Author Archives: Yves Smith

Links 3/22/18

Was Carillion’s Collapse the Beginning of the End for the UK’s Outsourcers?

Two large British outsourcers are also on the verge of collapse, and the vultures are circling.

Another CalPERS Victory: CalPERS to Publish “Court Reporter Style” Transcripts

CalPERS commits to publishing its open meeting transcripts.

Humanity’s Meat and Dairy Intake Must Be Cut in Half by 2050 to Avoid Dangerous Climate Change

An update on meat consumption as an environmental hazard.

Germany’s Pivot From Russian Gas Will Be Costly

Why Germany’s plans to hurt Russia via its gas exports may not go all that far.

Links 3/21/18

Andrew Bacevich Shellacks the New York Times’ Usefully Idiotic Coverage of America’s Never-Ending Wars

A well-argued dressing down of the New York Times for its less than illuminating reporting on America’s military adventurism.

CalPERS (for Once) Does the Right Thing, Votes to Retain Transcription of Meetings

Mirable dictu! CalPERS board members vote to preserve its practice of transcribing board meetings, an important component of accountability and transparency.

Wolf Richter: Then Why Is Anyone STILL on Facebook?

If you’ve created an account, you can never escape Facebook. But you can at least stop making things worse for yourself.

Bill Of The Month: For Toenail Fungus, A $1,500 Prescription

Not only was the bill for a toenail fungus topical cream shockingly high, but the pharmacy dispensing it was able to tap directly into the patient’s health reimbursement account.

Central Banks in the Age of Populism

Central banks are under more and more pressure to respond to public dissatisfaction with their stewardship. Is that such a bad thing?

Gaius Publius: Why Climate Activists Must Include Supply-Side Restrictions in Their Recommended Policy Mix

Another important, indeed necessary, policy measure in the climate change toolkit.

CalPERS Violates Law and Board Procedure: Cuts Microphone of Board Member Margaret Brown After Letting Her See Only Redacted Board Transcripts, Lodging Bogus Charges

CalPERS has been doing everything it can to keep new board member Margaret Brown from seeing recent closed session transcripts, including cooking up completely bogus, secret charges against her.

“Welcome to Hell”: Barcelona Taxi Drivers Prepare for Uber’s Return

Uber faces a rumble from Barcelona’s taxi drivers.