Recently in Politics
Spotlighting Four Powerful Women in Global Politics
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: On March 21, 2025, Namibia celebrated the 35th anniversary of its independence and the swearing in of its first female president, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (popularly known as NNN). Just over a year ago, NNN cemented her place in history, becoming just the third woman to serve as the executive head of an African government. Defining herself as an ambitious implementer, NNN won the vote of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) on a platform of expanding education and healthcare and addressing the country’s growing socioeconomic issues…
Maia Sandu: The Republic of Moldova elected its first female president in December 2020. Opposition candidate Maia Sandu, won a sweeping victory despite significant Russian interference in the election. She campaigned on a straightforward platform focused on fighting corruption and strengthening ties with the European Union. Sandu won as leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), a political party she had founded only five years earlier…
Sanae Takaichi: Known for her adoration of Margaret Thatcher and heavy metal, Sanae Takaichi finally won leadership of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in October 2025, becoming the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi, an MP for the LDP since 1996, had run for the role of party leader three times before she won the vote last year…
Claudia Sheinbaum: Becoming Mexico’s first female and Jewish president in 2024 may not even be Dr Claudia Sheinbaum’s biggest accomplishment. Dr Sheinbaum has a PhD in energy engineering and jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for her contribution to work on education about man-made climate change and the efforts needed to counteract it…
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Recently in Business
U.S. Rate Cuts, Commercial Real Estate Crises, and the UK Startup Exodus
I. US Rate Policy: Powell vs. Trump
The Bank of England’s latest rate cut signals a cautious but noteworthy shift in monetary policy, offering some level of relief to households and businesses while still facing lingering worries about inflation and economic fragility. The UK’s central bankers face a moderate retreat from a 4.5% peak interest rate with cuts toward 4.0% on the horizon by the Bank of England, signaling a cautious pivot towards “easier money”. While Governor Andrew Bailey cautioned that inflation remained above target, the fifth cut in twelve months, it marks a deliberate step amid concerns about job losses and headline price stickiness. Meanwhile, their American counterparts are undergoing a more conflicting rate debate.
In Washington, President Donald Trump vocalized his desire for steep rate relief, even urging a plunge to 1% and publicly denouncing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, snidely referring to him as “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell”. Nonetheless, Powell has maintained a steadfast stance, backing up his decision with data-driven conclusions. At the Federal Reserve’s late-July meeting, rates were held steady at 4.25-4.50%. Powell noted that rate decisions swayed by political influence threatened policy credibility.
Despite this news, markets price in about 100% odds of a cut in September, in accordance with moderating inflation and early signs of the labor market cooling. Powell has yet to respond to Trump’s increasingly escalated rhetoric, which has included threats of legal action to force a retreat.
II. Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Housing
In CRE and housing, high borrowing costs persist and continue to stifle CRE activity. According to Freddie Mac data, for the week ending August 8 2025, the US average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.67%, sparking a 23% spike in refinance applications at the same time home-purchase applications slowed down. These metrics flag how elevated rates keep CRE transactions muted. The impact is evident as many businesses that own office assets are facing rising debt burdens and vacancies, while banks are seeing growing stress on their CRE loan portfolios. In particular, CRE delinquencies rose by 23% to over $116 billion by the end of March 2025, underscoring mounting financial strain among property owners and lenders.
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