• Facing a growing outcry, Bangladesh cancelled the repatriation of more than two thousand Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled after Burmese soldiers burned down their villages. Although the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar had negotiated a repatriation agreement, no Rohingya volunteered to return, fearful of rape, murder and arson. The plan was widely condemned by the United Nations, Asian leaders and human rights groups.
(“Rohingya in Bangladesh Will Not Be Forced Back to Myanmar,” Al-Jazeera, Nov. 15, 2018; “Bangladesh Admits Not Rohingya Will Take Repatriation Offer,” Guardian, Nov. 15, 2018; “Pence Says Myanmar’s Handling of Rohingya ‘Without Excuse’,” AP, Nov.14, 2018)
• Online retail giant Amazon won $5.5 billion dollars in tax breaks and incentives at the end of its yearlong search for a new headquarters. In the end Amazon decided to co-locate its new headquarters and 50,000 high paying jobs in both Long Island City, in Queens New York — and Arlington, Virginia.
(“NYC to Amazon: Drop Dead,” Guardian, Nov. 14, 2018; “Amazon Deal Will Disrupt Plans for Affordable Housing on LIC Sites,” Politico, Nov. 15, 2018; “Amazon Could Turn Two Pricy Real Estate Markets Into Unaffordable Ones,”Quartz, Nov. 13, 2018)
• Louisiana farmers produce 13 million tons of sugarcane each year, generating $3 billion dollars. It’s a lucrative crop, due to regulated production limits and tariff-rate quotas that protect U.S. growers from foreign competition. As the American Sugar Cane League proudly notes, sugar is has arguably been the most successful crop in Louisiana history.
( “It’s Not Fair or Right: How America Treats Its Black Farmers,” Guardian, Oct. 30, 2018)
