The first street protests against Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labor market reforms have been underwhelming. Several major unions stayed away. Estimates of the turnout varied -- from 223,000, according to fairly reliable police figures, to 500,000, according to the CGT, France’s biggest union, which called for the march. Whatever the real number, French unions are divided, and this helps Macron’s reform efforts.This is unusual. France’s unions are traditionally a united front against pro-market re

US President Donald Trump’s nearly eight months in office have been characterized by a series of disturbing political developments. But Trump is not entirely to blame. His presidency is just the latest act in a long-running political tragedy.From a foreign policy perspective, the problem began in the 1990s, when the United States squandered the post-Cold War peace dividend. With regard to domestic policy, the failures began even earlier: from Reaganomics in the 1980s to Obamacare in the 2010s, m

After Hurricane Katrina, grocery and big box stores all over the Gulf Coast found themselves having to create whole aisles devoted to Latino food. Mexican food trucks were everywhere in New Orleans. What caused this transformation of the food scene? Immigrants coming north to help rebuild after the storm.With the announcement that the Trump administration will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, it is all the more important to understand why immigration matters at t

The unprecedented hurricanes that have hit Texas and Florida, and the wildfires that have rampaged across California, seem to be pushing some reluctant conservatives from climate change skepticism to acceptance of reality. If so, that’s great, because they’re uniquely positioned to do something about it. Scientists have long predicted that climate change would lead to more extreme hurricanes, and it makes sense that hotter air would exacerbate wildfires as well. Of course, the amount of randomne

The summer of 2017 was a good one. My wife and I packed up our two grandchildren -- waved goodbye to their parents (with earnest promises of frequent Facetime) -- and took off on a monthlong camping tour of the national parks.Along the way I had the chance to teach my grandson and granddaughter how to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over an open campfire, and it reminded me that there is more to life than the maniacal threats of Kim Jong-un. In the years ahead the grandkids won’t often think of

As the world faces multiple humanitarian crises around the world, few political actions have been as cruel and shortsighted as the Trump administration’s decision to cut off funding to the United Nations Population Fund.This UN agency provides lifesaving maternal health care in regions of the world plagued by conflict, famine and disaster and has saved countless lives around the world. With millions of refugees forced from their homes during the reign of terror across the Middle East brought on

Advisers seem to have convinced US President Donald Trump not to trash the country’s free-trade agreement with South Korea -- for now. Trump himself still seems intent on extracting concessions from the Koreans and could yet withdraw from the deal. The irony is that, more than any other, South Korea’s own story shows how foolish that would be.Korea’s postwar rise may be the world’s most striking testament to the power of trade to create jobs and amass wealth. In the 1960s, economists wrestled wi

As he steps down as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, Stanley Fischer has been saluted for his overall contribution to central banking. His complex legacy after transforming key Asian economies should not be forgotten. As first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund in the late 1990s, he played an important role in the emergency loans to Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea when their currencies collapsed. All three are American allies, and the last two are pivotal strategic

One Southern monument that has not come under fire of late stands in front of the North Carolina Capitol. It is a bronze equestrian pose of Gen. Andrew Jackson, the president from 1829 to 1837, with a plaque that reads: “He Revitalized American Democracy.”That’s the usual view of the man. Somehow, we just know that Old Hickory made America a more egalitarian place than what the stuffy, bewigged Founders had designed in 1787.I don’t think the North Carolina statue should be removed. But I do thin