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Watching and Ignoring

Willis Sparks
By Willis SparksMay 11, 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

Ebola in the DRC — According to the Health Ministry of the Democratic Republic of Congo, “Our country is facing another epidemic of the Ebola virus, which constitutes an international public health emergency.” At least 17 people have died following the latest outbreak, the ninth documented in the DRC. The virus, discovered in the DRC in the 1970s, takes its name from the country’s Ebola river.

Brazil after Barbosa — Former Supreme Court President Joaquim Barbosaannounced this week he won’t run for president. With less than five months to go, Brazil’s election remains wide open, if now a little less interesting.

Clown protest — In April, 100 people were murdered in the Mexican resort town of Acapulco. Residents are angry, but not surprised. This week, a group of professional clowns dressed in white made international news by marching to protest the violent crime that has become common in many Mexican cities and towns. Love them or fear them, clowns command attention.

WHAT WE’RE IGNORING

Mr. Sandman — In Rio, there are three kinds of people: those rich enough to afford a home with an ocean view, those who can’t afford such luxury, and Marcio Mizael Matolias. This third category consists of one man who lives on Barra da Tijuca beach while avoiding the high cost of housing by living in a (literal) sandcastle. Hold off on jokes about “unsustainable development,” because he says he has lived there for 22 years. So far so good. But his commitment isn’t total: When the sand gets too hot, he stays at a friend’s house.

The Robert Mueller Rumor Mill — Again this week we saw “bombshell” media reports on various allegations against President Trump followed quickly by news that Robert Mueller was investigating the same issues months ago. The Special Counsel is obviously 187 steps ahead of everyone talking and writing about his investigation. #Wait for Mueller

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