~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Recent Items
Sunday, September 14, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 1/26/2021
Topics: Guest Post, Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 135 Comments »
Poor Lives Matter, But Less
w the metrics for development and poverty, which drive policies and spending, often do the poor a disservice.
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 6 Comments »
Links 1/26/2021
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 144 Comments »
Michael Hudson: Finance Capitalism vs. Industrial Capitalism – The Rentier Resurgence and Takeover
Michael Hudson provides a deep dive into the rise and rise of the rentier under financial capitalism.
Topics: Banking industry, China, Economic fundamentals, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:40 am | 29 Comments »
Why Is Everyone Talking About Squatters’ Rights in Covid-Ravaged Spain?
Squatters versus landlords: the battle lines are drawn as this once-in-a-lifetime crisis threatens to create a whole new generation of olvidados.
Topics: Europe, Guest Post, Income disparity, Real estate
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:31 am | 9 Comments »
Why Apollo’s Palace Coup Against Leon Black and Further Disclosures on Jeffrey Epstein Are Not Reassuring
The few details that Apollo offered about Leon Black’s relationship to serial child rapist Jeffrey Epstein only make things look worse.
Topics: Banana republic, Investment management, Legal, Private equity, Ridiculously obvious scams, Taxes
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:29 am | 22 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 1/25/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 252 Comments »
Alabama to Get New Marine Sanctuary?
Just off the Alabama coast lies a unique submerged 60,000 year-old cypress forest. Legislation is pending to preserve it from marauders.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Environment, Global warming, Guest Post, Politics
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 9:55 am | 15 Comments »
Links 1/25/2021
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 6:58 am | 106 Comments »
Reader Query: Getting a Covid Vaccine in Your Area
ow difficult is the process for getting a Covid vaccine where you live?
Topics: Banana republic, Health care, Pandemic, Regulations and regulators, Ridiculously obvious scams, Science and the scientific method
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 85 Comments »
Wolf Richter: Historic Mania in SPACs, IPOs. Huge Fees for Wall Street Banks. Mega Paydays for Insiders. Disdain for Valuations. Blind Faith that “This Time It’s Different”
SPAC mania, with billions raised: this time it’s different, everyone is saying again – another sign that the zoo has gone nuts.
Topics: Banana republic, Banking industry, Guest Post, Income disparity, Investment banks, Investment outlook, Market inefficiencies, Risk and risk management
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 6:35 am | 11 Comments »
Coronavirus and Banking: Evaluating Policy Options for Avoiding a Financial Crisis
A scorecard for various approaches to combatting the looming European banking crisis.
Topics: Banking industry, Credit markets, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Europe, Guest Post, Macroeconomic policy, Pandemic, Politics, Regulations and regulators
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:40 am | 12 Comments »
Say It Ain’t So, Joe: Character Clause May Bar Any Candidate from Election to Baseball Hall of Fame This Year
An expansive interpretation of a character test is excluding baseball’s top performers from induction into the Hall of Fame; should it?
Topics: Curiousities, Legal, Politics, Social policy, Social values
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 7:30 pm | 52 Comments »
Links 1/24/2021
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 6:55 am | 222 Comments »
Rights Advocates Alarmed by US Spy Agency’s Purchase of Warrantless Phone Location Data
Defense Intelligence Agency skirts constitutional warrant requirements by buying location data from data brokers.
Topics: Banana republic, Guest Post, Links, Politics, Regulations and regulators, Surveillance state
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 5:25 am | 24 Comments »