One of our periodic reader queries as to what they make of the state of the economy based on local sightings.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Why Colombia Has Erupted in Protest
The pandemic exacerbated intolerable poverty and economic distress in Colombia. As repression mounts, is there any way out?
2:00PM Water Cooler 6/2/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Little-Known Illnesses Turning Up in Covid Long-Haulers
Yet more types of long Covid damage, this one particularly debilitating.
Lawmakers Are Firing Back At Fossil Fuel Divestors
Red state retaliation! Fossil fuel states will take business away from firms that divest from energy producers.
The West’s Not Very Hidden Hand in Debt Oppression in Central Asia
How World-Bank-sponsored microlending produced widespread misery in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: debt collectors use violence.
SoftBank-Funded Silicon Valley Unicorn Katerra, Which Was to “Transform” the Construction Industry, Collapses
Katerra, one of the rare unicorns with a real or at least plausible business, fell to Covid. Lawsuits will fly.
2:00PM Water Cooler 6/1/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
From Tragedy to Hesitancy: How Public Health Failures Boosted COVID-19 Vaccine Scepticism
Who’d have thunk it? Public health incompetence fuels distrust in official recommendations, like vaccines.
The Empire Strikes Back Against Mexican President AMLO
As The Economist urges Mexican voters to vote for anyone who isn’t AMLO, the US government is up to its old tricks: funneling money to political opposition groups.
Why Did 72% of Israelis Want Attack on Gaza to Continue?
ir Hever discusses how the attacks on Gaza reveal the extreme right-wing radicalization of most of the Israeli Jewish population
Do Languages Get Simpler When They Get More Complicated?
How and why do languages change?
It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: COVID-19 Gooses Local On-Line Shopping and Home Delivery Options
Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. and a bank holiday in the UK. Best wishes to U.S. and UK readers for a pleasant holiday.
