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International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say countries aren’t doing enough to limit dangerous global warming.
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Closing Guantanamo?
President Obama vowed in January 2009 to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. Two years later, the White House continues to face challenges to that promise, leaving critics to suggest the facility will remain open for the foreseeable future.
Defense Spending and the Deficit Debate
Lawmakers are considering sharp cuts to defense spending as part of mandated deficit-reduction efforts. This Backgrounder discusses the effects of such major cuts and implications for U.S. military strategy.
The Debate over Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade
Greenhouse gas trading is now a multibillion-dollar international business and is expected to continue to grow, despite uncertainty about a post-2012 international climate regime.
Confronting U.S.-China Economic Imbalances
An undervalued Chinese yuan remains a contributing factor to the U.S.-China trade imbalance, but experts warn that labeling China a "currency manipulator" will not rein in mounting U.S. deficits.
The U.S.-South Korea Alliance
The longstanding U.S.-South Korea alliance, created as a bulwark against a communist North Korea, has expanded to include tighter trade ties and cooperation on global issues from climate change to international development.
State Sponsors: Iran
The U.S. government designates Iran as the "most active state sponsor of terrorism," which feeds concerns about Iran’s growing nuclear program.
Threat of Homegrown Islamist Terrorism
An increase in terror incidents involving Islamic radicals who are U.S. citizens is vexing law enforcement officials and posing new questions about the roots of their radicalization.
Nuclear Power Safety Concerns
Damage to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has reignited debate over the safety of nuclear power and highlighted questions over aging power plants, safety procedures, and waste disposal.
UN Resolutions on the Mideast and North Africa
Summaries and links to the seminal United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions for the post-colonial period, focusing on those related to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East.
Global Action on Non-Communicable Diseases
NCDs such as cancer and heart disease are becoming leading causes of death in the developing world and will be the focus of a September UN meeting. But health experts and others are divided about how much funding should go into a global campaign aimed at preventing NCDs and whether infectious disease programs will suffer as a result.
Muslims in the United States
A decade after 9/11, U.S. Muslims grapple with their place in American society in the face of concerns about homegrown terrorism and questions by non-Muslims over the threat they might pose.
Global Natural Gas Potential
Interest in natural gas is growing for political, environmental, and economic reasons. But the industry faces challenges to adding pipelines, increasing international LNG trade, and exploiting newly found shale gas reserves.
The Debate Over Generic-Drug Trade
The global drug industry has fought to prevent developing nations from making low-cost, generic versions of drugs under patent, but the demand for such alternatives is could rise with increasing healthcare costs and growing incidence of chronic disease.
Europe: Integrating Islam
Western Europe’s burgeoning Islamic population continues to spark concerns about Muslim assimilation and a cultural divide.
Profile: Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri, now America’s most wanted terrorist, took over as the head of al-Qaeda in June 2011 after the killing of erstwhile head Osama bin Laden.