What Trump 2.0 would look like – according to Trump. Why a strong dollar weighs on the rest of the world. China’s vision and how it’s getting there. The need for nuance when diagnosing and treating ‘anxiety’. Cellular and molecular processes offer more proof of the benefits of exercise.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Behind the Curtain: Listen to Trump
(Axios, 1 May 2024)
If you are pondering what Trump 2.0 would look like, just get it from the “horse’s mouth”. In two interviews with Time Magazine, he said what he’d do, which is summarized in this article. In a nutshell, “loyalty tests” would be instituted, and critics “punished”, policy proposals would endeavor to vastly expand presidential powers, and many “unsavory” policies put into place. Read the quotes if you are in doubt about Donald Trump’s real intentions (free access, reads in 4-5 min).
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Joe Rennison and Karl Russell, A Strong U.S. Dollar Weighs on the World
(The New York Times, 28 April 2024)
A simple explainer with some visuals of why a strong dollar is a problem for the rest of the world. So far this year, every major currency in the world has fallen against the USD, with serious consequences across the global economy, most notably through higher inflation. Policymakers outside of the US feel squeezed between a rock and a hard place: they either support their domestic economies by cutting rates or support their currency by keeping them high. The bottom line: no central bank anywhere in the world can ignore what’s happening at the Fed, the so-called “world’s central bank” (gifted article, reads in 5-7 min).
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Elizabeth Economy, China’s Alternative Order, And What America Should Learn From It
(Foreign Affairs, May / June 2024)
A must-read to understand the dynamic of the Sino-American relationship and what it entails for “the rest”. The much-respected American specialist of China (author of “The World According to China”) explains in detail what China wants to be and the successful strategy it is deploying to achieve this vision. She asserts that Xi’s vision “is far more formidable than it seems”. China wants to give power to the many countries that have been frustrated and sidelined by the present order, and does so with “a comprehensive, well-resourced, and disciplined operational strategy”. As a result, China is gaining newfound support, notably in some multilateral organizations and from nondemocracies (metered paywall that may require prior registration, reads in 15-20 min).
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Allie Volpe, How anxiety became a catchall for every unpleasant emotion
(VOX, 28 April 2024)
In today’s world, more people than ever seek professional mental health treatment (in the US in 2022, almost 25% of adults, compared with 13% in 2004). Part of this stems from the tendency to pathologize seemingly mundane behaviors and thought patterns. Anxiety is a case in point. Many people tend to attribute their emotional pain to anxiety alone, while it could be stress or fear. Therefore, understanding the difference between everyday anxiety and an anxiety disorder is essential. Read on to grasp the view of some psychologists who explain what’s lost when every experience is “anxiety” and how to get a little better at defining anxiety (free access, reads in 6-8 min).
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Gemma Conroy, Why is exercise good for you? Scientists are finding answers in our cells
(Nature, 1 May 2024)
Exercise is medicine! It’s no secret that physical exercise is good for our health, with decades of evidence showing that it leads to healthier, longer lives. But researchers are just starting to build a picture of the vast maze of cellular and molecular processes that are triggered throughout the body during, and even after, a workout. Some of these processes dial down inflammation, whereas others ramp up cellular repair and maintenance. Exercise also prompts cells to release signaling molecules that carry a frenzy of messages between organs and tissues: from muscle cells to the immune and cardiovascular systems, or from the liver to the brain (metered paywall, reads in about 10 min).
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