Author Archives: Yves Smith

Links 2/14/2024

Science We Can Use: Why Do Autoimmune Disorders Afflict Women More Often than Men?

A detailed look at a widely-discussed new paper on why autoimmune diseases afflict women much more often then men.

A Look at Private Equity’s Medicare Advantage Grifting

More on why Medicare Advantage is a criminogenic environment. And private equity has gotten in on the action.

What Would Happen If Biden Stepped Aside?

The alternatives if Biden does not make it to the convention, the options are ugly.

GoFundMe Has Become a Health Care Utility

Increased reliance on GoFundMe for big medical bills (for those that can even raise money) confirms that the US medical system is predatory.

Links 2/13/2024

Ukraine Collapse Starting. What Happens Next?

Russia has a lot of choices to make when the Ukraine military collapses.

Moody’s Just Told You So — Downgrades Israel, Warns That Weaker US Backing for Israel, War With Hezbollah Would Trigger Crash

Ratings agency downgrades of Israel confirm that its economy is taking hits and will suffer even more damage under a long war.

Yanis Varoufakis: The Two Faces of the Euro – Jacques Delors and Wolfgang Schäuble

How two of the Euro’s principal designers initiated a process that led to what at least one of them, Wolfgang Schäuble, saw as a bad end

New Study Questions LNG as a “Bridge Fuel” in Decarbonization

Biden taps the brakes on LNG expansion. A sop to environmentalists or a sign of things to come?

Links 2/10/2024

Economic Solutions: How To Go from Financialized Neoliberalism to a Productive, Sustainable Economy

Some concrete proposals for how to slip the yoke of neoliberalism and start building a fairer and more functional economy.

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” – US Stuck in the Middle East, Devoid of Deterrence Power

Trying to make sense of the US’ dangerously confused behavior in the Middle East.

‘Look for a Reversal in a Fairly Short Period of Time’ − Former Federal Judge Expects Supreme Court Will Keep Trump on Colorado Ballot

Why Trump looks set to win at the Supreme Court in his challenge to Colorado using the 14th Amendment to remove him from the ballot.

Net-Zero Targets Face Reality Check

Net-zero is staring to look like a big zero. Not at all good news to those who would like this planet to be hospitable in 100 years.