Fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics and power

Political scientist Benjamin Page discusses urgent reforms to US democratic practices, from unaccountable institutions to economic inequality.

Slower traffic speed limits protect pedestrians and cyclists, helping more people access climate-friendly transportation.

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

A new paper dissects how the Covid crisis demonstrated the failings in how science is practiced now. But are its suggestions for improvement bold enough?

The World Bank insists on private finance or economic recovery but does little to ensure profit-hungry commercial finance serves the public

The US and its allies hope to tamp out Houthi interference with Israel, and derivatively, Red Sea shipments. Will that work?

Climate-change-induced extreme events look more and more imminent.

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Will Egypt agree to take in the Palestinian population from Gaza in exchange for the cancellation of its external debt?

A long and useful recap of geoengineering methods.

“The challenge with cash is that it really does have a big community public service sort of aura attached to it.”

Neoliberalism is still doing a fine job of zombifying economies, but the doctrine sadly is in rude health.

A survey of the literature on how RSV and the flu are transmitted, show that, like Covid, they too are tranmitted as airborne aerosols.