The trade war is back on. The trade deadline came and went at midnight last night without a deal. So 25% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods took effect at 12:01. The tariffs had previously been set at 10%. Based on Trump’s comments, 25% tariffs may possibly be applied to an additional $300
It’s almost impossible to have a reasonable discussion about climate change. That’s because the science has been hijacked and politicized in support of a political agenda that would not have any following at all but for the “fear factor” that proponents instill using climate change as a cudgel. As George Orwell warned 70 years ago,
We normally don’t include central bank blogs in our weekly media links. They tend to be boring and technical (just like central banks). But this article caught our eye. It’s from the website of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the central bank of the Netherlands. DNB owns 600 tons of pure gold bullion. About 31% of this gold
The problem with any kind of market manipulation is that there’s no way to end it without unintended and usually negative consequences. Manipulation by government agencies and central banks always starts out with good intentions. They are trying to “save” the banks or “save” the market from extreme outcomes or crashes. Of course, this desire
Do you drive a Tesla? Does someone you know? Tesla drivers are generally a self-satisfied lot. The cars have had a lot of well-publicized problems including battery fires and quality-control issues with doors, windows and other onboard systems. The battery range of about 275 miles is a bit confining for me; I often take trips
Are there Russian nuclear weapons in Venezuela today? According to this article, the answer is yes. I’m not so sure myself. The sourcing in this article is from a single member of Congress who does not offer any proof to back up the claim. Still, the presence of nukes in Venezuela is a possibility that cannot be
President Trump shocked markets yesterday when he announced that a new, heavy round of tariffs on Chinese goods will take effect this Friday. Complacent markets had assumed that a trade deal would get done, that it was just a matter of sorting out the details. Now that is far from certain. Failing a last minute
