’s a quick rundown of some major news stories and commentary from the last week that probably flew under your radar:

Davos

• At the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, the guest list was 85% male. Women and minorities were noticeably underrepresented. David Rothkopf and Mariah Summers comment on the environment at Davos and our culture at home.
• Ian Bremmer: the global net worth of the 85 richest people in the world equals the global net worth of the poorest 3.5 BILLION.

International

• Major protests have been spreading through Ukraine. Max Fisher from the Washington Post has some maps that highlight the fault lines as President Viktor Yanukovych faces anger over his leadership and handling of ties with the EU and Russia.
• As many as 6,000 children have been recruited or forced into joining the retaliatory violence between Christians and Muslims in the Central African Republic. Nearly one million people have been displaced and more than two million need assistance (the country has a population of 4.6 million). Concerns of genocide have led U.N. envoys to warn that “There should be no doubt that the violence in the Central African Republic will stain the conscience of its people and the world forever.”
• Bill and Melinda Gates dedicated the Gates Foundation’s annual letter to combating myths about foreign aid and international development. Although the U.S. dedicates less than 1% of its budget to foreign aid, most Americans falsely believe that the country gives 10-25% of its budget.

Foreign Policy

• The Brookings Institute breaks down the year-to-be in foreign policy with cards and memos highlighting the big issues, risks, and “nightmare” scenarios.
• President Obama’s attempt at negotiations with Iran continues to be a lightning rod for policy thinkers and political commentators. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, describes the difficulty as obtaining a “nuclear deal that is enough for Iran” and “not too much for everyone else.”

Economics

• Billionaire Tom Perkins wants to “call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its war on its “one percent,” namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the “rich.”” Really. And nearly all of the commentators on that Wall Street Journal editorial agree.
• Over at Bloomberg Business Week, Charles Kenny tackles the decline of manufacturing. Politicians gain points for promising the return of manufacturing because the concept appeals to older voters, but Kenny argues that faster wage growth has been associated with states that shifted quickly from manufacturing.

Random

• Mitt Romney and Zach Braff hung out together on a flight and had a pretty great time, from both accounts.
• The White House is taking a page from The West Wing, incorporating Leo McGarry and Andrew Jackson’s “Big Block of Cheese Day.”