Isabella M. Weber, Ajay Banga, Dina Khapaeva, and more in Behind the Headlines

Also featuring Jeffrey Frankel, Jayati Ghosh, Peter Singer, and more [View this message in a web browser]( [PS Behind the Headlines]( JULY 19, 2023 [Taking Aim at Sellers’ Inflation]( [Taking Aim at Sellers’ Inflation]( [Isabella M. Weber]( urges policymakers to match their improved understanding of the problem with more appropriate policies. [Is the US Economy Headed for a Soft Landing?]( [Is the US Economy Headed for a Soft Landing?]( [Jeffrey Frankel]( thinks a near-term contraction is unlikely and explains why economic forecasts have been so far off the mark. Disorder in Russia In the wake of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s aborted rebellion, questions have been swirling about the sustainability of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. This week at PS, Dina Khapaeva sheds light on Russian power structures, and Kent Harrington considers what developments in Russia mean for its “no-limits partner,” China. --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Kremlin's Mobster Code]( [Dina Khapaeva]( argues that power in Russia is not nearly as centralized as many Westerners have long assumed, but dispersed among various clans that behave like mafia families. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Xi Jinping’s Russian Albatross]( [Kent Harrington]( shows why China's “no limits” partnership with Russia has become a liability it cannot throw off. [PS. Save 30% on a new Digital or Digital Plus subscription.]( [Youth Unemployment and China's Economic Future]( [Nancy Qian]( sees the contraction of high-paying, high-skilled jobs for recent graduates as an ominous sign. [Buffer Madness]( [Howard Davies]( questions the merits of increasing banks' capital as a way to ensure financial stability. [PS Say More: Peter Singer on Russian protests, animal testing, AI, and more]( [Peter Singer on Russian protests, animal testing, AI, and more]( [Peter Singer]( considers ordinary Russians’ ethical obligations regarding the Ukraine war, highlights controversial ideas worth discussing, and more. [The World Bank Reflects Our Ambition]( [Ajay Banga]( touts a new vision for the institution, defined by the goal of ending poverty on a livable planet. [Why the Paris Financing Summit Failed]( [Jayati Ghosh]( [Sandrine Dixson-Declève]( and [Johannah Bernstein]( decry the reluctance of advanced-economy leaders to facilitate the green-energy transition. [PS. Help us improve by taking our 2023 Reader Survey.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Project Syndicate publishes and provides, on a not-for-profit basis, original commentary by the world's leading thinkers to more than 500 media outlets in over 150 countries. Receipt of this newsletter does not guarantee rights to re-publish any of its content. This newsletter is a service of [Project Syndicate](. [Change your newsletter preferences](. Follow us on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [YouTube](. © Project Syndicate, all rights reserved. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](.