Could the Coronavirus Pandemic Revive International Cooperation?
Quelle: World Politics Review (June 29, 2020)
Stewart M. Patrick, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
In his article, the author asks, “when does a crisis become a turning point in international relations, rather than just augur more of the same?” History provides no definitive answers. Yet, it hints at three preconditions for resurrecting international cooperation, Patrick states, “new thinking, enlightened leadership and a favorable distribution of power.”
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“Transatlantic Perspectives: The Local Impact of COVID-19 and Digitalization”
Quelle: American Council on Germany (ACG, June 26, 2020)
Panelists: Sunanna Chand, Vice President of Systems Reinvention, Teach for America; Bruce Clark, Executive Director, Digital Charlotte; Devin Dienes, Project Manager, Digitalstadt Darmstadt; Steve Sokol, President, ACG (host)
This one-hour video discussion explores issues such as the digital divide, the adaption of education systems and whole cities to the new era brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. According to ACG, “COVID-19 revealed weaknesses in the digital infrastructure of both the United States and Germany; including lack of broadband internet, access to computers, and basic technology skills.”
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“When more delivers less: Comparing the US and French COVID-19 crisis responses”
Quelle: Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE, June 2020)
Jérémie Cohen-Setton, Senior Research Staff, and
Jean Pisani-Ferry, Senior Research Staff
In this policy brief for the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the authors are comparing the government responses of France and the U.S. to address the economic shock of the coronavirus crisis. According to the authors, although the US Paycheck Protection Program is almost double the size (in proportion to GDP) of the French response, it is “less effective in curbing unemployment”. The authors assess the effectiveness of both government programs from March to May 2020 and shed a light on the role of the more extensive “safety net” common in European countries.
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“Reopening the World: Coordinating the international distribution of medical goods”
Quelle: The Brookings Institution (June 30, 2020)
Geoffrey Gertz, Fellow
The author of the article calls for international coordination to promote a more orderly distribution of Covid-19-related medical goods. Such coordination, he argues, especially in procurement is essential for the world’s poorest countries. A model cited by the author is the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) that was created by the G-20 in the wake of food price spikes in 2007-08.
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“Venezuela and Its Calamities: Add Covid-19 to the List”
Quelle: Baker Institute at Rice University (July 1, 2020)
Igor Hernandez, graduate fellow;
Jose la Rosa Reyes, research analyst
The authors, both energy studies experts, emphasize that despite its massive geological endowment and receiving what could be considered the largest windfall in its economic history, Venezuela entered 2020 in the middle of an unprecedented economic crisis. "The Covid-19 pandemic and turbulence in oil markets represent the latest in a string of problems that expose the country’s vulnerability...the biggest threat [to Venezuela's economy] comes from the economic impact of COVID-19 and the containment policies adopted worldwide," say the authors in this working paper, which is a work in progress and has not been submitted for editorial review.
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“Digital Financial Inclusion in the Times of Covid-19”
Quelle: International Monetary Fund (IMF, July 1, 2020)
Ulric Eriksson von Allmen, Assistant Director in the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, et al.
The authors in the IMFBlog offer the argument that the COVID-19 pandemic could be a game changer for digital financial services. Here they also reference IMF research to illustrate how during the COVID-19 lockdowns, digital financial services are enabling governments to provide quick and secure financial support to “hard-to-reach” people and businesses, as demonstrated in Namibia, Peru, Zambia, and Uganda.
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“Extreme Heat During the COVID-19 Pandemic Amplifies Racial and Economic Inequities”
Quelle: Center for American Progress (CAP, June 29, 2020)
Elise Gout, Research Associate, and Cathleen Kelly, Senior Fellow
In this report the authors discuss several factors contributing to the vulnerability of people living in economically disadvantaged communities, tribal communities, and communities of color to extreme heat. The authors also identify air pollution, systemic racism, inadequate access to nutritious food and affordable health care, as contributing factors to racial disparities in health outcomes. The report states that “in addition to making people more susceptible to severe cases of COVID-19, these medical conditions can be exacerbated by extended periods of high temperatures.”
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“Coronavirus Crisis Update:
Science First!”
Quelle: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, June 29, 2020)
J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, and H. Andrew Schwartz, Chief Communications officer (hosts)
In this podcast episode, CSIS speaks with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) on the most pressing health issues before America due to COVID-19. Senator Murray is ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Commission as well as a member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security. She discusses the challenges of the resurgence of Covid-19 in the south and west, and the race for the vaccine. The senator emphasizes the role of science when it comes to decisions in politics.
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“Three months in, many Americans see Exaggeration, Conspiracy Theories and Partisanship in COVID-19 News”
Quelle: Pew Research (June 29, 2020)
Amy Mitchell, Director, Journalism Research, et al.
A recent Pew Research poll finds that public trust in public health organizations remains high, while trust in the Trump administrations presentations of facts relating to the COVID-19 pandemic is declining. Trust in public health organizations is highest among Democrats and democrat leaning Americans, whereas Republicans and republican leaners believe the outbreak to be overblown. Public fatigue in media coverage on the coronavirus has also grown since its initial coverage in March.
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“Fiscal Policy and the Major Entitlements: An Introduction”
Quelle: American Enterprise Institute
(AEI, June 2020)
James C. Capretta, Resident Fellow
In the report, the author and expert on U.S. healthcare and retirement programs, focuses on how the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already extremely challenging fiscal outlook. The focus of the report is on the entitlement programs (i.e., Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance subsidies) that comprise 63% of the mandatory federal spending in 2019. According to the Congressional Budget Office the combined federal spending on entitlement programs in 2019 was 9.8 percent of GDP, up from 3.7 percent in 1970. With the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expecting these costs to increase to 17.2 percent of GDP in 2050, the author proposes a few reforms.
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Paused COVID-19 Reopenings Reflect Setbacks, Not a Failure of Protocols
Quelle: The Heritage Foundation (July 2, 2020)
Amy Anderson, Visiting Fellow and Professor, Texas Christian University; Kevin Pham, Medical doctor, former Graduate Fellow
In U.S. states like Texas, Florida and California the reopening cannot be continued as planned due to the sharp increase in corona cases. According to the authors, however, it is wrong to claim that the plans will not work and are an expression of reckless behavior. “In reality”, they state in this commentary, “the governors are appropriately pausing to assess the developing situation and react to the new data.”
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“Broadband for All”
Quelle: Project Syndicate (June 29, 2020)
John B. Taylor, Professor at Stanford University, former Undersecretary of the US Treasury; Jack Mallery, Research Assistant, Hoover Institution
In the analysis, the authors study how Covid-19 has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of America’s broadband Internet infrastructure. As for the benefits, the authors list that 90% of American adults now use the Internet and with the experience of Covid-19 companies now are planning to have at least 20% of their workforce operate remotely. At the same time, the pandemic has exposed the “digital divide” in American society with 18% of students lacking reliable Internet access at home and only 56% of households with annual income under $30,000 have access to broadband. The authors argue that it is essential to ensure digital connectivity for all and provide policy options.
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“How the Workforce System Can Advance Workplace Health and Safety During and After the Pandemic”
Quelle: Aspen Institute (June 30, 2020)
Amanda Newman, Senior Project Manager, Economic Opportunities Program
The Aspen Institute released guidance on workforce development strategies in the U.S. which highlights health and security measures for employers in light of COVID-19 via its most recent brief. It addresses the types of new hazards workers face and how to equitably improve such conditions on the long term.
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Weitere Kurzbeiträge:
“Essential Vocab for COVID-19: From Asymptomatic to Zoonotic”
Quelle: National Public Radio
(NPR, June 27, 2020)
Pien Huang, Reporter, Science Desk; et al.
This glossary provides brief explanations for the numerous new terms used in the coverage of the COVID-19 global pandemic, including the nomenclature of the virus and thematic groupings.
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“The COVID-19 Crisis Continues to Have Uneven Economic Impact by Race and Ethnicity”
Quelle: Urban Institute (July 1, 2020)
Steven Brown, Research Associate, Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population and the Research to Action Lab
Steven Brown asserts that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not shouldered equally amongst those affected. The heaviest burden falls on people of color. The cause, he claims in his blog post, is the influence of structural racial injustice.
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“Southeast Asia’s Grim Resilience: Pragmatism Amid the Pandemic”
Quelle: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (July 1, 2020)
Dan Slater, Nonresident Scholar, Asia program
The author examines Southeast Asian countries’ response to the coronavirus through a historical lense. According to Slater, the region’s “resilience is grounded in Southeast Asia’s long history of pragmatism”. He makes the case in his commentary that this trademark “resilience” helps the region cope with COVID-19. The author dives into questions of public health versus “personal liberty” and asks if Southeast Asian states will emerge “authoritarian” from the pandemic or “whether citizens will enjoy any democratic protections”.
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“In COVID-19 coverage, female experts are missing”
Quelle: NiemanLab at Harvard University
(June 29, 2020)
Teresa Carr, Investigative Journalist
In this article, published by the NiemanLab, the author examines the “dominance of the (typically White) male expert” quoted in articles about the coronavirus. Carr cites recent articles where journalists have “ignored” female scientists while highlighting the work of male experts on COVID-19. This perceived gender bias is also notable in scientific publishing according to Carr, who writes “women are also noticeably less visible in the flurry of scientific publishing on the pandemic”.
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Für die aktuellen Zahlen zur Corona-Krise in den USA:
The Centers for Disease Control:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
The Johns Hopkins University:
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
