A former Fed economist explains in detail how the central bank has been using dodgy accounting to hide losses from impermissible subsidies
Recent Items
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Federal Reserve, Using Non-Compliant Accounting, Hides Over $100 Billion a Year of Losses and Resulting Negative Equity, Due to Illegal Bank Subsidies
Topics: Banana republic, Credit markets, Dubious statistics, Federal Reserve, Legal, Politics, Real estate
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 33 Comments »
Satyajit Das: Book Essay – Understanding Iran
A look at modern Iran’s grand strategy and the danger of continued Western underestimation.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Guest Post, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:00 am | 5 Comments »
How States Are Placing Restrictions on AI in the Absence of Strong Federal Regulation
Yves here. On the one hand, it is gratifying to see that some curbs are being put on AI, even if in a piecemeal fashion by states. Restrictions on AI use in medicine, for instance, will tend to have broader impact since most providers are national and will find it too costly to run a […]
Topics: Guest Post, Legal, Politics, Ridiculously obvious scams, Technology and innovation, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:21 am | 9 Comments »
Coffee Break: Grifter as Greek God, Palmer Luckey of Anduril
Palmer Luckey, the CEO of autonomous weapons systems maker Anduril, is being heralded as the potential savior of America’s defense industry. He’s not.
Topics: Coffee Break
Posted by Nat Wilson Turner at 2:00 pm | 31 Comments »
Stagflation Watch for the US Economy as a Whole
Upgrading a US recession watch for the US to a stagflation watch due to inflation even as ISM indexes signal current contraction
Topics: Dubious statistics, Economic fundamentals, Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 20 Comments »
Links 8/6/2025
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 110 Comments »
When One of the World’s Most Powerful Nations Is Run By Spoiled Children
The US cannot achieve its goals in the world by traditional economic or military means, so it increasingly prefers chaos and destruction. How do the other powers stop it?
Topics: Banana republic, China, Doomsday scenarios, Europe, Global warming, Middle East, Risk and risk management, Russia, Social policy, Social values
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:00 am | 59 Comments »
Trump Reaffirms Threat of Even Higher Tariffs on India; Deflationary Shock Risk for Global South
If Trump does not blink on his tariff threat against India over Russia oil buys, could his program kick of deflationary pressures?
Topics: Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Globalization, Health care, India, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:54 am | 15 Comments »
The “Trump Bridge” Could Lead To Russia’s Expulsion From the South Caucasus
Is Trump about to achieve a big win in Russia’s back yard?
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Europe, Guest Post, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 2:42 am | 31 Comments »
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Iran Has the Bomb
Theodore Postol is a retired MIT physics professor who was a consultant to the Pentagon on nuclear weapons and missile defense. He recently published a presentation on Iran’s nuclear weapons capability, which he summarized in a YouTube interview. Professor Postol explains, in considerable detail, how the construction of a deliverable fission bomb is well within […]
Topics: Coffee Break, Guest Post
Posted by Haig Hovaness at 2:00 pm | 52 Comments »
Food Rescue Grows in Response to Federal Funding Cuts
Food rescue, charities that use excess from wholesalers, provide free groceries to those in need as Federal programs cut support.
Topics: Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Social policy, Social values, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 12 Comments »
Links 8/5/2025
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 154 Comments »
Trump Threatens India With Secondary Sanctions Over Russian Oil Purchases. What Next?
Trump’s attempt to bully India into dropping Russian oil buys is not succeeding. What happens now?
Topics: China, Economic fundamentals, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, India, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 23 Comments »
Less Than Four Months After Joint IMF-World Bank Bailout and Lifting of Currency Controls, Argentina Is Back in Crisis Mode
“The IMF’s maximum credit to Argentina… is projected to reach 1,352% of the country’s quota in 2026. This would be the Fund’s largest exposure in absolute terms in its history.”
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:45 am | 20 Comments »
Economists Wake Up to West’s Trade and Technology Dependence on China
Useful data on and discussion of China’s dominance of inputs and technologies essential to the West.
Topics: China, Commodities, Economic fundamentals, Europe, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Guest Post, Risk and risk management, Technology and innovation, The dismal science
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:06 am | 10 Comments »


