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From the section Latin America & Caribbean Brazilian police say they want to speak to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach about an alleged scheme to resell tickets during last month's Rio Olympics. The police say Mr Bach is being treated as a witness, not a suspect.

This article talks about why the middle east is becoming less important to the US. It mentions a decrease in reliance on foreign oil, the increase in strength of Israel, and the increase in use of diplomacy to solve conflicts. Because of these factors among others the US can safely take a small step back.

Great find, Brian! "(2) Nobody wants America to play Mr. Fix-It. One thing is clear: We've likely seen the last of the big transformative-interventionist schemes to change the Middle East from the outside in the name of U.S. security, a freedom agenda, or anything else. I say this knowing that there's little historical memory here, that the military gives a willful president all kinds of options, and that the world is an unpredictable place. But watching the public, congressional, and even expert reaction to the prospects of a limited U.S. strike against Syria, there's clearly zero support for intervening militarily in somebody else's civil war."

This report examines how risk and reward is allocated amongst savers and retirees in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Netherlands. Overall, the authors conclude that the United States shifts the majority of risk onto savers and retirees. The thesis can be whittled to: "while the level of risk borne by employees varies across the three countries' retirement income systems, risks are pooled among workers or offset by employers and government to a greater extent than in the U.S." (See also: Walsh's NYT article on the Dutch system, wherein more than double the US income is guaranteed for everyone.) Truly a great source. It also describes in detail the functioning and successes and failures of the various national pension schemes.

This article details in depth the political side as well as the economic side of the Danish and Dutch pension systems. It sheds light on the possible political problems the US would have implementing any such reforms. As Anderson writes, "As Esping-Andersen (1985) notes, Danish social democrats had the misfortune of facing strong liberal competition in social welfare policy, so Danish social policies are a curious blend of social democratic and liberal values. When the social democrats joined with liberals to improve the basic pension scheme, they had to accept generous tax incentives for private pensions." However, where would "social democratic" resistance on the Danish scale come from in the United States? The power of the liberal democrats is far more prevalent in the US.

With another rainstorm and hurricane immediately following the aftermath of Ida, we are all seeing how climate change is affecting the world. I am curious what plans politicians can make for future events, in addition to all the relief efforts.

I am also very curios to see what schemes (not using the word in a pejorative sense here) the politicians draw up to protect hundreds and hundreds of miles of coast from flooding. Also, what type of infrastructure can you build that stops natural floods that are simply caused by heavy rain? At a certain point it seems like nature is trying to tell us to get more flexible...

You are curious to see what plans "the politicians draw up to protect hundreds and hundreds of miles of coast from flooding. Also, what type of infrastructure can you build that stops natural floods that are simply caused by heavy rain?" See, that's the thing. The rising tides cannot be held back for long. Millions of people will probably have to abandon their homes. A few will be able to afford structures that are capable of floating when necessary. . .