Author Archives: Yves Smith

6 Ways the Trump Shutdown Is Hurting the Country

A short tally of some of the damage done by the partial Federal shutdown.

CalPERS’ Private Equity “Fire, Aim, Ready”: Railroading Board by Screening Candidates Before Scheme Approved; Seeking to be Victimized Again by Silver Lake Partners

Another CalPERS PR gambit backfires, revealing yet more problems with CalPERS private equity scheme.

Piketty’s World Inequality Review: A Critical Analysis

Thomas Piketty and his colleagues have insisted that tax records are better for measuring inequality than income surveys. They’re wrong.

Links 1/3/19

Brexit: Circling the Drain

The latest chapter in the Brexit shaggy dog story.

Journey into a Libertarian Future: Part IV – The Journey into a Libertarian Past

Further discussion of the implications of the ideas of an influential conservative libertarian.

PG&E Could Face Murder Charges for California’s Wildfires

Will PG&E finally get its just deserts? And even if that were to happen, what would that look like?

2019 Headlines in Advance

A 2019 forecast

Journey into a Libertarian Future: Part III – Regulation

Andrew Dittmer continues his series on the world that some conservative libertarian thinkers would like to establish.

Links 12/29/18

10 Costliest Climate-Driven Extreme Weather Events of 2018 Caused at Least $84.8B in Damage: Analysis

The world’s weather is becoming more extreme before our eyes—the only thing that can stop this destructive trend from escalating is a rapid fall in carbon emissions.