Every week, GPII Interns and Fellows scour the global news to write about what is happening in a specific issue area or region. Each post includes multiple sources and gives a brief recount of a timely event. Check back regularly to see what GPII Interns and Fellows have written.
A summit of European Union leaders began on Friday to discuss coronavirus recovery strategies, including a 1.85 trillion euro recovery fund. Leaders failed to reach an agreement following the summit’s fourth day, but eventually reached a $2.1 trillion deal Tuesday (AP 2). Disagreements between the pro-recovery spending Franco-German coalition and the so called “frugals,” being […]
Posted July 27, 2020
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a delay of Parliament’s opening (New Indian Express). This announcement came as a response to the spread of COVID-19 in Australia’s two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales (Reuters). Morrison asked the speaker of Parliament to cancel the two-week session that started on August 4th (Reuters). Morrison stated […]
Posted July 27, 2020
On July 1st, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new rule allowing homeless shelters to ignore the gender identity of transgender individuals (Vox). The new rule does not allow homeless shelters to exclude transgender people, but it lets homeless shelters determine housing based on gender assigned at birth (Vox). […]
Posted July 27, 2020
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that sanctions were being imposed on Venezuelan Chief Justice Maikel Moreno (Reuters). In addition, Pompeo announced a $5 million reward for any information leading to Moreno’s arrest or conviction (Reuters). Pompeo accused Moreno of accepting bribes to influence the outcomes of criminal proceedings in Venezuela (El […]
Posted July 27, 2020
In order to fight a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa reinstated a nightly curfew and an alcohol ban within the country (Al Jazeera). The curfew lasts from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., during which residents may only leave their homes to seek medical care or travel to or from work […]
Posted July 17, 2020
An estimated 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance within the first few months of 2020 amid mass layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic (The Independent). According to a study by Families USA, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis have caused the greatest health insurance losses in American history (The Hill). The estimated increase […]
Posted July 17, 2020
On Tuesday, July 14th, hundreds took to the streets of Belarus to protest the Central Electoral Commission’s decision to exclude two presidential candidates from the ballot, Viktor Babariko and Valery Tsepkalo (Reuters). The two candidates were hoping to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years (Reuters). Babariko was rejected from […]
Posted July 17, 2020
On July 9th, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the nation would immediately suspend their extradition agreement with Hong Kong (Reuters). This decision came as a direct response to the passing of China’s controversial national security law in Hong Kong (CNN). Opponents of the security law stated that it would drastically reduce many democratic […]
Posted July 15, 2020
During a visit to French Guiana over the weekend, new French Prime Minister Jean Castex vowed to aid the territory in its coronavirus response (AP). French Guiana accounts for roughly 25% of France’s total number of coronavirus cases, despite containing 0.5% of the French population (AP). Lockdowns were recently reimposed in French Guiana, despite the […]
Posted July 15, 2020
According to a study and initiative by Stanford Earth and Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson, global methane emissions have reached the highest level ever recorded (Earth). The research shows that human activities, such as coal mining, oil and natural gas production, and cattle ranching, are the primary causes (NBC). Africa and the Middle East; China; […]
Posted July 15, 2020
