Financial Times (October 30)
“As the world economy slows and even Germany’s economy shows signs of weakness…. Policymakers in Germany and elsewhere should promote public and private spending—investment, above all. Huge opportunities do seem to exist. Moreover, the chance to borrow at today’s ultra-low long-term interest rates is a blessing, not curse…. In today’s economy, it is the only prudent thing to do.”
Tags: Borrow, Economy, Germany, Investment, Opportunities, Policymakers, Private, Prudent, Public, Slows, Spending, Ultra-low rates. Interest, Weakness
Investment Week (October 29)
“Sustainable investment cynics have nearly halved in three years, while climate change has become the focus of shareholder engagement, according to Schroders Institutional Investor Study 2019…. The study found that the proportion of investors globally who do not believe in sustainable investment has fallen from 20% in 2017 to 11% this year.”
Forbes (October 28)
“Amid a global slowdown in economic growth that has seen central banks lower interest rates near zero or below in an effort to provide stimulus,” a number of “major economies are on high recession alert.” These include Hong Kong, the U.K., Germany, Italy and China. “Other highly stressed economies around the world include Turkey, Argentina, Iran, Mexico and Brazil.”
Tags: Argentina, Brazil, Central banks, China, Economic growth, Germany, Global slowdown, Hong Kong, Interest rates, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Recession, Stimulus, Stressed, Turkey, U.K.
CBS News (October 27)
In Japan almost 1,000 “towns and villages face extinction because the country is simply running out of people. Japan’s population peaked several years ago, at 128 million in 2011. And if the dire forecasts come true, Japan will have as few as 59 million people by 2100.” This is not some distant phenomenon. “What’s happening in Japan is a preview of what many Western countries, including the United States, will soon face.”
Tags: Dire, Extinction, Forecasts, Japan, Population, Preview, Towns, Villages
LA Times (October 27)
“Fueled by powerful winds, the massive Kincade fire continued its southwest march across Sonoma County, burning winery properties and threatening to jump Highway 101 as more than 2 million people across the region were thrown into darkness because of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. blackouts.” With gusts of up to 96 miles per hour fueling the flames, the fire is only 5% contained.”
Tags: Gusts
Bloomberg (October 25)
“Thanks partly to the plunging costs of renewable energy… coal is in rapid retreat all over the world.” It is “dying faster than anybody expected” and not just in America’s heartland. “The profitability of coal-fired power is plunging” in Germany and “demand is dying even in Southeast Asia, long seen as a sort of industry firewall.”
Tags: Coal, Costs, Germany, Heartland, Plunging, Profitability, Renewable energy, Retreat, Southeast Asia
Chicago Tribune (October 24)
“Turkey’s military assault has been widely condemned by its NATO partners…. Yet, what truly threatens the future of NATO is less Turkey’s latest provocation than the fact that it was enabled by Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw U.S. forces standing in the way of that action.”
Tags: Condemned, Enabled, Military assault, Nato, NATO partners, Provocation, Threat, Trump, Turkey, U.S., Withdrawl
NBC News (October 24)
“Impeachment is about abuse of power. Impeachment is about trading foreign policy for personal gain. Trump’s behavior — pressuring a foreign government to launch a sham investigation into a political rival for the purpose of disrupting a U.S. presidential election — is precisely the kind of self-dealing behavior the framers of the Constitution had in mind when they crafted the impeachment clause.”
Tags: Abuse of power, Disrupting, Foreign policy, Impeachment, Investigation, Personal gain, Rival, Trump
Newsweek (October 23)
Ken Fisher, the CEO and founder of Fisher Investments, “has lost more than a billion dollars in client investments following remarks that have been widely denounced as sexist and offensive.” Fortunately, investors called him out. “As long as there are still men who think it’s OK to speak in these ways, industries will continue to send the message that business is a ‘man’s world.’ It’s time to end this — and to bury workplace sexism once and for all.”
Washington Post (October 21)
“Brexit has consistently proved to be unpredictable. After more than three years, there does appear to be one certainty, however: Whatever happens, Brexit won’t just be ‘done,’ as Johnson is suggesting.” The potential departure of Northern Ireland or Scotland from the UK and other “concerns that have been on Britons’ minds in recent years” will “remain a risk.”
Tags: Brexit, Certainty, Concerns, Johnson, Northern Ireland, Scotland, UK, Unpredictable
