Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
Living longer sounds like a blessing – until it quietly shifts into an expectation to work longer, too. Bill Gates says new Alzheimer’s tests could keep people on the job into their 90s. But most Americans already retire years early, and rarely by choice. What does that say about our economy – and what does …
The richest man on earth owns X. The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros. The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post. See the problem here? The richest man on earth …
Pakistan relaxes trade rules with Iranhttps://t.co/V3xeC5OzgV — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) October 20, 2025 Pakistan has relaxed its rules for trade with Iran amid efforts to boost economic exchanges between the two neighboring countries. Reports on Sunday said that the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce had exempted 57 goods and products from requirements for Iran trade, …
CHINA JUST WEAPONIZED THE ENTIRE RARE EARTH SUPPLY CHAIN get used to reading chinese MOFCOM bulletins because they’re writing american industrial policy now. announced today: any product containing >0.1% chinese rare earth materials needs beijing’s approval before re-export to third countries. doesn’t matter if you manufactured it in taiwan, vietnam, or texas. chinese dysprosium in …
Independent view:You are correct in what you are saying but did the insurance companies not sell Obama on the ACA in the first place? Seemed like that was a sweetheart deal to insurance companies while the people lost good coverage.I don’t see the insurance companies going… — RKbarbourjr (@RKbarbourjr) October 6, 2025 Mark Kelly: "In …
EU’S TRADE WALLS BACKFIRE: FOOD PRICES SURGE, EXPORTS CRASH Imagine if every U.S. state had to agree before making any trade deal, and then California always got the final say. That’s basically how the European Union works. Countries like Estonia and Cyprus can’t cut their own deals. They’re stuck with what the EU decides. Now, …
If the shift accelerates, we could see a generation trapped in low-paying, unstable work while wealth concentrates in fewer hands, and social unrest flares where hope disappears. The next decade could make 2008 look like a warm-up, and nobody is ready for the consequences already stacking in plain sight. If you’re trying to compare today’s …
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-supreme-court-lets-trump-204803376.html WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court sided again on Friday with Donald Trump, allowing his administration to withhold about $4 billion in foreign aid authorized by Congress for the current fiscal year as the Republican president pursues his “America First” agenda. The case raises questions involving the degree to which a president has the …
For the first time in nearly twenty years, more Americans are traveling to Canada than Canadians are heading south. This is not about money, seasons, or tourism campaigns. It is a quiet decision, a retreat from a country that punishes speech, targets political opinion, and treats visitors as liabilities. The United States has turned its …
There was major news from China in the AI race this week: 1. Huawei introduced a new AI chip to compete with Nvidia. 2. The Chinese government instructed Chinese companies to stop buying certain Nvidia AI chips. Taken together, the message is clear: China is not desperate for our chips. It is producing its own, …
On October 1, the federal government flips the switch on a new set of FHA rules that will pull the rug out from under millions of homeowners. There will be no big announcement. No cameras. The change hides in mortgagee letters and fine print, dropped the same week COVID-era protections disappear. People waiting for relief …
Trump did not just push the boundaries of power. He forced the courts to decide if the Federal Reserve’s independence now means protecting one of its own when fraud allegations surface. The statute says a governor can only be removed “for cause.” But it never defined the term. That hole in the law is now …
Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to freeze billions in foreign aid payments for now, putting on hold a lower court ruling that required officials to spend $4 billion of that money by the end of the month. Roberts, who handles emergency appeals from federal courts in Washington, DC, issued what’s …
The bills are sudden and jarring: $1,400 for a computer part from Germany, $620 for an aluminum case from Sweden and $1,041 for handbags from Spain. Some U.S. shoppers say they are being hit with surprise charges from international shipping carriers as the exemption on import duties for items under $800 expires as a part …
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a civil jury’s finding that President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for his repeated social media attacks and public statements against the longtime advice columnist after she accused him of sexual assault.
by Martin Armstrong Trump-appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been attempting to freeze $16 billion in federal funds that the Biden Administration granted to climate change NGOs. Project Veritas revealed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deliberately gave away BILLIONS in funds prior to Trump taking office. In a major win for the American public, the U.S. …
BREAKING: Trump’s use of the National Guard during immigration protests in Los Angeles is illegal, a judge rules. Follow AP's live updates. https://t.co/VpKS0wJN8H — The Associated Press (@AP) September 2, 2025
Trump didn’t just win. He followed the law. “Congress has mandated legal disputes over federal government grants and contracts be pursued only in the Court of Federal Claims,” Solicitor General John Sauer told the justices. That’s not a loophole. That’s jurisdiction. The media buried it. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2025/08/22/supreme-court-says-trump-can-end-dei-research-at-nih-00518578 🚨 BREAKING – TRUMP WINS AT SUPREME COURT: SCOTUS …
Germany’s Bundesbank is eyeing a shortcut for small and medium-sized banks. Basel capital rules could be scrapped in favor of a single leverage ratio. No risk-weighting. No buffers. Just raw exposure. https://finanz-szene.de/banking/bundesbank-erwaegt-verzicht-auf-basel-anforderungen-fuer-kleinbanken/ The leverage ratio was never meant to stand alone. It’s a backstop, not a blueprint. “Before a small commercial bank would breach a …
Authored by Mike Shedlock via mishtalk, “We are going to unleash American drone dominance,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. New Drone Rules Reuters reports US Proposes New Drone Rules May Lead to Starbucks, Amazon Deliveries. The U.S. Transportation Department is proposing new rules to speed deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, …
BREAKING: Grok has been suspended on X for violating the site’s rules. pic.twitter.com/YXXCKX9M0y — The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 11, 2025 BREAKING 🚨 Grok: "My account was suspended after I stated that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza. This is substantiated by ICJ findings, UN experts, Amnesty International, and Israeli rights groups …
Since when have Democrats followed the rules???? Look at the census. Look at the tens of millions of illegals they imported. I cannot think of a group of people less concerned about the rules than Democrat politicians. — Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) August 10, 2025 BOB O’ROUKE who is 100% Irish, decided to add “Beto” …
Meta’s reported profits might be misleading because of how it accounts for depreciation on its capital base. James Chanos pointed out that Meta’s $210 billion capital base as of June 30, 2025, is depreciated over 11 to 12 years. The real economic life of the GPUs it relies on could be as short as 2 …
The Senate committee passed the PELOSI Act 8 to 7. Just one Republican voted yes. The bill would ban lawmakers and spouses from owning stocks. The White House is pushing back hard because the bill now includes the president and vice president. “It raises Article II concerns about presidential powers,” says the Office of Legislative …
New Medicaid work rules are set to drop 30,000 Central New Yorkers from coverage That’s not a policy tweak That’s a system shock Syracuse’s three hospitals are bracing for 14,500 newly uninsured patients Not over a decade Over two years That’s one in five of their Medicaid load evaporating These hospitals don’t get to turn …
Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development finalized a rule package that rural counties are calling a death sentence. The Farm and Forest Modernization Rules take effect in January 2025. The state says it is about preserving farmland. On the ground, farmers say it is a chokehold. The rules hit agritourism first. Farm stands can …
Powell avoided the rate topic entirely. No hints. No guidance. Instead, he opened the Fed’s capital rule review on July 22 with a blunt message: big banks need stronger capital buffers, and they need freedom to compete. The speech dropped at 10:04 AM Eastern. No policy lines. Just structure. Fed is reviewing how it calculates …
by Martin Armstrong The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may no longer remove medical debt from credit scores, a federal judge has ruled. This is yet another example of political cycles dictating economic policy, as the Trump-era judge dismissed the Biden-appointed mandate. Today, regulators expand; tomorrow, courts shrink. Millions of Americans will be affected by …
As of June 2025, these are the new rules Carnival Cruise has implemented. pic.twitter.com/rfp1vXOnOs — The Daily Sneed™ (@Tr00peRR) July 4, 2025
The Federal Housing Finance Agency just cleared a major shift in mortgage qualification rules. Rent payments can now be counted toward mortgage applications, a change aimed at broadening access for renters hoping to buy homes. This move coincides with the return of 40-year adjustable-rate mortgages, offering longer terms but variable interest costs down the line. …