Why the Fed matters
The U.S. central bank — the “Fed” — is expected to raise interest rates soon, the first monetary tightening in years. Here’s why it matters to all of us. (Wikimedia Commons) The Federal Reserve — the U.S. central bank — is...
Essential climate change reading
The Pew Research Center, a U.S. think tank, has produced a report on attitudes around the world toward climate change. It is an extraordinarily detailed compilation of data, presented in Pew style — user friendly — and well timed, coming just ahead of the...
A black woman, with a little else mixed in
By Djenab Conde The question “Where are you from?” is ubiquitous in modern society, and it is becoming harder and harder for me to answer in a nice, clean way. My mother is from Beijing, China. My father was born in Kankan, the second-largest city in...
NATO: ex-Cold War pact faces new challenges
It grew out of the Cold War. Now the NATO alliance faces fresh challenges as Russia flexes its muscles in Eastern Europe and Syria. U.S. President Harry Truman speaks at the signing of NATO treaty in Washington, 4 April 1949 (AP Photo) This article is part of a...
World Population: Boom or Bust?
The world’s population will double this century, with most growth in Africa. But many nations are ageing quickly and face a new population challenge. Tourists in China, 2011. (AP Photo) This article is part of a News-Decoder series of “decoders” that...
Here With The Boys, The Concepción Sessions
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yn_lfk7rjQ&w=580&h=400] By Christopher Alexander Gellert Paulo, Pablo, Pablo, Paolo and Marcelo. A night a while back I turned to introduce Pablo and before I could stumble, forget and mispronounce his name, he cut me...
A fresh face and new era for Canada
By Janet Guttsman Canada ousted its secretive, centralized Conservative government in a decisive vote this week, opening the door to a Liberal administration that promises a stepped-up role in the fight against climate change and a more welcoming hand to refugees from...
Trust & health: victims in the VW scandal
Five News-Decoder correspondents look at the VW scandal and what it means for carmakers, Germany, climate change talks — and trade-in value. Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned last month, in a 2008 photo. (EPA/Marijan Murat) We asked five News-Decoder...
Kabuki, comb-overs and tweets
Our correspondents look at a U.S. presidential campaign that has global implications but has many scratching their heads — and checking their tweets. We asked four News-Decoder correspondents with decades of experience following U.S. politics for their thoughts...
All you need to know about rugby
Recently we published an article on the Rugby World Cup, and a hungry reader asked for more information. We listen to our readers — here’s chapter and verse on one of the world’s major sporting events. For more “decoders” explaining big...