Hump day recommendations, March 8, 2023

Listen: Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole. Enjoyed any Zydeco lately? Check out this beautiful rendition of “Pa Janvier” from four-time Grammy nominees Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole. Got space left over? Enjoy some “Cochon du Lait.” – Willis

Root: for Bohemian baseball. Great beer? Yes. Enchanting architecture? Yup. Superb films? Definitely. Milan Kundera? Fine. But baseball? No one ever associated “America’s pastime” with the Czech Republic … until now. The scrappy Czech team is heading for the first time to the World Baseball Classic (the world cup of baseball, basically) to face powerhouses like Cuba, Japan, Venezuela, and the US. This feature captures the underdog magic of a team whose star pitcher is a full-time firefighter. Malá země, velké sny! (Small country, big dreams!) Alex

Watch: “Saint Omer.” This is a harrowing film about infanticide made by Alice Diop, a French filmmaker of Senegalese origin. But the drama, much of which is set in a Parisian courtroom, is also a commentary on the power of memory, culture, and female connection. To say more would be an injustice to this poignant film. – Gabrielle

Watch: “Hell or High Water.” As we gear up for Oscar Sunday, check out this film, which enjoyed a Best Picture nod back in 2016. Featuring Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, and an amazing performance by Ben Foster, the story follows two brothers as they rob a series of banks to prevent foreclosure on the family farm. Chock-full of Coen bros.-level dialogue and action, the film is a stark reflection on an embittered rural America. – Ben

Watch: "Anatomy of a Scandal." This limited series on Netflix, a legal drama centered on sexual consent and “core truth,” is packed with suspense and offers powerful performances from Sienna Miller and "Downton Abbey" favorite Michelle Dockery. – Tracy

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Fire authorities search for the missing and recover the deceased at the site of an accident near Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, on Dec. 29, 2024.
Fire authorities search for the missing and recover the deceased at the site of an accident near Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, South Korea, on Dec. 29, 2024.
Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Reuters

The country's deadliest aviation disaster since 1997 comes at a politically volatile time.

President-elect Donald Trump greets Elon Musk before attending a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., on Nov. 19, 2024.
Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS

Is Elon Musk a 21st-century Svengali? Two weeks after being accused of acting like the president – instead of a presidential advisor – when he attempted to sway Congress to torpedo a spending bill, the tech magnate is wielding political influence once again – and enraging some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump.

- YouTube

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has died at the age of 100. A one-term president whose administration was marred by inflation, a gas crisis, and the Iranian hostage standoff, Carter went on to have one of the most illustrious post-presidencies in American history. Here's a remembrance from Ian Bremmer on President Carter’s foreign policy legacy.

A day before the controversial inauguration of Georgian Dream loyalist Mikheil Kavelashvili as the country's new president, Georgian citizens demonstrate with pro-EU placards and Georgian, American, and European Union flags as they protest the government's decision to suspend European membership talks in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Dec. 28, 2024.
Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto via Reuters

On Sunday, Georgia inaugurated President Mikheil Kavelashvili amid growing demonstrations and accusations of election fraud perpetrated by Moscow. Kavelashvili, a former soccer player, was selected by a 300-member electoral college controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which now dominates every major government institution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during the Doha Forum 2024 on Dec. 7, 2024.
DOHA Qatar Copyright: xNOUSHADx via Reuters

Russia no longer considers itself bound by its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles, clearing the way for Moscow to deploy the weapons across Europe and Asia.

Economic Outlook 2025 reveals the trends and shifts that will shape the global economy in the coming year, according to the Mastercard Economics Institute. The report explores a few key economic themes, leveraging Mastercard’s aggregated and anonymized data to provide a unique perspective. This includes cyclical changes – such as shifts in consumption as central banks lower rates or prices change – and structural changes like the impact of migration on capital flows or workplace flexibility driving greater female workforce engagement.

Every January, Eurasia Group, GZERO’s parent company, produces a report with its forecast for the top 10 geopolitical risks for the world in the year ahead. Its authors are EG PresidentIan Bremmerand EG ChairmanCliff Kupchan. The 2025 report will drop on Jan. 6.

But first, let’s look back at the 2024 Top Risks report – you can read the full report hereto see where Bremmer and Kupchan hit or missed the mark.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Is stapling green cards to STEM PhDs the answer to closing America’s talent gaps? What becomes of "America First"? In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer discusses Vivek Ramaswamy's provocative proposal and the stir it’s causing among Trump supporters over immigration policy.