Author Archives: Yves Smith

Brexit: Standoff

Will Johnson pull the Brexit plug today, or decide to fight another day?

Latest Election Stunt Proves Uber and Lyft Are Their Own Worst Political Enemies

Quelle surprise! Uber and Lyft are acting in bad faith in their struggles to get out of being classified as employers.

Pandemics and Inequality: A Historical Overview

The record of pandemics past shows that only devastating mortality rates reduce inequality.

Links 10/15/2020

College Enrollments Drop Due to Covid, Adding to Budget Damage

College enrollments fall, consistent with predictions that Covid would hit them hard.

Milton Friedman Versus Stakeholder Capitalism

Looking at the damage Milton Friedman did by advocating corporate irresponsibility, which more and more orthodox economists have questioned.

Bill Would Clamp Down on Cops Collecting DNA From Kids

A proposed New York City bill would halt DNA collection from children in the absence of an arrest or parental consent.

Why Saudi Arabia May Be Forced To Start Another Oil Price War

Poor oil price prospects may lead to another race to the bottom.

EU Wins WTO Ruling on Boeing Subsidies, Following WTO Ruling for the US on Airbus Subsidies. Tariff War On?

WTO rulings on tit-for-tat aircraft manufacturer disputes look likely to produce dueling tariffs at least in the near term.

Why Has Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer Invested New York City Pensions in Private Equity Firms Like Blackstone?

The New York City pension system provides more proof that investing in private equity hurts performance.

What Did Billionaire Leon Black of Apollo Get for >$50 Million in Fees to Jeffrey Epstein?

The more we learn about Leon Black’s relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the less there is to like.

What Should Europe Expect from American Trade Policy After the Election?

Biden promises to go back to an old normal. But how realistic is that on the trade front?

Citi’s Recidivist Rule-Breaking and Incompetence Shows Persistence of Too Big/Complex to Fail Problem

Citi’s latest run-in with regulators shows why comparing big banks “too big/complex to fail” problems to those of Big Tech is all wet.

Michael Klare: How the US Plays Nuclear Chicken with Russia and China

eeping tabs on US nuclear provocations of Russia and China.