Tuesday, October 15, 2024

2:00PM Water Cooler 10/15/2024

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; CIA Democrats; Kamala and Biden teams at odds; Trump singing and dancing Town Hall not the debacle portrayed; Boeing to borrow billions, delays 777X, plans drastic white-collar cuts ~

Europe’s Blue Hydrogen Plans Risk Generating Annual Emissions on Par With Denmark

An important takedown of the blue hydrogen scam, a pet initiative of fossil fuel companies.

Links 10/15/2024

Nicaragua Severs Ties With Tel Aviv While Germany Creates “Genocide Clause” to Justify Sending More Arms to Israel

The title of this post may, at first sight, seem a little baffling. After all, what does the smallish one-party Central American state of Nicaragua have to do with Europe’s largest economy, Germany? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot.

What If There’s No Landing at All, But Flight at Higher Speed and Altitude than Normal, with Higher and Rising Inflation?

Recent economic data suggest inflation may gain steam again. What would the Fed do?

“Is The West Prepared to Deal With Potential Iranian Sabotage of the Oil Market?”

A discussion of some of the ways Iran could use economic, as in oil, leverage to retaliate against an Israel strike.

Brief History of Bipartisan Ballot Bamboozlement: 2000–2020

“Our democracy” has quite a history of problems….

2:00PM Water Cooler 10/14/2024

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics; Democrat bedwetting; Kamala messaging disasters: Walz goes hunting, manly men, Obama and black men; Walz oppo bubbles up, not yet popped; Labor Secretary Su flies to Seattle, Boeing’s doom loop ~

Links 10/14/2024

Private Equity Pummeled by Higher Interest Rates as Portfolio Companies and Credit Funds Struggle; Use of PIK Loans Now Recalls Late 1980s LBO Crisis

More and more private equity and private credit deals are looking over-extended. How bad might things get?

Millions in US Toiling Under This Imposed Housing Crisis Need One Thing: Straight-Up Cash

The real-life stories of Americans moving through eviction court show that what most struggling families really need is simple: money.

Book Review: How Much Can Animals Really Communicate?

In “Why Animals Talk,” zoologist Arik Kershenbaum argues that knowing what animals are saying is less crucial than why.

Links 10/13/2024

De-risking Downsides

The EU starts a trade war with China. Like the “de-risking” from Russia, the US is once again poised to be the main beneficiary.  

The Cash Will Soon Flow

Robbing Africa’s riches to save the climate (and power AI).