Topic Category: Politics

With gas prices at the pump hovering near $2 a gallon, many Americans are reveling in the belief that this represents a long-term shift to an oversupply of domestic gasoline resources. While it's hard to predict how long we will enjoy these lower prices, we all know how volatile the energy market can be. We are just a world crisis away from oil prices soaring again.

After languishing for eight years under the congressional leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, prospects for trade liberalization are once again promising in 2015. With Republicans taking control of the Senate and increasing their majority in the House, President Obama can expect greater receptivity to his trade initiatives on Capitol Hill. But an important question lingers: Does the president actually support his own trade agenda?

A steep fall in global oil prices has reinforced strong downward pressure on the ruble. This was triggered in 2014 by massive outflows of foreign capital in response to sanctions imposed by the U.S., the EU, and other western countries to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea and hostile actions in eastern Ukraine.

Russia's new agreement to sell Nigeria arms to combat Boko Haram (BH) is evidence of its desire to expand its global geopolitical influence as well as enhance its reputation for being willing to step in where the West will not. At issue is not simply a common desire on the part of both governments to extinguish extremist movements such as BH, but an interest in finding alternative ways to bypass the conventional arms trade.

The recent midterm elections have sparked hope that a Democratic White House and a Republican-controlled Congress will advance a number of long-stalled customs and trade initiatives. To help lawmakers brighten the holiday season before they adjourn for the year, we put together the following list of bills to boost domestic employment, expand foreign markets, align policy with existing business practices, aid developing countries, and lower consumer prices.

President Obama will soon announce an executive action to defer the deportations of somewhere between 1 million and 4.5 million unauthorized immigrants. Those whose deportations are deferred will be eligible for a temporary work permit through a 1987 provision in the Code of Federal Regulations.

The curious drop in gasoline prices, which recently dipped below $3 for the first time since December 2010, may be welcome by consumers. But the accompanying dive in crude oil prices has some U.S. producers concerned. Though typical economic stressors of higher supplies and weaker global demand are in play, the current slump is indicative of a crude oil price war being waged by Saudi Arabia.

Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to be seen by the German electorate as a steady hand well-suited to leading in a time of crisis. The latest opinion polls show the chancellor’s center-right CDU running far ahead of its coalition partner, the center-left SPD, and Merkel’s own approval rating is holding steady at 65 percent. However, with the economy showing signs of faltering, and the outlook clouded by conflict between the EU and Russia, her popularity cannot be taken for granted.

Before becoming prime minister, India’s Narendra Modi was barred from receiving a visa to visit the U.S. A rising leader in the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he was tied to deadly sectarian violence. But now he leads one of Asia’s most important powers and the Obama administration rolled out the red carpet.