American hegemony is weakening due to self-inflicted challenges, including inconsistent trade policies and mass deportations, which erode key competitive advantages. Despite stock market gains in technology, economic weaknesses grow, prompting traditional allies to seek alternative arrangements away from unreliable U.S. governance.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s involvement in the Gulf Cooperation Council summit highlights Rome’s focus on enhancing relations with the Arabian Peninsula, aiming to establish a Mediterranean-Gulf partnership framework to improve regional connectivity and economic integration among Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
European attempts to build strategic partnerships with developing nations face significant skepticism, particularly as major initiatives like the €300 billion Global Gateway program are criticized for failing to produce expected changes. Global South partners express doubts that Brussels is offering new resources for infrastructure and development, instead viewing these efforts as a mere rebranding of existing commitments in contrast to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Africa’s September 2023 permanent G20 membership symbolizes the culmination of evolving engagement since the 2008 financial crisis. However, translating commitments into measurable development outcomes necessitates overcoming implementation challenges, including financing gaps, coordination issues, and accountability deficiencies in G20-Africa partnerships.
Trump falsely claimed Japan handed him control of a $550 billion fund, with the U.S. keeping 90% of profits a ridiculous lie, as Japan would never pay such a sum to avoid minor trade disruptions. Plus, Trump’s promises are worthless, as he could break any deal at will, making the entire claim absurd.
U.S. dependency on Chinese-sourced critical minerals poses a threat to national security. How can the United States stimulate critical mineral production? The Orphan Drug Act of 1983, the 2007 FDA Act, and the 2012 FDA Safety and Innovation Act may hold the answers.
Executed strategically, Trump’s Gulf AI deals could offer a foundation to enhance U.S. AI leadership by anchoring Gulf states more firmly into the United States’s tech orbit and channeling their capital toward American AI interests.
economic fads or foundational breakthroughs. Drawing on economic theory, historical precedent, and early productivity studies, the authors ask: Is GenAI a light bulb, a dynamo, or a microscope?
Fed’s independence prevents political interference, ensuring stable inflation and low unemployment. Undermining it risks economic chaos—higher prices and interest rates for working families.
Trump’s economic policies—marked by high tariffs, budget cuts, and immigration restrictions—are creating a drag on growth, slowing key sectors without yet triggering a recession, but setting the stage for deeper problems in 2026.
In addition to cutting health care and food assistance programs, the act’s energy and environmental provisions would raise energy costs, increase pollution affecting Americans’ health, and increase safety risks in a worsening climate.
The recently passed 1% tax on cash-based remittances, while improved from earlier proposals, remains a flawed policy. Though it avoids privacy concerns by eliminating reporting requirements, critics argue it serves no clear economic purpose and may inadvertently strain migrant-sending economies. With exemptions for digital payments, the measure’s narrow scope raises questions about its effectiveness as a revenue tool.
