Photo: Author; San Juan, Puerto Rico On June 30, 2016, in the midst of a summer rocked by Brexit, terrorism, and an acrimonious presidential campaign, President Obama quietly signed into law a bill that had earlier caused controversy but had now faded from government and media attention. The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA, was a political compromise neither party was happy with, a mishmash rushed into being to forestall a wave of litigation before Puerto Rico defaulted on a series of loans July 1. In addressing this limited objective, the law is a success. But for the island to find a path out of its current troubles, greater attention from the U
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks at the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Launch Ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2016. [State Department Photo/ Public Domain] Earlier this summer, the U.S. State Department released the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, a document prepared by the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP), the annual release of which is often met with criticism on its impartiality and bias. The United States is generally seen as a world leader in the international fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery, and the TIP Report has played a great pa