What Actually Mattered This Week: China/Hong Kong, WHO's in Trouble, A Franco-German Proposal

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

My thoughts on some of this week’s biggest news stories:

China moves to impose controversial Hong Kong security law

Authoritarianism doesn’t rest, even during a pandemic.

Tough day for rule of law.

China's Xi announces $2B for coronavirus response as WHO faces calls for investigation

A WHO investigation would be a disaster for China.

At best the investigators get limited access, the report is inconclusive, and Beijing faces more blame that they’re hiding something.

China will do everything possible to avoid/delay.

Trump threatens to permanently cut off WHO funding, withdraw U.S. membership

The US is threatening to pull the plug on the WHO...by itself. Not one funder supports President Trump’s position.

A pandemic is the worst time to distract the WHO with these threats. If the US leaves, the WHO will still function—less effectively—with greater Chinese influence.

It’s hard for a leader to make a decision opposed by every other country in the world.

President Trump pulled it off when he left the Paris Climate Accord. If he withdraws the US from the World Health Organization, he’ll do it again.

Germany and France unite in call for €500bn Europe recovery fund

Best news out of Europe since the crisis started (though it still has to be approved).

Trump says he's taking hydroxychloroquine, despite scientists' concerns

The opposite of leading by example.

White House officials are privately saying hydroxychloroquine was a miracle cure for a high level staffer that tested positive. Trump obviously believes it.

Bolsonaro touts hydroxychloroquine as Brazil virus crisis deepens

Trump would have to fire Dr. Fauci and his successor, attend anti-pandemic rallies, and expand chloroquine as COVID treatment to approach the level of crisis incompetence of Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro.

Prefer long-form analysis? Here are my thoughts on the first global economic depression of our lifetimes.

TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

Largest employers among Fortune 500

1 Walmart 2.2m employees

**nobody else close**

2 Amazon 798K

3 Yum China Holdings 450K

4 Kroger 435K

5 Home Depot 416K

6 Berkshire Hathaway 392K

7 FedEx 390K

8 IBM 384K

9 UPS 378K

10 Target 368K

-Fortune

THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

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GRAPHIC TRUTH 

YOUR GZERO WORLD

With just a few companies controlling the vast majority of beef, pork and poultry processing in the US, the nation's meat supply chain was already vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of the system and threatens to disrupt the entire industry, from farmers to processing plants to grocery store shelves.

This week, GZERO World with Ian Bremmer explores two sides of America's current food crisis: Infections and supply chain disruption that have shuttered plants, and growing food insecurity caused by soaring unemployment. Food banks are reporting a 70% increase in demand from communities while farmers are forced to dump milk or let animal products go to waste.

Our guest, Tom Vilsack, knows both sides of the story from experience. As former Governor of Iowa, farming and agriculture were key areas of policy and politics. Later, as President Obama's Sec. of Agriculture, he was tasked with managing the national issues of food supply and demand. Now, as a board member of Feeding America, he sees firsthand the need for more aid to working families who can't make ends meet in this pandemic.

In this episode, we'll also take you to Minnesota to meet a hog farmer impacted by disruption at one of the nation's largest processing plants.

And on Puppet Regime: Mark Zuckerberg hosts America's new favorite game show!

For a longer, more in-depth version of my interview with Vilsack, check out the GZERO World podcast. 

WORLD IN 60 SECONDS

What is going on between the WHO, the US and China?

How are lockdown measures affecting Turkey during Ramadan?

How is Vladimir Putin and Russia handling the pandemic?

Finally, another health minister gone. Where is Brazil and its coronavirus response?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!  

Do you like what you’ve seen? Subscribe and stay informed.

BECAUSE THE INTERNET

Way to rub it in our faces.

DEEP THOUGHTS

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." – Napoleon Hill

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Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. He currently teaches at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.