Financial Speculation in Commodity Markets

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Monetary Policy

What Is the U.S. Federal Reserve?
Over the past decade, the Fed kept interest rates low while it deployed trillions of dollars in stimulus and expanded its regulatory oversight. Now, the central bank is back in the spotlight for its battle against inflation.

Backgrounder by James McBride, Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman August 15, 2024 Renewing America

Venezuela

Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate
Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.

Backgrounder by Diana Roy and Amelia Cheatham July 31, 2024

Turkey

Turkey’s Increasing Balance Sheet Risks
Turkey is heading for a classic currency crisis.  All of its reserves and then some are borrowed.

Blog Post by Brad W. Setser June 6, 2023 Follow the Money

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Iran

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
The IRGC is one of the most powerful organizations in Iran, conceived as the principal defender of the 1979 revolution, and now a critical link to Islamist militant groups violently opposed to Israel and the United States.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors November 12, 2024

United States

Transition 2025: Donald Trump Won the Presidency. Now He Needs to Staff His Administration
Each Friday, I examine what is happening with President-elect Donald Trump’s transition to the White House. This week: Presidential transitions are complicated affairs, especially when power passes from one party to another.

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay November 8, 2024 The Water's Edge

Climate Change

COP29 Summit in Baku: What to Expect
The 2024 summit in Azerbaijan comes amid fresh reports showing that global warming levels are accelerating, bringing more intense climate-related disasters and an increased demand for funding to mitigate and protect communities from the effects of climate change.

Expert Brief by Alice C. Hill and Priyanka Mahat October 31, 2024 Energy Security and Climate Change Program