☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Hard Numbers: Biden ditches filibuster, Afghan aid, global economic slump, Chinese lockdowns

January 11, 2022
Carlos Santamaria
Hard Numbers: Biden ditches filibuster, Afghan aid, global economic slump, Chinese lockdowns
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on voting rights during a speech on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., January 11, 2022.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

60: After sending mixed signals during his campaign and in office, US President Joe Biden now wants to get rid of the Senate filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation. The current rule allows the minority to block any law that doesn’t have the 60 votes needed to end debate in the 100-member upper chamber of the US Congress.

5 billion: In its largest-ever country appeal, the UN says it needs $5 billion from donors to avert a humanitarian catastrophe this year in Afghanistan. Afghans face dire conditions this winter, including a risk of famine for up to one-third of the population.

4.1: The World Bank expects the global economy to grow by just 4.1 percent this year, 1.1 percentage points less than in 2021, amid a pandemic-related slowdown that will hit developing countries the hardest. COVID variants, inflation, supply-chain woes, and less government stimulus are to blame.

20 million: Some 20 million people are now under COVID lockdown in China. Anyang in Henan province became the third Chinese urban center to quarantine all its residents after detecting a couple of omicron infections, upping the pressure on China's zero-COVID policy less than a month from the Beijing Winter Olympics.

More from GZERO Media

US may target Iranian tankers

The Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy, chartered by the US government, takes Iranian oil from Iranian-flagged Lana (formerly Pegas) as part of a civil forfeiture action off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece, in May 2022.
REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File Photo

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a strategy to disrupt Iran’s oil exports by stopping and inspecting Iranian oil tankers at sea. The US would use the Proliferation Security Initiative, established in 2003 to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, as a legal justification for the inspections.

Trump issues Hamas a “last warning”

Donald Trump issues a proclamation from the Oval Office
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US presidents don’t typically talk to organizations the US government has labeled terrorist groups, but Donald Trump is not a typical US president.

Is the Trump revolution off to a good or bad start?

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol on March 4, 2025.

Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

You didn’t need to sit through all 99 minutes of Trump’s peroration to know that he gave himself an A++ on his first six weeks in office, writes GZERO Publisher Evan Solomon. But if Trump gets to grade himself, maybe it’s time for a more objective report card — one that looks at two criteria: Trump as a dealmaker and Trump as a manager.

Key findings on global energy security, innovation, and market viability

BMW Foundation

The Energy Security Hub at the 2025 Munich Security Conference featured in-depth discussions on energy innovation, security, and market viability. Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, discussed growing global energy demand, especially the rapid rise in electricity outpacing overall growth. He noted electricity demand is projected to increase six times faster than total energy in 10 years, underscoring the need for electrification and grid expansion. As energy systems become decentralized and digitalized, the CEO of E.ON, Leonhard Birnbaum, said: “You’re either fully digitized – or you’re done.” Key takeaways: Energy security requires developing and securing electricity grids Technological openness is a unifying element for getting to net zero Bridge the “Valley of Death” to scale markets New global partnerships will help Europe stay competitive Public acceptance will strengthen democracy You can read the full Executive Summary from the BMW Foundation here.

Supreme Court orders release of foreign aid funds

a crowd of people outside of a white building
Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

In a 5-4 split decision, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to disburse nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds for work completed by contractors and grant recipients under the US Agency for International Development and the State Department. Does this tell us much about how the top court will handle future Trump-related cases?

Au revoir, Justin Trudeau

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves as he leaves after testifying at the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Nov. 25, 2022.

REUTERS/Patrick Doyle

Justin Trudeau’s tenure as prime minister of Canada winds down this weekend, as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader and gets set for a transition of power. His near-decade as PM began in the fall of 2015 when he embodied youthful optimism and a progressive agenda. We look at his biggest achievements and controversies.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2020 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.