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Willis Sparks
By Willis SparksAugust 31, 2018
Willis Sparks
Willis Sparks is a senior editor for GZERO Daily. He is also a Director in the Global Macro practice at Eurasia Group, where he has worked since 2005. He has made speeches on international politics on every continent except Antarctica. Willis holds degrees from Brown University, the Juilliard School, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. He also holds an honorary degree from the Moscow Art Theatre School. A native of Macon, Georgia, Willis has worked as a stuntman at New York's Metropolitan Opera. As a child, he declined an opportunity to spend an afternoon riding the Great American Scream Machine, a rollercoaster, with Ronald McDonald, for money. He has never regretted that decision.
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WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Canada’s NAFTA deadline – Later today, we’ll find out whether Canada wants to join President Trump’s new version of NAFTA. This isn’t an easy call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wants to appear tough on Trump while needing a deal to avoid steep US tariffs. That said, if Trudeau calls Trump’s bluff and says no, it’s far from clear the US Congress will approve a bilateral deal with Mexico that excludes Canada.

Russian trolls, chapter 653 – Scientists at George Washington University say they have discovered a project launched on Twitter by bots and Russian trolls to spread misinformation about vaccination. The study discovered several accounts, known to belong to Russian trolls who interfered in the 2016 US elections, as well as marketing and malware bots, tweeting false information about vaccines. It’s not clear whether the project’s purpose is to generate political controversy or simply to prevent parents from vaccinating their children.

WHAT WE’RE IGNORING

British-French naval battles – “Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty.” These were the final words of Admiral Lord Nelson as he died below deck on the moment of his greatest victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His triumph ensured Napoleon would never invade Britain. The British and French are again battling at sea, this time over scallop fishing rights, and these grubby maritime hoodlums have none of Nelson’s panache.

A Kalashnikov on wheels – Russian arms maker Kalashnikov, best known for the AK-47 assault rifle, has introduced a new electric car it hopes will rival Elon Musk’s Tesla. Russia doesn’t have much track record with domestically manufactured luxury automobiles, to put it politely, and your Friday author is having trouble suspending his disbelief.

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