Obama's Legacy … Has the President met the expectations set in 2004? As President Barack Obama begins his final year in office, he is left with two objectives: solidify and promote his past successes as cornerstones of his legacy and at the same time make progress on a few remaining initiatives, even though the Republican-controlled Congress has little interest in working with him on any...Read More
An acceleration in US wage growth is reinforcing the Federal Reserve's view that inflation is poised to rebound and could lead the central bank to raise rates more this year than many investors expect. Investors had been doubting the Fed's resolve to raise interest rates, betting on fewer increases this year. But signs of strength in the US economy is changing that view. – Irish Inde...Read More
Obama's Legacy … Has the President met the expectations set in 2004? As President Barack Obama begins his final year in office, he is left with two objectives: solidify and promote his past successes as cornerstones of his legacy and at the same time make progress on a few remaining initiatives, even though the Republican-controlled Congress has little interest in working with him on any...Read More
Former money-market trader Paul Thompson was at his well kept brick-and-tile Dalkeith home, a couple of blocks from Perth's Swan River, last Thursday when Australian Federal Police officers came to arrest him. The October 22 arrest was not a complete surprise, nor was it entirely unexpected. Thompson didn't know an arrest warrant had been issued and he wasn't told police were on their...Read More
Former money-market trader Paul Thompson was at his well kept brick-and-tile Dalkeith home, a couple of blocks from Perth's Swan River, last Thursday when Australian Federal Police officers came to arrest him. The October 22 arrest was not a complete surprise, nor was it entirely unexpected. Thompson didn't know an arrest warrant had been issued and he wasn't told police were on their...Read More
Sukari gold mine, located 700 km from Cairo. (Image courtesy of Centamin)Toronto and London-listed gold miner Centamin (TSX:CEE) (LON:CEY) said Thursday it expects 2016 production from its main Sukari gold mine in Egypt to increase by 7% to 470,000 ounces, as it continues to ramp-up production in expanded areas of the mine.The company, which also aims to reduce all-in-sustaining costs at the opera...Read More
Investors should focus on China's economy, not stocks … there are some important reasons not to panic: China's stock market reveals very little about the health of the country's economy – it's dominated by small savers who put more faith in speculative investing newsletters than economic fundamentals. – CNNDominant Social Theme: Don't look at the problem. Thin...Read More
Saudi Arabia is our natural ally against Isil. Just like David Cameron, Riyadh is committed both to destroying Islamic State and to toppling Assad. It would be foolish to alienate them now … – UK TelegraphDominant Social Theme: The House of Saud and the House of Bush, perfect together?Free-Market Analysis: This article by a man who is the Telegraph's chief military correspondent, a...Read More
Investors should focus on China's economy, not stocks … there are some important reasons not to panic: China's stock market reveals very little about the health of the country's economy – it's dominated by small savers who put more faith in speculative investing newsletters than economic fundamentals. – CNNDominant Social Theme: Don't look at the problem. Thin...Read More
Saudi Arabia is our natural ally against Isil. Just like David Cameron, Riyadh is committed both to destroying Islamic State and to toppling Assad. It would be foolish to alienate them now … – UK TelegraphDominant Social Theme: The House of Saud and the House of Bush, perfect together?Free-Market Analysis: This article by a man who is the Telegraph's chief military correspondent, a...Read More
The US Economy: Still on Track? … Raw materials and goods need to be transported regardless of how modern or sophisticated an economy is. Every week the Association of American Railways ("AAR") posts a free report on rail volumes transported across North America by major category. This provides some decent clues on the condition of the US economy, almost in real time … The la...Read More
Obama wipes away tears as he calls for new gun measures … The president gets emotional as he remembers Sandy Hook victims and fiercely calls for more rights for those vulnerable to gun violence. – PoliticoDominant Social Theme: Once we get guns out of the hands of the people we can worry about knives … and fists.Free-Market Analysis: The story is all over the news. More gun contr...Read More
The US Economy: Still on Track? … Raw materials and goods need to be transported regardless of how modern or sophisticated an economy is. Every week the Association of American Railways ("AAR") posts a free report on rail volumes transported across North America by major category. This provides some decent clues on the condition of the US economy, almost in real time … The la...Read More
Obama wipes away tears as he calls for new gun measures … The president gets emotional as he remembers Sandy Hook victims and fiercely calls for more rights for those vulnerable to gun violence. – PoliticoDominant Social Theme: Once we get guns out of the hands of the people we can worry about knives … and fists.Free-Market Analysis: The story is all over the news. More gun contr...Read More
After 1 million migrants, Europe's borders are back … Since it opened in 2000, the Oresund bridge between Sweden and Denmark has been a towering symbol of European integration and hassle-free travel across borders that people didn't even notice were there. On Monday new travel restrictions imposed by Sweden to stem a record flow of migrants are transforming the bridge into a striking...Read More
Will the U.S. fall for Saudi Arabia's deliberate provocation in killing of Shi'ite cleric?… Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent political leader of the monarchy's Shiite minority has worsened Mideast tensions and is forcing the Obama administration to decide if there are any limits to the outrages that the longtime U.S. "ally" may commit, as Trita Parsi explains...Read More
After 1 million migrants, Europe's borders are back … Since it opened in 2000, the Oresund bridge between Sweden and Denmark has been a towering symbol of European integration and hassle-free travel across borders that people didn't even notice were there. On Monday new travel restrictions imposed by Sweden to stem a record flow of migrants are transforming the bridge into a striking...Read More
Will the U.S. fall for Saudi Arabia's deliberate provocation in killing of Shi'ite cleric?… Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent political leader of the monarchy's Shiite minority has worsened Mideast tensions and is forcing the Obama administration to decide if there are any limits to the outrages that the longtime U.S. "ally" may commit, as Trita Parsi explains...Read More
The Most Important Person in 2016 … Forget the presidential candidates – Fed Chair Janet Yellen is who you need to watch … – US NewsDominant Social Theme: The most important person in the world …Free-Market Analysis: The great debate has started and will continue to keep us focused on the Fed until the next move. We will be reminded over and over again of the phony im...Read More
The Teddy Awards 2015 … The arena was noisy in 2015, scarily so. … Political courage, which these annual Teddy Awards celebrate, seems a particularly necessary commodity in the face of such noise, the courage to stand against a tide of barbarity and incivility. – TIMEDominant Social Theme: The world belongs to the moderates.Free-Market Analysis: TIME magazine informs us that a ce...Read More