Chevron vs. Ecuador
September 3, 2009 5 min. read

Oil giant Chevron says that it had obtained video recordings — and has posted them on its website —  that appear to show an Ecuadorean political operative seeking $3 million in bribes, in connection with a $27 billion lawsuit the company. It is the latest wrinkle in the on-going class action lawsuit brought by dozens […]

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Rising Remittances During an Economic Downturn: At What Cost to Filipino Migrants?
September 2, 2009 2 min. read

A recent Boston Globe article discussed the dramatic impact of the large-scale migration of workers from the Philippines, and the remittances that they send back home. Two major points are worth noting here: 1. Over 10 million Filipinos workers have migrated overseas, representing an astounding 11% of the country’s population. What does this mean for […]

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Uganda's Oil
September 2, 2009 3 min. read

Central Africa is not the first place energy people traditionally think of when it comes to oil. Now it appears Uganda may have up to 2 billion barrels of the stuff, according to their government. The question is what to do about it. Uganda would like to have a refinery, although some oil companies say this […]

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The Case for Sheila Bair as Treasury Secretary
September 1, 2009 5 min. read

In a NY Times Op-Ed, Sheila Bair, Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) outlines a compelling litany of reasons why the Obama administration’s proposed regulatory changes, while good in many respects, does not sufficiently address the issues that caused the current – or will prevent future – financial sector crises.

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Film Series Examines U.S. – Iran Relations
September 1, 2009 2 min. read

Oberlin College will screen a film series next week examining the relationship between the U.S. and Iran. From the press release: “Iran and the West” is the title of the three-part film series by producer Norma Percy ’63 and her colleagues at Brook Lapping that explores how all previous attempts to open a dialogue between […]

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Why you need a Lawyer, a CPA, and a Philanthropic Advisor…
September 1, 2009 2 min. read

The increasing professionalization of (Western) Philanthropy has left most of us, the average check writer, in the dust.  Professionalization is not necessarily a bad thing, but it elicits a similar answer to questions of “why I am unable to do my husband’s treasury job” and “why I need a lawyer to help me buy a […]

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"Above all, do no harm"
September 1, 2009 3 min. read

The human rights group Physicians for Human Rights released a new report yesterday detailing the role that health professionals played in interrogating and torturing inmates at Guantanamo Bay.  The role of health professionals first came to light in a 2004 CIA report, but Physicians for Human Rights now claim that they played a much more […]

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America’s Great Power
September 1, 2009 1 min. read

Should America be a great power? If so, can the United States remain a great power? Christian Brose, senior editor at Foreign Policy, and Rachel Kleinfeld, president of the Truman National Security Project, debate the future of the world’s hegemon and rising heavyweights on bloggingheads.tv. Christian Brose argues that “the greatest advantage that the United […]

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Track II Diplomacy Alive and Well
September 1, 2009 3 min. read

Last week I was thrilled to host a dinner for a delegation from Uganda in the US on a State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) visit.   The conversation over dinner was an amazing mix of  informal chat and high politics.  The members of the delegation came to Albany, NY on the final leg of their multi-city tour […]

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Town Halling Afghanistan
August 31, 2009 1 min. read

As we wait for Gen. McChrystal’s report on the war in Afghanistan I thought I would call your attention to this YouTube video in which the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen invites questions from the public on national security and military personnel issues for an online discussion billed as a […]

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U.S. Taxpayers Earn $14Bn Profit on Fed Bailout Loans
August 31, 2009 2 min. read

According to reports in both the Financial Times of London, as well as the New York Times, the Federal Reserve has made a $14Bn profit on TARP loan programs to struggling banks using tax-payer funds.

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The Ashraf Saga
August 31, 2009 3 min. read

The cracks are widening.  The pieces are falling through.  The people are holding on for dear life, trying their best to regroup – to speak to a world where so many are suffering.  Journalists have been barred.  Only a few brave individuals with camera phones were able to record the brutality of the Iraqi Security […]

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