Author Archives: Yves Smith

Links 2/5/2022

Senators Have Re-Introduced the Highly Unpopular EARN IT Bill That Would Scan All Online Messages

The EARN IT Act would authorize a massive new private surveillance system, rolling back important privacy and security features

Building a State One Step at a Time: Evidence from France

Some theories about government-making from France….but do they hold up?

Ending Drug Price Gouging: A Regulatory Framework for Pricing of Medicine Innovation

regulators can step in to ensure drug pricing both supports patient access and drug development.

What Does Climate Change Have to do with Snowstorms?

An easy-to-present example of how climate change affects weather.

Links 2/3/2022

Could the U.S. Defend Ukraine?

It’s no secret that the US can’t help Ukraine on the ground, charitably assuing Russia intends to Do Something. So what is the point?

What Happens If a Cryptocurrency Exchange Files for Bankruptcy?

Law professor Adam Levitin explains why cyptocurrency exchange customers face a world of hurt if their exchange fails.

Nuclear Power Is Clean, Safe and Cheap. We Need It to Stop Global Heating

Climate activist: The arguments made against nuclear power today are the same as I was making a decade ago, and I was wrong.

Inflation Paranoia Threatens Recovery

Inflation hawks are winning. A ‘beggar thyself’ race to raise interest rates has begun. But this response slows economic growth.

Covid Sightings: Omicron Reinfections, Brain Effects, Shabby US Performance, Western Australia Border Controls

There’s enough new Covid news as to merit some focus on the bigger developments…so have at it!

A Facet of Late-State Capitalist Failure: Operational Breakage

Are seemingly increasing operational failures a sign of a bigger pathology?

The UK’s Post-Brexit Review of ‘Retained EU Law’ Risks Undermining Democracy

Brexit requires the Government to disentangle domestic law from EU law. The preferred plan is to hand more power to unaccountable ministers