Fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics and power

Services are two-thirds of the economy; as long as they’re firm, the economy will plug along just fine, even as manufacturing stalled

The world-wide decline of insect populations, strengths and weaknesses of the studies, causes and effects

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Open Thread ~

Why Intel’s prospects are even worse than its stock price plunge and worried press accounts suggest.

A long view of the conflict in the Middle East.

A climate technology favored by oil companies is increasingly being attacked by more prominent figures on the right who are following the lead of their base. 

News that Rome is in hot water over “rule of law” issues came out at same time Meloni headed East in attempt to repair ties with China, but is that the reason? 

Hospitals in several states are partnering with a private equity-backed company to offer combined emergency and urgent care in a single building. But patients may not realize prices vary between the two services — often by a lot.

Yves here. We linked to reports of the discovery of so-called dark oxygen, but we did not realize that this finding could argue for restricting deep sea mining. By Felicity Bradstock, a freelance writer specializing in energy and finance. Originally published at OilPrice Potato-shaped metallic nodules deep under the Pacific Ocean produce oxygen in complete […]

Another take on the slow unraveling of the Western-dominated order, here seen as a repudiation of colonialism.

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics Charts Friday: New RCP charts (bad news for Trump); many Covid updates (a little good news); new study on Covid and traffic safety; Kamala’s VP search; aphantasia and prosopometamorphopsia. ~

New factory building shows that reshoring plans are translating into action. But how many will produce successful operations?