Monthly Archives: January 2025

January 26, 2025

• Will the Newly Declassified CIA “Assessment” of Covid Origins in Wuhan Include the Possibility of Early Spread in Italy?
  by Lambert Strether 5:25 pm

• Links 1/26/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Wolf Richter: DOGE Seeks to Shed Vast Amounts of Government Office Space. Here’s How Much the Government Leases, and Where, and What Leases it Can Shed During Trump’s Term
  by Lambert Strether 6:50 am

January 25, 2025

• Links 1/25/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Michael Hudson: Trump’s Balance-of-Payments War on Mexico, and the Whole World
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• President Trump Promises to Make Government Efficient − and He’ll Run Into the Same Roadblocks as Presidents Taft, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush, Among Others
  by Yves Smith 5:19 am

January 24, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/24/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• How Much Will Trump’s Bark Exceed His Bite? Doubts About Whether Disruptive Federal Hiring and Spending Pauses Will Produce Lasting Changes
  by Yves Smith 10:48 am

• Links 1/24/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• At Davos, Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud on Online Anonymity and Digital Identity
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• The Curse of the Household Analogy
  by Yves Smith 1:33 am

• Building a Movement for Social Justice in the Time of Trump
  by Yves Smith 12:58 am

January 23, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/23/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• More Kentucky Dirty Dealings: Attorney General Schemes to Leave Hundreds of Millions in Pension Recovery on the Table, Give Sweetheart Payout to Attorneys, To Settle Claims Against Private Equity Kingpins KKR and Blackstone, Including Ones by Plaintiffs the AG Does Not Represent
  by Yves Smith 10:27 am

• Links 1/23/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Rob Urie: On Being Censored for the Last Four Years
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Introduction: ‘To Govern The Globe’
  by Yves Smith 6:19 am

• How ‘Dupes’, Fast Fashion and China’s Economic Slowdown Spell Disaster for the Luxury Sector
  by Yves Smith 4:54 am

January 22, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/22/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• How Far Will Trump Get With Shock and Awe?
  by Yves Smith 11:26 am

• Links 1/22/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• NATO as the Fly in Russia’s Baltic Sea Soup
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• Knowing Less About AI Makes People More Open to Having It in Their Lives – New Research
  by Yves Smith 4:36 am

• Close to 30 Million Americans Face Limited Water Supplies, Government Report Finds
  by Yves Smith 4:10 am

January 21, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/21/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• How Los Angeles Can Fireproof Communities, Not Just Houses
  by Yves Smith 9:58 am

• Links 1/21/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Four Lawsuits Targeting DOGE Filed Immediately After Trump Swearing In Demand Compliance with FACA, Other Laws
  by Yves Smith 6:53 am

• Cold War 2.0 in Mexico: US and Russian Embassies Lock Horns Over International Study Programs
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• How Trump 2.0 Could Herald a New Age of Authoritarian Capitalism
  by Yves Smith 5:24 am

January 20, 2025

• Trump Shreds Emoluments Clause with New Memecoin while Norms Fairy Weeps (and Melania Joins the Fun)
  by Lambert Strether 5:55 pm

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/20/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Links 1/20/2025
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• The Next Unwind of Social Guarantees: Home and Medical Insurance
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• There’s No Growth, so What Should Labour Do?
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• For Homeless Seniors, Getting Into Stable Housing Takes a Village — And a Lot of Luck
  by Yves Smith 3:52 am

• Los Angeles Fires: A Guide for Making Sure Your Home Insurer Pays What It Owes
  by Yves Smith 3:08 am

January 19, 2025

• Links 1/19/2025
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• What Will A Trump-Aligned EU Look Like? 
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• David Lynch Exposed the Rot at the Heart of American Culture
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

January 18, 2025

• Links 1/18/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Was Biden Right to Warn about the Tech-Industrial Complex?
  by Yves Smith 5:47 am

• Michael Hudson: Trump on Greenland, Panama and Canada
  by Yves Smith 5:10 am

January 17, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/17/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• mBridge, a Bank of International Settlements Project Hyped by BRICS Fans as a Way to Evade Sanctions, Shut Down
  by Yves Smith 10:31 am

• Links 1/17/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• New York Judge Loretta Preska Just Declared Open Season on Argentina’s Gold Reserves
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Actuaries and Scientists Warn Climate Shocks Risk ‘Planetary Insolvency’ as Power Struggles About How to Rebuild LA Begin
  by Yves Smith 5:55 am

• Closing Ranks: Organised Labour and Immigration
  by Yves Smith 2:03 am

January 16, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/16/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Evaluating the Risks of Engineered Viruses and Bacteria, aka ‘Mirror Life’
  by Yves Smith 9:56 am

• Links 1/16/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Gaza Ceasefire Deal Still Not Approved by Knesset. And Why Should the World Trust Israel to Comply if So?
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• James Galbraith: How the Fed Became Less Powerful Despite Weakened Congressional Oversight
  by Yves Smith 5:59 am

• Bluesky: Exit, Voice, and Platform Loyalty
  by Yves Smith 2:00 am

January 15, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/15/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• A Forgotten Farming Technique Is Making a Big Comeback – Here’s Why
  by Yves Smith 11:05 am

• Links 1/15/2024
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Make America Healthy Again: Is MAHA a Trope or a Movement?
  by Yves Smith 6:48 am

• U.S. Sanctions on China’s Oil Firms Are Just the Beginning Under Trump
  by Yves Smith 6:45 am

• Trump’s HUD Secretary and Our Reverse Robin Hood Housing System
  by Yves Smith 6:29 am

January 14, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/14/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Wanting More for BRICS Than BRICS Wants for Itself
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 1/14/2025
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Even in Switzerland’s Direct Democracy, There Is Little Room for Public Choice on Digital Identity
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Is Capitalism Falling Out of Favor? We Analyzed 400,000 News Stories to Find Out
  by Yves Smith 5:55 am

• America’s Infrastructure Crisis: Covid’s Role in a Ticking Time Bomb
  by Yves Smith 3:53 am

January 13, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/13/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Links 1/13/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Russia’s Difficult Ukraine End Game Choices and the Issue of “Imposing Terms”
  by Yves Smith 6:52 am

• Musk, Meloni, and the AfD: Trump’s Plan for Reorganizing EU Vassals Comes into Focus
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• Rebuilding Rate for Santa Cruz Mountains Lightning Complex Fire Bodes Ill for Los Angeles Reconstruction, Even Before Getting to Insolvency of California State FAIR Plan Wildfire Insurance
  by Yves Smith 1:59 am

January 12, 2025

• The Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) Lacks Legal Structure and Promised Transparency
  by Lambert Strether 4:25 pm

• Links 1/12/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Health Care AI, Intended To Save Money, Turns Out To Require a Lot of Expensive Humans
  by Lambert Strether 6:50 am

January 11, 2025

• Links 1/11/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Weaponizing the US Dollar. Can It Work?
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Meet the Cats Who Roam Rikers Island
  by Yves Smith 6:02 am

January 10, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/10/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• “In 2025, States Will Flip the Script on Taxes to Make the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share”
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 1/10/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Where is Guaidó 2.0?
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Polish Foreign Minister Worries that Musk Will Successfully Undermine Ruling Liberal Party in Upcoming Elections; Is Another Romania-Style Election Nullification Possible?
  by Yves Smith 5:58 am

• UK Economy Falters as Pound Sterling Continues to Slide
  by Yves Smith 5:56 am

January 9, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/9/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Beware the Faux Populism of Corporate Democrats
  by Yves Smith 10:04 am

• Links 1/9/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• This Week’s Unholy Mix of Drought, Wind, and Fire in Southern California: A Warning of an Accelerating Insurance Crisis in Climate-Risk Areas?
  by Yves Smith 6:52 am

• Yanis Varoufakis: What to Watch Out for in the Unfolding Palestinian Genocide
  by Yves Smith 6:34 am

• Americans’ Rage at Insurers Goes Beyond Health Coverage – The Author of ‘Delay, Deny, Defend’ Points to 3 Reforms that Could Help
  by Yves Smith 6:03 am

January 8, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/8/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• China’s Government Bond Market Sounding Loud Deflationary Alarm. Is the Japanification China Has Warded Off Finally Arriving?
  by Yves Smith 11:09 am

• Links 1/8/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Is a US-Türkiye Deal Involving the Kurds in the Works? 
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• Europe Races to Refill as Gas Reserves Dwindle
  by Yves Smith 5:37 am

• What Is a Democrat?
  by Yves Smith 12:39 am

January 7, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/7/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• What Has Happened to Our Grand Experiment, the Internet?
  by Yves Smith 9:54 am

• Links 1/7/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• NYT Readies Terrain for Incoming Trump Administration’s Long-Telegraphed Intervention in Mexico
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• DOGE: Nations Aren’t Corporations and ‘Efficiency’ Means Austerity
  by Yves Smith 5:57 am

• Health Insurers Limit Coverage of Prosthetic Limbs, Questioning Their Medical Necessity
  by Yves Smith 5:17 am

January 6, 2025

• How Is It That xAI’s (Naïve) Grok Does Not Reveal that xAI is a Public Benefit Corporation?
  by Lambert Strether 4:25 pm

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/6/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Links 1/6/2025
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Who Benefits from Russia’s War in Ukraine
  by Yves Smith 5:30 am

• For Many Rural Women, Finding Maternity Care Outweighs Concerns About Abortion Access
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• Michael Hudson: Cracks in the Empire – Is the American Superpower Fading?
  by Yves Smith 4:36 am

January 5, 2025

• Eight Israeli Lawmakers Demand Acceleration of the Extermination in Gaza by Destroying Remaining Food, Plus Water and Energy Infrastructure
  by Yves Smith 11:18 am

• Links 1/5/2025
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Will Russia’s Alleged Downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight Overturn the Great Game Board in the Caucasus?
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• The Earthquake Environmental Justice Advocates Aren’t Talking About
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

January 4, 2025

• Links 1/4/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Michael Hudson’s Introduction to Giorgio Buccellati’s At the Origins of Politics
  by Yves Smith 6:00 am

• Tech Law in 2025: A Look Ahead at AI, Privacy and Social Media Regulation Under the New Trump Administration
  by Yves Smith 4:33 am

January 3, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/3/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Elite College Money Woes: Wall Street Journal Notes but Underplays the Level of Negligence
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 1/3/2025
  by Lambert Strether 6:58 am

• Just Like Clockwork, the Propaganda Push for Digital ID Kicks Into Gear in the UK
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Why Doesn’t the News Media Talk About the Real Issues in Life?
  by Yves Smith 5:52 am

• What Should Tesla’s Stock Be Worth? Automaker, Stagnating Vehicle Sales like GM & Ford, Getting Overtaken by Competitors, Losing Share in the Booming EV Market?
  by Yves Smith 1:03 am

January 2, 2025

• 2:00PM Water Cooler 1/2/2025
  by Lambert Strether 2:00 pm

• Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, Antony Blinken, China, and the Idiocy of Tom Friedman
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 1/2/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Trump’s Push To Shut Down the Axis of Upheaval Starts With LNG
  by Yves Smith 5:36 am

• As Biolabs Multiply Globally, Some Experts Worry About Oversight
  by Yves Smith 3:40 am

• The Truth About H-1B Visas
  by Yves Smith 12:55 am

January 1, 2025

• Links 1/1/2025
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• The Rise in Early-Onset Cancers: Their Origins and What to Do About Them
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• Self-Selection and Self-Censorship on Campus, and the FIRE Report
  by Yves Smith 6:00 am