Thursday, August 7, 2025

California Hospital Giant Sutter Health Target of Anti-Trust Suit, Legislation for High Prices. Will It Set a National Precedent?

Will California officials succeed in curbing aggressive pricing by hospital network Sutter Health? Could these efforts set a precedent for other markets?

Bitcoin Energy Use Growing Much Faster than Previously Thought

Bitcoin energy use alarmists are being proven right.

Wolf Richter: Fake News No Problem – Internet Totally Dominates Advertising in the US

TV falls behind further, suffers first advertising revenue decline since the Financial Crisis

2:00PM Water Cooler 5/17/2018

Today’s Water Cooler: NAFTA and wage arbitrage, China, Biden, Sanders, PA results, flipping the House, leading indicators, manufacturing, Maersk, Uber, coyotes, class warfare, self-knowledge, new planet

CalPERS Issues False and Misleading Press Release to Try to Railroad Board on Private Equity Industry Enrichment Scheme

A brazen example of CalPERS staff trying to muscle board members and have them violate their fiduciary duty regarding a massive, misguided, and sketchy private equity outsourcing scheme.

Yes, Neoliberalism Is a Thing. Don’t Let Economists Tell You Otherwise

Now that people have started to discover what neoliberalism is, denialism is the rage.

Links 5/17/18

CalPERS Board Members Say They Don’t Want to Do Their Jobs, Can’t Be Bothered With Dealing With Their Mail

The CalPERS board makes an embarrassing display of how little interest it has in rolling up its sleeves and doing some work.

Yet More Brexit Idiocy: Cabinet Thinks Begging to Stay in Customs Union Will Solve Irish Border Problem

The UK is now trying to marry up two unworkable Brexit ideas and call it a solution.

IEA: High Oil Prices “Taking A Toll” On Demand

Mr. Market may not yet take issue with rising oil prices, but the real economy is starting to register the pinch.

2:00PM Water Cooler 5/16/2018

Today’s Water Cooler: Trade, Biden, House races, industrial production, housing, trucking and ELD, coal, RVs, cellphone surveillance, robots, Kissinger on AI, Twitter on trolling

Trade War: How Tensions Have Risen Between China, the EU and the US

A very useful recap of trade measures taken so far and potential impacts of various threats made by the US, China, and EU.

Links 5/16/18

What Do the Jersey Elections Have to Do With Britain?

Not only is the isle of Jersey facing increasing scrutiny for its status as a notorious tax haven, especially from the UK, but populist desire for reform is surging from within as elections approach.

Ecuador Hints It May Hand Over Assange

Assange’s luck in staying out of the hands of the US may be coming to an end.