CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE 02/11/14 By Christopher Simmons SAN FERNANDO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Seeking to lower the number of long-term unemployed Americans, a Tea Party Republican joined with a Los Angeles Democrat today, introducing legislation in Washington D.C. that would provide long-term unemployed Americans with assistance in moving to search for […]
Trade Policy
Helping Cuba on the Road to Reform
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 11/26/13 By Michael Shank Earlier this month, five Cuban nationals – sponsored by the Center for Democracy in the Americas – made the trek from Havana to Washington to discuss the openings they, and Cubans like them, are pursuing in the nascent private economy. Having […]
Tea Party, Progressives Unite on Fast-Track Trade Authority
WASHINGTON TIMES 11/13/13 By Michael Shank WASHINGTON, November 13, 2013 — With the Tea Party coming out hard against President Obama’s trade agenda, there may be some synergy among conservatives and progressives in tackling this year’s hottest transnational conflict. Outspoken critic of the Obama trade agenda and Washington Times Communities […]
Creating Just Jobs Around the World
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 10/31/13 By Michael Shank and Sabina Dewan One of the biggest drivers of inequality is a lack of jobs. But not just any jobs, just jobs, ones that come with appropriate wages, rights, protections such as healthcare and pensions and opportunities for economic mobility. As […]
Congress Needs to be Involved in Trade Talks
THE HILL 07/11/13 By Michael Shank, Ph.D. With 150 negotiators in 24 working groups descending on Washington D.C. this week to take part in the first round of US-EU trade talks, and with the joint EU-US High Level Working Group saying that “ambitious outcomes” should be sought for the areas […]
The Big Problems in Obama’s Big Trade Deals
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 07/08/13 By Michael Shank Framed as the biggest trade deal in the history of the world, trade representatives from the United States and the European Union meet in Washington this week to begin transatlantic trade talks. This is one of two major trade deals on […]
Congress Should Scrutinize Pending Trade Pacts
POLITIX 07/05/13 By Michael Shank President Barack Obama’s decision to suspend trade relations with Bangladesh due to worker safety concerns sets new a precedent for two major trade deals on the administration’s docket – the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). These proposed pacts […]
Iran’s Election Win Warrants US Sanctions Rethink
HUFFINGTON POST 06/17/13 By Michael Shank and Kate Gould Iran’s presidential elections offered a rare opportunity for the world’s media spotlight to shift from focusing on Iranian officials, donning white lab coats flanked by metallic centrifuges, to the Iranian people. Tens of millions of Iranians headed to the polls to […]
The Iran Opening
POLITICO 06/17/13 By Michael Shank and Wayne Gilchrest U.S.-Iran diplomacy got a boost recently with the White House nomination of Samantha Power as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. While Power, who chaired President Barack Obama’s Atrocities Prevention Board, is not shy about military intervention, her work with […]
U.S. Sanctions On Iran Should Be Lifted For Humanitarian Goods
POLITIX 06/15/13 By Michael Shank and Kate Gould Iran’s presidential elections on Friday offered a rare opportunity for the world’s media spotlight to shift from focusing on Iranian officials, donning white lab coats flanked by metallic centrifuges, to the Iranian people. Tens of millions of Iranians headed to the polls, […]