Canal Istanbul is the largest infrastructure project Turkey has ever seen. It will connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, and fulfill one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s oldest dreams: To provide a new route, beside the Bosporus, for tankers sailing between the two seas, while at the same time boosting Turkey’s revenues. But the controversial project is pitting Turkey’s president against Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the majority of the city’s citizens. So why is the canal so unpopular? And why does Erdogan want to build it anyway?
Category Archives: Analysis
Political Analysis: Brooks & Capehart On The Biden Infrastructure Deal (PBS)
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the potential breakthrough on the road to an infrastructure deal, the justice department’s lawsuit against Georgia’s voting restrictions, and the president’s plan to curb surging violent crime across the country.
Economics: Is Inflation Making A Comeback? (WSJ)
Recently, the U.S. inflation rate reached a 13-year high, triggering a debate about whether the country is entering an inflationary period similar to the 1970s. WSJ’s Jon Hilsenrath looks at what consumers can expect next. Photo: Alexander Hotz
Analysis: China’s Shrinking Working-Age Population
The number of working-age people in China is shrinking. Could this threaten the country’s rise as an economic superpower? Read more here: https://econ.st/3dgzqz0
Tech View: Microsoft CEO Nadella On Windows 11
Windows 11, due out later this year, is full of new features, including a new Start menu that’s been moved to the center and a Microsoft Store with Android apps. In an exclusive interview, WSJ’s Joanna Stern spoke with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the software, the influence of the pandemic and his strategy of competing with Google and Apple. Photo illustration: Alex Kuzoian/The Wall Street Journal
Future Of New Buildings: Benefits Of Using Wood
If we made 90% of our new buildings from wood, we could reduce our global CO2 emissions and improve our wellbeing, Tom Heap explains.
Analysis: The Hunt For Covid-19’s Origins (WSJ)
More than a year into the pandemic, scientists are still debating Covid-19’s origins. WSJ breaks down key events in three locations in China – a seafood market, a lab and a mine – to piece together how the global health crisis might have started. Photo composite: George Downs
Ransomware: Its Rise And How The U.S. Is Fighting It
Ransomware attacks are increasing in frequency, victim losses are skyrocketing, and hackers are shifting their targets. WSJ’s Dustin Volz explains why these attacks are on the rise and what the U.S. can do to fight them. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann
Sports Business: The High Cost Of Hosting Olympics
In 2018, the Rio games were estimated to have a total cost of $20 billion, far beyond the Rio organizing committee’s initial estimate of $2.8 billion. The city of Rio shelled out $8.2 billion on legacy builds, or builds intended to live well beyond the Olympic’s three-week life-cycle. Cities incurring overrun costs when hosting the Olympics is not just unique to just Rio; according to the Council on Foreign Relations, since 1960, every Olympics saw high overrun costs. As overrun costs become a growing concern, several cities withdrew their 2022 winter Olympic bids in 2014, citing the potential costs. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) enacted the Olympic Agenda 2020 in 2014; the agenda provided new regulations specifically to mitigate cost concerns. However, the IOC was faced with another challenge: hosting the Tokyo Olympics amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Political Analysis: Tamara Keith & Amy Walter On NYC Mayoral Election, Voting
NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including New York City’s mayoral election, America’s vaccine divide between states, and the progress on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package.