Economy

On Thursday, November 19, please join CSIS and partners in commemorating World Toilet Day. While many people who have access to a toilet might consider this a humorous concept, the global sanitation crisis necessitates that a spotlight be shined on both the severity of the problem and the promising solutions. Join us on the lawn of the United States Capitol to learn about, and give voice to, the 2.5 billion people who lack access to a toilet and the 1.8 million people who die annually as a result.

GM is planning on hiring more workers to boost output, but those jobs won't be created in the Rust Belt. Instead, GM will be hiring an additional 600 workers in Brazil to help boost output in a country that's seen tremendous auto market growth in recent years.

A few weeks ago Russia announced the suspension of its bid to join the WTO and now intends to file a collective membership application as a customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus. There are multiple reasons why Russia should seek to join the WTO as soon as possible, but there are two reasons why it is not a high time to do so. Namely, the financial crisis and Russia’s sphere of influence.

This morning, one of President Obama's biggest aficionados will be visiting Washington. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a leader who describes Mr. Obama as "young and handsome, [with] a good tan,” will most likely be discussing the global recession in the lead up to next month's G8 summit.

Recently I listened as Salar Ghahramani explained the state of the world's economy to a group of interns and young professionals at CSIS. As a listened, I was reminded of the time value of money. With any long range scenario, the best time to make a correction would be yesterday (and the worst time would be tomorrow). Mr.