Patti Mohr

Biden Announces New Sanctions Against Russia

22Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Sanctions

Biden Announces New Sanctions Against Russia

Biden Says U.S. Allies Are 'United in Support of Ukraine' February 22, 2022--President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia, two Russian banks and individuals today in the wake of Russia's breach of Ukraine's borders. Biden said the new sanctions go that "far beyond" those enacted in 2014. This comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of two Ukrainian regions as independent and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. New 'First Tranche' of Sanctions The new U.S. sanctions apply to: Two state-owned financial institutions, VEB and PSB, which support Russia’s defense capability and its economy.Russian elites, including Denis Aleksandrovich Bortnikov, a Russian official and an executive at VTB Bank, Petr Mikhailovich Fradkov, chairman and CEO of PSB ...

Russian Troops Enter Ukraine As Diplomacy Fails To Stop Crisis

22Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Eastern Europe, Geopolitics, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Analysis

Russian Troops Enter Ukraine As Diplomacy Fails To Stop Crisis

Putin Revives Soviet Sentiment, Calls Ukrainians 'Our Comrades' February 22, 2022—Despite nearly non-stop diplomacy by all sides for over a month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine late Monday night. The announcement and troop movement came after Putin recognized the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent countries. Russian President Putin recognizes breakaway republics of Ukraine as independent and signs treaties of friendship. Feb. 21, 2022 Source: Kremlin While many in the West expected a Russian invasion into Ukraine, Russian diplomats continued to deny such a possibility as late as last week during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. The Security Council met again last night in an emergency session. Ironically, the coun...

EU Backs Lithuania Against China Trade Restrictions

2Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Global Trade, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Types of News: Brief

EU Backs Lithuania Against China Trade Restrictions

EU Commissioner meets with the Lithuanian president. Lithuania's Recognition of Taiwan is at the Center of the Trade Spat February 2, 2022--The European Union opened a dispute in the World Trade Organization against China in defense of EU-member Lithuania. The request for dispute consultations alleges that China restricted trade with Lithuania in violation of international rules governing trade. According to the EU, the trade restrictions are "novel, numerous, recurrent, and persisting" and "show a targeted prohibition or restriction" against Lithuanian goods and services. Furthermore, the complaint says, trade restrictions impact supply chains throughout the EU. Finally, the EU claims the restrictions violate the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT). 'No Othe...

31Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Types of News: Analysis, Types of News: Videos

Keep Calm And Visit Ukraine?

Ukraine President Urges Economic Calm Amid War-Tremors January 31, 2022--With geopolitical tensions at their highest since the Cold War, Russian troops lined up along two sides of its borders, and the United States warning that conflict is quite possible, it might come as a surprise to learn that the Ukraine is encouraging tourists to visit. After all, U.S. and Canadian diplomats there are sending their families packing and Israel is planning to evacuate up to 75,000 Jews from the country. So it hardly seems like a time for sightseeing in the East European country. But that's exactly what the Ukraine government is urging. "Keep calm and visit Ukraine," the government's tourism board is suggesting. "According to the President and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukra...

Military Forces Prepare For The Worst In And Around Ukraine

25Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Types of News: Brief

Military Forces Prepare For The Worst In And Around Ukraine

Negotiations Between Russia And the West Continue Even As Military Forces Prepare For Conflict January 25, 2022--Negotiations between Russia and the United States, Europe, and the NATO Alliance quickly slipped from fair to bad to worse last week, and yet diplomatic talks continue. Ukraine is at the center of attention. At issue is its territorial integrity as well as its future military allegiance and alliance. Ukraine is a former Soviet state about one and a half the size of the state of California. It borders seven countries: Russia, Belarus, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. Boundaries, NATO & Tensions For years, if not decades, it's been caught between a geopolitical struggle between Russia and the West. But tensions in that struggle have never been w...

Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech

16Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis

Australia Has Ruled, And It’s A Grand-Slam Crackdown On Speech

Three-Panel Judge Backs Immigration Official's Right to Make Personal Decision over Visa Status January 16, 2022—A three-judge panel made a decision today in the case of Novak Djokovic versus an immigration minister, and the decision is final. The 20-time-Grand Slam title champion lost his appeal to stay in the country; the government's deportation order stood, and Novak Djokovic left the country. Game over. What Happened? The troubling part of the story is the legal reasoning behind the decision. The court order on January 16 said, "reasons to be published at a later date." Ruling by three-judge panel that gave the final word in the Novak Djokovic visa case. In short, it was not because of Djokovic's vaccination status or visa status. Either one of those issues, if they ...

Status of the World’s Vaccination Levels

15Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Global Economics, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Infographic

Status of the World’s Vaccination Levels

Vaccination Status Varies Widely By Country January 15, 2022--With the recent toss up over tennis great Novak Djokovic's vaccination status in the land down under, it is worth looking at the wider story of the vaccine distributions around the world. In terms of global health and economic recovery from the 2020-2022 pandemic, there is no issue more relevant than vaccine distribution. Even though the current makeup of vaccines are not strong enough to prevent infection with the Omicron variant, as the World Health Organization acknowledged this week, anecdotal evidence suggests they still prevent worst-case scenarios for the people who catch it. The maps below show which countries are on track for achieving mass vaccination and which are not. In the first picture, the depiction show...

14Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Types of News: Analysis

The Irony of Cancelling Novak Djokovic

Tennis star Novak Djokovic faced a worldwide "circus" and firestorm this week over his decision to travel while unvaccinated. Australia Pulls Plug on Tennis Star's Visa Exemption over Vaccine Status It’s with great irony that an Australian immigration minister is leading what appears to be a massive public punishment against the world’s top tennis star just ahead of the Australian Open. And yes, it is over his vaccine status. Yes today, amid much of a media storm this week about the visa and vaccine status of Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open, an immigration official pulled the plug. It’s not exactly an example of cancel culture. But it’s close. “Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on...

World Health Organization Recommends New COVID-19 Vaccines

12Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

World Health Organization Recommends New COVID-19 Vaccines

Omicron Variant Marks A New Cycle In Vaccine Manufacturing To ensure vaccines intended to prevent COVID-19 work, manufacturers should update the compositions of the current vaccine, according to a 16-member technical advisory group for the World Health Organization. The recommendation comes as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 sweeps through communities around the world. In a statement issued yesterday, the technical advisory group encouraged vaccine developers to study immune responses for their vaccines against the new variants of concern. To date, there are five known variants of concern: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron. "While the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the world, the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is expected to continue and Omicron is unlikely to be the la...

12Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Global Economics

US Inflation Climbs Higher To 7 Percent

January 12, 2022--After a year of rising prices in the United States, U.S. inflation climbed even higher in December. Even with energy prices dipping down in the month, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5 percent, bringing inflation up to 7 percent for the year. To date, the U.S. Federal Reserve has held its federal funds rate near record lows. It is currently at 0.8 percent, despite the rising consumer prices. At his confirmation hearing in the Senate Banking Committee yesterday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank would respond to rising inflation. ItemPrice Change (as a percent)All Items7Food6.3Food At Home6.5Food Away From Home6Energy29.3Energy Commodities48.9Gasoline49.6Fuel Oil41Energy Services10.4Electricity6.3Utility Piped Gas24.1Commodities (not inclu...