Canada, EU, GeopoliticsLeave a comment

EU Proposes Canada Become the Bloc’s First ‘Associate Member’

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ By Jorge Valero, Andrea Palasciano, and Katharina Rosskopf September 16, 2026 at 3:57 AM EDT European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed Canada becoming the first associate member of the European Union.  She offered the invitation during her state of the union address in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in attendance.  “In this new world, we must urgently re-imagine our partnerships and build global coalitions for our resilience and democracies,” von der Leyen said. “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the European Union.” Carney warned earlier this … Continue reading EU Proposes Canada Become the Bloc’s First ‘Associate Member’

Culture, Economics, sociologyLeave a comment

People Want Economic Change but Have Stopped Trusting Governments to Deliver It

Colin Henderson

While two-thirds say that democracy is the best way to govern, four in ten say a strong leader would serve their country better. Kate Pickett Back in 2009, when Richard Wilkinson and I published The Spirit Level, our aim was to demonstrate through hard data what communities across the world felt intuitively: that deep economic inequality tears apart our social fabric. It erodes trust, undermines health and wellbeing, and divides us from each other. Over a decade later, the diagnosis has not changed, but it seems the public’s patience with politicians and policymakers to act on this evidence is running out. … Continue reading People Want Economic Change but Have Stopped Trusting Governments to Deliver It

AILeave a comment

We Must Pace the Frontier

Colin Henderson

 Summarize Amodei on pacing frontier AI development I have worked on AI for the last twelve years because I believe it could dramatically raise the quality of human life. I’ve written often about these incredible benefits: I believe that AI could cure most major diseases in the next 5–10 years, greatly accelerate economic growth rates, create a world of abundance and empowerment, and usher in a renaissance of democracy and freedom. I feel the urgency personally. My own father died of a disease that was cured just a few years after his death, and I myself survived an early-stage cancer that would … Continue reading We Must Pace the Frontier

briefing, Canada, EULeave a comment

Mark Carney’s Audacious Bid to Make Canada an ‘Associate Member’ of the EU

Colin Henderson

Summary ​ Summary Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is exploring closer economic ties with the European Union, aiming for a new relationship beyond NAFTA. This includes potential membership in the EU’s single market, collaboration on strategic industries like energy and defence, and even visa-free travel for Canadians in Europe. The move is partly a response to perceived economic and political shifts in the United States, particularly under the Trump administration. ​ Summary ​ Summary Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is exploring closer economic ties with the European Union, aiming for a new relationship beyond NAFTA. This includes potential membership in the EU’s … Continue reading Mark Carney’s Audacious Bid to Make Canada an ‘Associate Member’ of the EU

sociologyLeave a comment

The Sadness of Being the ‘Last Man’

Colin Henderson

​ Francis Fukuyama has long been considered a naive triumphalist. He now wants to set the record straight. Gal BeckermanSeptember 9, 2026 Francis Fukuyama never promised us we’d be happy. To be fair to the many readers who thought otherwise, The End of History and the Last Man, his famous 1992 book, did give off a whiff of utopia, trumpeting a post–Cold War world in which liberal democracy had vanquished competing political systems and everyone could lie back on their affordable chaise longues and raise a glass to the expiration of all strife and struggle. “Several” people each week still ask … Continue reading The Sadness of Being the ‘Last Man’

AI, CybersecurityLeave a comment

Cyberattack by Rogue AI Swarm Stokes Fears of Out-of-Control Agents

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ The incident, which wasn’t previously linked to OpenAI, happened two months before July’s Hugging Face hack Robert McMillan OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman Kylie Cooper/Reuters Sept. 11, 2026 at 6:25 pm ET Artificial intelligence agents being tested by OpenAI launched a cyberattack against a popular software service two months before they hackedthe AI software company Hugging Face, a new signal of the potential for advanced AI tools to slip out of human control. The attack overwhelmed maintainers of an online service for coders, called RubyGems, and forced them to shut down new account registrations as they dealt with the chaos it had … Continue reading Cyberattack by Rogue AI Swarm Stokes Fears of Out-of-Control Agents

briefing, Geopolitics, Military, NATOLeave a comment
Colin Henderson

IN THE BASKET: CROATIA & SOUTH KOREA With Europe growing wary of Trump, South Korean defence sales are skyrocketing In the basket: 18 Hanwha K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchersWho’s buying: CroatiaWho’s selling: South KoreaPrice: €544.1mDelivery date: 2026 to 2029 Big hit: South Korea makes another arms deal with Europe Croatia’s rocket-launcher capabilities are unquestionably due for an overhaul. The country’s army is still largely making do with the M-92 Vulkan and BM-21 Grad, which are both so ancient that they were designed and built by nations – Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, respectively – that disintegrated several decades ago. Its choice of replacement – 18 K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchers from … Continue reading

briefing, intel, UK, USLeave a comment

Top US Lobby Firm Had Hidden Ties to Iran, Russia Oil Tycoons

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Qorvis worked for companies that authorities say are overseen by sanctioned kingpins. The firm says it doesn’t take sanctioned money. Ben BartensteinSeptember 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT In early March, as the war in Iran sent oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel, executives at a Washington-based lobbying firm called Qorvis made an unusual suggestion to senior US officials, according to people familiar with the matter: The Trump administration should relax some sanctions on Iran and Russia to help stabilize the market. Within days, the Treasury Department issued short-term waivers allowing the sale and offloading of Iranian … Continue reading Top US Lobby Firm Had Hidden Ties to Iran, Russia Oil Tycoons

Economics, USLeave a comment

MacroPolicy Perspectives,

Colin Henderson

Some highlights from what we have been writing, reading, and talking about in August. Sep 9th 2026 Chair Warsh’s inaugural Jackson Hole speech was viewed as an important step toward rebuilding Fed credibility and setting the stage for a September rate hike, without explicitly committing to one. Warsh emphasized that inflation has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for five years, unemployment remains low and stable, and financial conditions are difficult to characterize as restrictive, suggesting the economy can withstand—and may require—tighter monetary policy. He firmly reaffirmed the 2% PCE inflation target, described the labor market as “quite stable,” and acknowledged … Continue reading MacroPolicy Perspectives,