Merkel had a bad day and things don’t seem likely to improve any time soon.
Recent Items
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Merkel’s Government Wobbles Over Immigrant Row as Italy Threatens Canada Trade Deal
Topics: Europe, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Politics, Social policy
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:33 am | 21 Comments »
Why Are There So Many Unsheltered Homeless People in California?
Try guessing why San Francisco has encampments of homeless people….
Topics: Banana republic, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Income disparity, Real estate, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:41 am | 87 Comments »
Some Bankruptcy Judges Finding Ways to Give Desperate Student Borrowers Relief
Some bankruptcy judges recognize that the typical application of the “undue hardship” for discharging student debt is too stringent and are finding wriggle room.
Topics: Credit markets, Legal, Social policy, Student loans
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:15 am | 27 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 6/14/2018
Today’s Water Cooler: Canada and trade, Sanders at Democrat cattle call, Poor People’s Campaign, Planned Parenthood, retail sales bump, Boring Company, unemployment insurance, moderation
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 151 Comments »
Wolf Richter: Riskiest Junk Bonds Completely Blow Off the Fed, Face “Sudden” Reckoning
Normally risky credits like junk bonds are the first to react when the Fed starts tightening. But we are not in normal times.
Topics: Credit markets, Federal Reserve, Guest Post, Investment outlook
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 4 Comments »
Links 6/14/18
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 193 Comments »
Paul Jay on Trump’s Iran War Agenda and Liberals’ Korea Peace Panic
The Real News Network’s Paul Jay contends that Trump and his team are focused on Iran as they carry out the Project for a New American Century plan.
Topics: Banana republic, China, Doomsday scenarios, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:35 am | 13 Comments »
Backstabbing Over Cows
The trouble with cows….
Topics: Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Guest Post, Market inefficiencies
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:02 am | 38 Comments »
Poor Peoples Campaign Protests All Over US Ignored by Media
A young anti-poverty, anti-discrimination movement, the Poor Peoples Campaign, is starting to get traction.
Topics: Banana republic, Free markets and their discontents, Income disparity, Media watch, Politics, Social policy, Social values, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 2:05 am | 68 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 6/13/2018
Today’s Water Cooler: Trudeau, G-7, “the wave,” mid-term results, ranked choice voting, Mueller, producer price index, debt, Tesla autopilot woes, pension funds, Grantham on capitalism, Chinese truckers, DNS
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 101 Comments »
The Roots of Argentina’s Surprise Crisis
How reforms by Argentina’s President Macri helped kick off a currency crisis.
Topics: Banana republic, Currencies, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Macroeconomic policy, Politics, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 20 Comments »
Links 6/13/18
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 176 Comments »
Some Notes on North Korea
Trying to get past the groupthink on the North Korea summit.
Topics: China, Doomsday scenarios, Japan, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:15 am | 115 Comments »
Bill Black: Democrats Should Reject Bernanke’s ‘Wily E. Coyote’ Criticism of Trump’s Deficits
Bernanke engages in a new episode of ideologically motivated economic prognostication.
Topics: Banking industry, Dubious statistics, Economic fundamentals, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Macroeconomic policy, Politics, The destruction of the middle class, The dismal science
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:10 am | 38 Comments »
The Italian Mini-BOT Debate
More discussion of how well a proposed Italian parallel currency, the mini-BOT, might work in practice.
Topics: Curiousities, Europe, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Macroeconomic policy
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:00 am | 4 Comments »