Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Scoring the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan and Earlier Covid Relief Programs

How to do a better job of getting relief to those who need it.

Another Blow to Tax Evasion and Money Laundering: UK Targets Art Market After US Goes After Anonymous Shell Companies

The US and UK are making life a bit harder for tax cheats.

Stock Market Leverage Spikes in Historic Manner: Another WTF Chart of a Zoo that Has Gone Nuts

In an investment environment where nothing matters anymore – until old fasioned worries like leverage suddenly do.

2:00PM Water Cooler 3/18/2021

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

CalPERS Laughingstock: Marcie Frost, Who Previously Pursued Non-Existent Dual Bachelors/Masters Degree, Designates Herself Law School Grad and Bar Member; Investment Committee Chair Theresa Taylor Admits Not Knowing What SPACs Are

CalPERS’ leadership has such an advanced case of Dunning Kruger effect that they can’t recognize when they are making fools of themselves.

CalPERS Board Member Theresa Taylor Outs that a Staff Member Has Committed Fraud; When Will Giant Pension Come Clean?

Yet more misconduct at CalPERS.

Links 3/18/2021

Patent System Often Stifles the Innovation It Was Designed to Encourage

Why the US patent regime is broken and what could be done to fix it.

The Free Press versus Facebook and Google

Are Facebook and Google the new ‘public square’? Or are they publishers swiping content from others?

The Full Case Against Ultra Low and Negative Interest Rates

Why unprecedentedly low and negative nterest rates will probably not stimulate demand and may even threaten financial stability.

2:00PM Water Cooler 3/17/2021

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Legalise It: Prohibition’s Repeal and Its Unintended Impact on Public Health

How the US Prohibition remains widely misunderstood and why that matters.

Links 3/17/2021

Michael Hudson and Paul Craig Roberts: It Is Time To Remove The Debt Barrier To Economic Growth

Why it’s time for a widespread debt writedown.

Yanis Varoufakis: Draghi’s Outrageous Deployment of McKinsey, Europe’s Predicament, DiEM25’s Proposals

Yanis Varoufakis decries how McKinsey is undermining democracy in a putative first world country, a big step up from South Africa and Saudi Arabia.