Updated figures for the direct costs of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan now stand at more than 350,000 lives lost and $4.4 trillion spent. Indirectly, another 250,000 lives have been lost to war-related causes like loss of civilian access to food and health care, and another $8 trillion in interest on war debt may come due during the next 40 years.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies has released updated figures for the human and financial costs of the U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. (more…)
If there is any good news in the ISIS developments in Iraq, it is that the United States and Iran both want to see ISIS stopped and Iraq’s government stabilized. It’s possible, writes Jo-Anne Hart, that addressing the ISIS issue could lead to confidence-building between the United States and Iran. Hart is an adjunct professor of international studies at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.
While the recent military advance of ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) in northern Iraq has stirred sudden concern — if not panic — in public commentaries in the United States, it is important to keep in mind several key points. (more…)
New Report “Digital Wallet Road Map 2013” Offers Data, Insights and Strategies for Overcoming Barriers on Awareness, Understanding of Benefits, Availability and Security Concerns
RESTON, VA, February 4, 2012 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the Digital Wallet Road Map 2013, a study which measures consumer awareness, perceptions and intent to use current digital wallet offerings. The study found that digital wallets, which store a virtual copy of the contents of a consumer’s physical wallet to facilitate online or offline retail transactions, only had awareness among 51 percent of U.S. consumers for wallets other than PayPal.
“Digital wallets represent an innovative technology that has not yet reached critical mass among consumers due to a variety of factors, including low awareness and a muddied understanding of their benefits,” said Andrea Jacobs, comScore Payments Practice Leader. “This study delves deeply into the mindset of consumers with respect to their potential use of digital wallets, in addition to helping size the market opportunity. The study also provides guidance on how digital wallet providers, marketers, developers and retailers can contribute to growing adoption of this technology.” (more…)
