El Segundo, California is trend forward in the innovation business. The near-LAX city is an unlikely spigot for the next generation of American startups. Venture capitalists find fresh opportunity there in military-related projects, channeling patriotism. Silicon Valley once considered investing in defense to be taboo. A confluence of circumstances has […]
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Tokyo and Seoul Clash Over Abandoned Gold Mines
Sado Island offers nostalgia for many Japanese. It is the site where workers for the Tokugawa Shogunate achieved almost perfect purity in its gold production through handicraft methods. In the 1600s, the mines were responsible for as much as ten percent of global gold output. Based on that partial history, […]
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The Walmart Model Does Not Work in Healthcare
Walmart shuttered its health clinics and sold-off its telehealth business in recent months, amid widespread industry surprise. The convention was that the retail giant had deep enough pockets to make the business strategy work. Apparently, it was unwilling to hemorrhage blood. The firm retreated to its longstanding position in the […]
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In Election Wake, Modi Likely to Reset Economic Priorities
Some international investors seem oddly troubled at prospects for India with a chastened Modi at its helm. There should be relief in the election results. Fresh economic reform may address the severe unemployment that is a curse on the Indian story. The allure of economic growth has sustained global interest […]
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Mexico Is the Cornerstone of US Manufacturing
American politics and American business converge at the Mexican border. In the popular imagination, we find it peculiar that the crossing is viewed as some sort of national liability. The obvious rebuttal is that Mexico is now the largest US trading partner. Many border issues should be dissected, if not […]
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Panama Rewrites Foreign Investment Playscript
The Cobre mine in Panama was once the world’s largest copper mine. Not anymore. In November, the Supreme Court voided a 20-year concession renewal that had just been awarded to Canada’s First Quantum Minerals. The project was responsible for as many as 8,000 jobs, while output amounted to about four […]
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Shifting Sands: How Deep Is Qatar’s Fall on Capitol Hill?
In frustration over mounting challenges in the Middle East, Congress is channeling its energy into criticism of Qatar. The Gulf state is fast becoming an American whipping post for hosting Hamas leadership, not to mention its instinctual remark when Gazan forces breached security fences. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs […]
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Washington Deploys Marines to Safeguard Oil Tankers
An unfolding policy of stationing US Marines onboard commercial oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz seems dangerously theatrical. The approach threatens a direct confrontation between the US and Iran. That analysis, however, may be too simple. As the world’s largest oil producer, the US has diminished interest in protecting […]
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Russia Stumbles With Economic Summit
The Russia-Africa Summit on July 27-28 was an awkward affair. For some analysts, the event spotlighted how isolated Putin has become. That may not be entirely true. The raw economic strength represented in St. Petersburg—including heads of state from all of North Africa, except Tunisia, and the country of South […]
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Lula Intends for Regional Currency To Be His Legacy
Brazil is an economic powerhouse. Still, its global influence wanes as economic trends elsewhere mean its total share of the world economy is declining. Brazilian President Lula da Silva seems intent on shifting that sentiment, at least in diplomatic theater. An obstacle is that there is not enough room for […]
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