[Miles Kimball] Fight the backlash against retirement planning nudge

A Wall Street Journal analysis recently concluded that “more than 40 percent of households headed by people aged 55 through 70 lack sufficient resources to maintain their living standard in retirement.”　It isn’t easy to solve the problem for those already at retirement age, but behavioral economists, working at the border of economics and psychology, have a magic bullet for getting younger people to save more: make enrollment in retirement savings plans automatic. In 2006, Congress blessed this

July 2, 2018

[Luis Alberto Moreno] Why governments should invest in sports

As the World Cup unfolds, captivating soccer fans around the globe, the broad appeal of high-level sports is on full display. But the impact of sports extends far beyond major international events, as impressive they may be, to include far-reaching benefits for ordinary people.Initiatives that encourage people to exercise regularly can help to reduce the incidence of strokes, cancer, and depression, resulting in higher productivity and lower health care costs. These are important goals for a reg

July 2, 2018

[Leonid Bershidsky] Putin, Trump have nothing to talk about

The Singapore meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un made for a great propaganda film for North Korean TV, with swelling music, a swooning commentator and swanky pageantry. The planned summit between Trump and President Vladimir Putin won’t even produce that; it will be a pure waste of time for everyone involved.　The meeting, confirmed by Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, would serve two purposes: The US president loves playing the international statesman and Putin

July 2, 2018

[Ambassador Ersin Ercin] Turkey elections fair, transparent

I have read the article entitled “Turkey’s Erdogan fought hard, won unfairly,” which was published in The Korea Herald on June 28, with deep disappointment and regret.The article authored by columnist Leonid Bershidsky is a clear demonstration of a hostile campaign and hatred toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in connection with the recently held presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey. It is unfortunately perceived as a direct insult toward Turkey and the Turkish people in the per

July 1, 2018

[Ryan M. Earl] Pulling the plug on video games? Slow your roll

As a college freshman, I was big and muscular, confident, goal-oriented, and I frequently led small and large groups of diverse people. I was involved in many complex activities and I was proud of my accomplishments. I belonged. I mattered. I felt connected to my friends. I was happy.　As long as my Xbox or PC was on, anyway.　Away from video games, I was a scrawny, depressed kid who was uncomfortable in the conventional college social scene. Most of all, I was alone -- a kid who left his dorm roo

July 1, 2018

[Brooke Sutherland] GM can’t wait around for Trump to win a trade war

Last year, Corporate America was all about press releases announcing lofty US hiring plans. The new fad is to threaten the reverse.　 On Friday, General Motors joined Harley-Davidson and bourbon maker Brown-Forman in calling out the negative impact to their businesses from President Donald Trump’s effort to use national security as an excuse to slap tariffs on goods imported from US allies. GM said tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts could lead it to employ fewer US workers and have less

July 1, 2018

[Cass Sunstein] Law should tread lightly on college admissions

US courts have long been reluctant to intervene in the admissions decisions of colleges and universities. In general, the law allows them to do whatever they want within this overarching framework:　- Racial discrimination is forbidden.　- An institution may not maintain a racial quota system, even if it is sincerely seeking to ensure the presence of adequate numbers of traditionally disadvantaged groups, including African-Americans.　- An institution may consider race as a “plus,” at least if it i

July 1, 2018

[Christophe Deloire] World Cup of press freedom

President Vladimir Putin worked hard to bring the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia, but now that the spectacle is underway, his influence has waned. He cannot control the referees or the performance of Russia’s national team, the Sbornaya, which is ranked 70th in the world -- the lowest-seeded team in the tournament. But he has far more control over how the tournament is covered, at least by Russian media.In the World Press Freedom Index, compiled each year by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Russi

June 29, 2018

[Mark Malloch-Brown] The end of global Britain

Nowadays, Britain’s words and actions on the world stage are so at odds with its values that one must wonder what has happened to the country. Since the June 2016 Brexit referendum, British foreign policy seems to have all but collapsed -- and even to have disowned its past and its governing ideas. Worse, this has coincided with the emergence of US President Donald Trump’s erratic administration, which is pursuing goals that are completely detached from those of Britain -- and of Europe generall

June 28, 2018

[Ferdinando Giugliano] Italy’s Donald Trump is running the show

If an alien landed in Rome today, he would think Matteo Salvini was running Italy. The leader of the right-wing League has seized the center stage of Italian politics, even though he is merely deputy prime minister, interior minister and head of the junior party in its governing coalition.　Five Star, the League’s senior partner in the new populist administration, is entirely to blame for this. The movement has been outmaneuvered comprehensively since Italy’s government was formed three weeks ago

June 28, 2018

[Brooke Sutherland] Harley hitting the road is just the start

As one Trump administration trade policy backfires, another looks set to.　On Monday, Harley-Davidson said it would shift some production out of the US in order to mitigate the impact of European Union tariffs targeting its motorcycles. Those penalties -- which Harley-Davidson estimates may cost it as much as $100 million annually -- were in response to US levies on steel and aluminum imported from the EU. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department is reportedly planning to aim a bazooka at a Chinese tak

June 28, 2018

[Noah Smith] America’s working women need help

Japan, many people believe, is a country of rigid, traditional gender norms, where men work and women are homemakers. But this stereotype is passe. Despite the continued prevalence of traditional gender roles in television shows, Japanese culture has undergone a sea change -- most women now have jobs.　Japan isn’t alone. In recent years, female labor force participation has been rising across almost all industrialized countries. There’s at least one big exception, though -- the US.　The decline of

June 27, 2018