Will California officials succeed in curbing aggressive pricing by hospital network Sutter Health? Could these efforts set a precedent for other markets?
Recent Items
Thursday, August 7, 2025
California Hospital Giant Sutter Health Target of Anti-Trust Suit, Legislation for High Prices. Will It Set a National Precedent?
Topics: Banana republic, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Health care, Regulations and regulators
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:57 am | 28 Comments »
Bitcoin Energy Use Growing Much Faster than Previously Thought
Bitcoin energy use alarmists are being proven right.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Energy markets, Environment, Global warming, Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:27 am | 44 Comments »
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
Topics: Guest Post, Media watch, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 2:02 am | 22 Comments »
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
Topics: Guest Post, Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 114 Comments »
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.
Topics: Banana republic, CalPERS, Investment management, Legal, Private equity
Posted by Yves Smith at 12:21 pm | 19 Comments »
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.
Topics: Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Social policy, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 96 Comments »
Links 5/17/18
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 269 Comments »
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.
Topics: Banana republic, CalPERS, Legal
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 21 Comments »
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.
Topics: Brexit, Doomsday scenarios, Europe, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Politics, Regulations and regulators, UK
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:49 am | 65 Comments »
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.
Topics: Economic fundamentals, Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:30 am | 7 Comments »
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
Topics: Guest Post, Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 101 Comments »
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.
Topics: China, Europe, Federal Reserve, Globalization, Guest Post
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 19 Comments »
Links 5/16/18
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 248 Comments »
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.
Topics: Banana republic, Banking industry, Corporate governance, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, UK
Posted by Outis Philalithopoulos at 1:30 am | 10 Comments »
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.
Topics: Banana republic, Guest Post, Legal, Media watch, Politics, Surveillance state
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:07 am | 89 Comments »