August, 2017

• 7 August

  Senate chairman move ramps up Trump Russia probe

  

  Bloomberg Donald Trump may have annoyed the wrong man in Congress. Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has been ramping up an investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign, in addition to the president’s dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey. The plain-spoken Iowa Republican had sharply criticized the administration’s initial failure to respond ...

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• 7 August

  Trump’s great growth debate raises questions

  

  The argument between the Trump administration and its critics over a sustainable rate of economic growth raises profound questions about America’s future. Have we entered a prolonged period of slow growth? If so, how does that alter society and politics? Or will the “right” policies raise growth to past levels? If you haven’t paid attention, here’s a brief overview of ...

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• 7 August

  Has China’s rise into a global economic superpower stalled?

  

  The fall from grace of China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. continues to get steeper. Not long ago, the mysterious firm was chasing one foreign deal after another, becoming a symbol of China’s global economic ambitions. Now it appears the government may be pressuring Anbang to divest those prized foreign assets. If that proves to be the case, China will ...

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• 7 August

  How Japan could remove melted atomic fuel it lost

  More than six years after three nuclear reactors melted down in Japan, the country is homing in on the lost fuel inside one of them. Japan’s biggest utility and owner of the wrecked Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc., last week released images that for the first time showed what’s likely melted fuel inside the No. 3 ...

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• 7 August

  Vietnam pays price for econmic success

  Asia’s newest tiger economy is about to find out the cost of being a member of the club. Vietnam has more than doubled its gross domestic product over the past eight years, becoming a high performer in the world’s fastest-growing region. One consequence is it’s now well-enough off to be disqualified from getting development funding from international institutions on a ...

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• 7 August

  Tillerson is right not to preach US values much

  

  Recent leaks from the US State Department suggest that Secretary Rex Tillerson is not interested in one of its traditional missions: promoting democracy across the world. But could it actually be a wise move to pause those efforts—especially at this undeniably awkward moment for the US? Josh Rogin at The Washington Post reports that State is looking to amend its ...

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• 7 August

  Older Americans aren’t as poor as we thought

  

  Millions of American workers are frozen out of their companies’ pension plans. Maybe you get a 401(k), if you’re lucky. But the traditional pension is dead. Unless, perhaps, you’re already retired. It still lives for millions of older Americans who worked and qualified for their pensions in another era. Today’s retirees are living pretty well, new research finds—much better than ...

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• 7 August

  Globalization thrives in Asia thanks to export revival

  

  For all the talk of globalization’s retreat amid the mercantilist rhetoric of Donald Trump, it’s proving to be a very different story in Asia. Exports are resurgent, governments are pursuing free-trade deals, and rather than bringing jobs back home, American automakers are planning new facilities in China. That early-2017 angst over potential for a trade war is now turning into ...

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• 7 August

  Dollar extends gain, crude drops

  

  Bloomberg The dollar extended its gains in the wake of better-than-expected US jobs data, while the euro also rose following its slump on Friday. Crude dropped as major producers gathered to discuss participation in output cuts. The greenback initially struggled to maintain its positive momentum against G-10 peers, before gradually strengthening as US stock futures also edged higher. European equities ...

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• 7 August

  Saudi, Egyptian banks bask in global glow

  DUBAI / Reuters The banking sector helped support stock indexes in Saudi Arabia and Egypt on Monday as investors were influenced by the positive mood in global bourses, while other markets in the region moved little. “With quarterly earnings now largely behind us, investors are looking for fresh triggers, and the optimism buzzing around global markets is just that,” said ...

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