News + Media

	News@E40 April 29, 2020 SHASS Infinite Mile Award recipients in CIS CIS is pleased to announce Alicia Raun and Fatih Basaga are two recipients of the 2020 SHASS Infinite Mile Awards. Award recipients are recognized for making exceptional contributions to their academic units, the School, and the Institute.
	In the News April 29, 2020 Where is Kim Jong Un? WBUR Here and Now North Korea hasn't reported a single case of Covid-19 and the pandemic coincides with the absence of the country's leader, Kim Jon Un. Jim Walsh offers insight into the situation.
	In the News April 28, 2020 'War and disease travel together': Why the pandemic push for a global cease-fire is gaining ground Deirdre ShesgreenUSA Today Barry Posen quoted: "The disease caused by the coronavirus is weakening all of the great and middle powers more or less equally," he said. He said with no country likely to gain a meaningful military advantage from the pandemic, "the odds of a war between major powers will go down, not up."
	In the News April 28, 2020 Will the Covid-19 pandemic change national security? Peter DizikesMIT News As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to inflict huge damage around the world, international affairs experts are increasingly wondering: Will the virus make countries reconsider their national security strategies?
	In the News April 28, 2020 Low-yield warhead eliminates need for nuclear buildup, state says Dan LeoneDefense Daily Vipin Narang quoted: “What can the low yield [submarine launched ballistic missile] do that our current low yield nuclear systems cannot?” Vipin Narang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mused on Twitter. “Range and penetrate into downtown Moscow. Which doesn’t seem all that restrained.”
	Analysis + Opinion April 28, 2020 Don’t classify the FYDP; Budget transparency helps allies, taxpayers Miranda PriebeBreaking Defense Unclassified information about DoD’s current plans will help the country weigh options such as sustaining the current defense budget, shifting priorities within it or significantly shrinking it by rethinking the US approach to the world.
	News@E40 April 26, 2020 CIS awards 17 summer study grants Seventeen doctoral students in international affairs at MIT were awarded summer study grants. Each will receive up to $3,500. Sara Plana was awarded the first annual Guillemin prize. “The awards were made to an outstanding cohort of MIT students from across the Institute. We're so pleased that the appeal of these grants has broadened and students are responding,” said John Tirman, CIS executive director and principal research scientist.
	Analysis + Opinion April 25, 2020 Europe has kept down pandemic unemployment--and the US hasn’t. Here’s why. Anke Hassel, Kathleen ThelenThe Washington Post Over the last several decades, the United States has either shrunk its state capacity or failed to build it, especially around providing social benefits. In Europe, by contrast, governments have enough administrative capacity to deliver comprehensive help swiftly and directly.
	Analysis + Opinion April 23, 2020 Do pandemics promote peace? Barry PosenForeign Affairs Covid-19 does nothing to mitigate such risks for world leaders—and a great deal to feed their reasonable pessimism about the likely outcome of even a conventional war, says Barry Posen in an essay in Foreign Affairs.
	News@E40 April 23, 2020 MIT challenge: Africa takes on Covid19 MIT is hosting a series of open challenges to take action on the COVID-19 crisis. The MIT COVID-19 Challenge virtual event, Africa Takes on COVID-19, will begin May 1 and end May 3. This is part of a series of virtual hackathons with partners from across the MIT (including the MIT Africa Program) and healthcare ecosystems.