Today’s Water Cooler: Lighthizer on NAFTA, Biden trial balloons, Pelosi v. Trump v. Schumer, NC-09 election fraud, the Lochnerized First Amendment, consumer prices, business inflation expectations, real estate, Bitcoin, Tesla, corporate planning and climate, @Jack meditates, Fortnite
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Do Climate Policies ‘Kill jobs’? An Economist on Why They Don’t Cause Massive Unemployment
Sadly, an upbeat take on what “green” policies might means for jobs greatly understates the depth of economic restructuring needed to reduce the pace of climate change.
Yellow Fever in France
Almost everyone agrees on the analysis of what caused the yellow jacket movement: the growth of inequalities, the marginalization of certain regions and social categories, austerity and neoliberal politics. Then accounts diverge.
Wolf Richter: “Severe Collapse” of Home Prices Might Trigger a “Financial-Institution Crisis” in Australia: OECD Frets about the Banks
Australia looks to be on the verge of a nasty unwind of its housing bubble. A plunge would damage not only its banks but also retirement funds, since banks play an outsized role in the Australian stock market.
Brexit: Tories Launch No Confidence Vote Against May
May looks to be hoist on her Brexit petard.
2:00PM Water Cooler 12/11/2018
Today’s Water Cooler: NAFTA, China auto tariffs, Bloomberg 2020, Beto’s donors, producer price index, small business optimism, Amazon insider scams, trucking rates, supply chain for fabric, Uber’s robot car software, AI, hoarding scooters, Gilded Age, love and money, MAD Magazine
Bill Black: Douthat’s Mendacious Meritocracy Myth
Debunking the notion of meritocracy.
Brexit: All About May
Why May oddly matters even more than before.
France’s Macron Makes Concessions While ‘Yellow Vest’ Protests Continue
Some background on the demands the gilets jaunes are presenting to French president Macron.
The Reality Is Everything Must Change
Why we need the biggest change program in history and must deploy state-created money to mobilize resources.
2:00PM Water Cooler 12/10/2018
By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Trade “Why Trump’s trade war is pushing China to become smarter and stronger, faster” [Hellenic Shipping News]. “The final communiqués at these lovefests must usually be written beforehand for anything to be agreed. Trump is the exception. He likes one-on-ones. He is a professional deal maker in a way that […]
Senators Press for Expanded Probe of FEMA Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico Relief Efforts
Senators Warren, Sanders, Blumenthal, and Durbin, has asked the DHS IG to expand an investigation into misallocation of funds budgeted for repair of hurricane-damaged homes and profit-skimming in Puerto Rico
