This article was initially published in Reuters Breakingviews, NEW YORK, July 25 | Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, forced Western countries to respond, and is driving up the cost of energy and food across the globe. High prices in the United States may spell electoral disaster for President Joe Biden’s administration in November’s congressional elections. However, the most urgent economic, social, and human crises are unfolding in poorer countries where populations face war, spillover-driven inflation,...

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In this week’s Roar: labor unrest hits the US West Coast while the East Coast imports spike, UK ports looking to ‘Level Up,’ top ways technology can help supply chains, and the bad stuff lurking in shipping containers. Bill AB5, California’s new law that restricts outside contractors, continues to stir up the trucking industry. The Port of Oakland has been dealing with some slowdowns since last week as truckers protest. They’ve blocked the truck gates and access to container terminals....

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Europe is currently hit by a heat wave with life-threatening temperatures. It has been raging across the Mediterranean and much of Western Europe, with Portugal, Spain, France, Germany and the UK, seeing extended droughts, devastating forest fires, and public infrastructure damaged. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre warned this week that 46% of the EU’s territory is at high risk of drought, with rivers lacking water and an alert level of 11%. In Belgium, public transport has been limited as it is feared that the heat could cause the rails to expand so much that, in the...

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Government regulation in the U.S. and elsewhere is expected to actively influence the development of digital asset products and markets over the next decade. As the digital assets industry and consumers await regulatory clarity, recent events have exacerbated longstanding concerns about the potential use of cryptocurrency to facilitate illicit activities and sanctions evasion. Despite the recent market contraction in digital assets, industry market cap still stands at around $1 trillion, up from $14 billion from five years ago.1, 2, 3...

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