Is California in Recession? (Part XII)

November coincident indices from the Philadelphia Fed are out. Time to re-evaluate this assessment from a year ago in Political Calculations that California was in recession. Going by these [household survey based labor market] measures, it would appear that recession has arrived in California, which is partially borne out by state level GDP data from […]

Traveling Abroad: How It Will Help You Grow as an Entrepreneur

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels Entrepreneurs know that if you’re going to start your own business, you need two things: money and ideas. As the old saying goes, “It takes money to make money.” And so entrepreneurs will typically go to a bank when they need cash for a business startup. But where do you […]

Rusal appoints independent director as new board chairman

MOSCOW/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Russian aluminum company Rusal said on Friday it has appointed independent non-executive director Jean-Pierre Thomas as its new chairman as part of an agreed restructuring in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. FILE PHOTO: Aluminium ingots are seen stored at the foundry shop of the Rusal Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter in […]

9 Tips for Building an Attention-Grabbing Business Website

Photo by Monoar Rahman from Pexels Your website is an important part of your business. As a matter of fact, it is one of your main marketing and sales tools. Moreover, setting up a free WordPress website is a reasonable step when you’re running on a tight budget. And the best part is, you don’t […]

Entrepreneurial Education: Do You Need One to Become an Entrepreneur?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash Becoming an entrepreneur is a highly appealing pathway to many. However, that path can be a difficult one. You’ll no doubt face many challenges when you first get started. However, a good entrepreneurial education can make all the difference. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the role […]

Mexico says military to play larger role in fighting fuel theft

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s government unveiled a plan on Thursday to step up use of the armed forces to combat fuel theft, vowing to root out corrupt officials it says are largely responsible for a problem that has cost the country billions of dollars. FILE PHOTO: A policeman inspects barrels containing stolen diesel fuel, […]

Brandon Smith: The Fed Is A Suicide Bomber With A Deeper Agenda

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.com, Central bankers are sociopathic in nature and sociopathic people tend to behave like robots. When one understands the motivations of central bankers, or at the very least what their goals are, their actions become rather predictable. The question is, what truly motivates these people? I believe according to the […]

The 10 Most Expensive Manhattan Apartments Sold For $500 Million In 2018

A sudden and sharp drop in luxury home valuations in Manhattan has baffled brokers and alarmed analysts who have begun warning about the possibility that softness in the high end of the market could soon spread throughout the market or portend a broader downturn nationwide, according to Bloomberg. And in the latest sign that the […]

The Calm Before The Storm

Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via SHTFplan.com, Undoubtedly most of you know about some of the things that have happened this past week. The ban on “bump-fire” or “slide-fire” stocks came as a shocker to most. Many have tried to downplay it, but […]

Nissan to cut China auto output over three months as demand slows: source

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) plans to cut vehicle production in China by 30,000 units in the coming months, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters, as global automakers grapple with falling demand in the world’s biggest car market. Nissan cars are seen at a storage area in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China […]

India Wants Tech Platforms To Break Encryption, Scrub “Unlawful” Content

The government of India wants tech platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Google to remove content it deems “unlawful” within 24 hours of official notice, and develop “automated tools” which would “proactively identify and remove such material,” reports BuzzFeed, citing the publication of the proposed rules by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).  […]

Who Was Secretly Behind America's Invading And Occupying Syria?

Authored by Eric Zuesse via The Strategic Culture Foundation, The invasion and occupation of Syria by tens of thousands of jihadists who were recruited from around the world to overthrow Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, was financed mainly by US taxpayers and by the world’s wealthiest family, the Sauds, who own Saudi Arabia and the world’s largest oil company, […]

Asia stocks lifted as Wall Street extends comeback

TOKYO (Reuters) – Asia stocks gained on Friday after Wall Street ended volatile trade in the green, adding to the big advances of the previous session, although lingering investor jitters helped support safe-haven currencies such as the yen. FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians are reflected on an electronic board showing stock prices outside a brokerage in Tokyo, […]

The Biggest Threat To The Market – Loss Of Confidence

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Yesterday, saw a record surge in the markets (and another epic buying program today). Such was not surprising given the extreme oversold condition in the market. More importantly, throughout market history, the biggest bull rallies have occurred during bear markets. $SPX +5% or greater days since 2000. Big picture, bulls DON’T want […]

UK Investigates 'Mole' Suspected Of Leaking Insider Trading Probe Details

After losing a series of high profile cases, the UK government has suffered yet another embarrassing failure in its efforts to hold white collar criminals accountable for financial fraud. But this time, instead of displaying a casual indifference toward crimes committed by the wealthy or an ineffectual prosecutorial strategy, the National Crime Agency (the UK’s […]

“The Worst Is Yet To Come Next Year…”

The day after The Dow soars by the most points in history, and on the biggest reversal day in stocks since 2010, Michael Snyder provides a little context for what is really occurring… When talking heads on mainstream news networks are using phrases such as “the worst is yet to come next year”, that is […]

Green Growth to launch hostile bid for pot producer Aphria

(Reuters) – U.S. cannabis retailer Green Growth Brands Ltd (GGB.CD) said on Thursday it would make a hostile takeover bid for Aphria Inc (APHA.TO) in an all-stock deal valuing the Canadian pot producer at C$2.8 billion ($2.06 billion). Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld poses near a wall covering of a marijuana leaf at a party the […]

Want To Live Longer? Make Sure You're A Fat, Coffee Drinking Alcoholic By Your 70s

A UC Irvine study has revealed that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee, and people who are overweight in their 70s, live longer than their skinny teetotalling counterparts.   Using data collected from 14,000 people in a 1981 Leisure World Cohort Study (LCWS), along with 1,600 participants who have enrolled in The 90+ Study launched in […]

Fed survey points to a scaling back of bets on emerging market gains

FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve building is pictured in Washington, DC, U.S., August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Most financial market credit officers surveyed by the Federal Reserve in November said their big clients were exposed to emerging markets but were scaling back bets emerging market assets would rise in value, the […]

This Entrepreneur Left Her Journalism Career To Bring Endosphères Therapy To The US

Polina LevantCourtesy of Polina Levant Polina Levant left her career journalism career to bring endosphères therapy to the US. Levant worked at a well known Russian publication where she was only allowed to interview prominent men. After using  e ndosphères therapy in her own health journey, Levant decided she wanted to bring the European treatment to the […]

Bad Faith, Pathos and G.O.P. Economics

As 2018 draws to an end, we’re seeing many articles about the state of the economy. What I’d like to do, however, is talk about something different — the state of economics, at least as it relates to the political situation. And that state is not good: The bad faith that dominates conservative politics at […]

Wall Street roars back late to keep rally going

(Reuters) – U.S. stocks roared back to end in positive territory on Thursday following steep losses for much of the session, as equities rebounded for a second day. The failure of an initial selloff to gain more momentum lent credence to the idea that the extended bout of selling pressure may be coming to an […]

Amazon Sees in Brazil Continent-Size Profits and Problems

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Its market value briefly surpassed $1 trillion. It has transformed online shopping. And it has had North American cities holding out billions to deliver its new outposts to their doors. Expansion south, into the nation where Amazon’s namesake river ends, may prove a little harder. “Amazon is still kind of irrelevant […]

U.S. stock funds attract cash for first time in six weeks: Lipper

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. fund investors eased into wild stock markets during the latest week, adding $5.2 billion, according to Lipper data on Thursday that reflected the first net positive flows for funds since December’s selloff began. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December […]

5 Takeaways From Facebook’s Leaked Moderation Documents

Sometimes an emoji is just an emoji. Sometimes it may be a threat. And with only a few seconds to spare, Facebook moderators have to make the call — even if the text that accompanies the laughing yellow face is in an unfamiliar language. To help with those decisions, Facebook has created a list of […]

Inside Facebook’s Secret Rulebook for Global Political Speech

MENLO PARK, Calif. — In a glass conference room at its California headquarters, Facebook is taking on the bonfires of hate and misinformation it has helped fuel across the world, one post at a time. The social network has drawn criticism for undermining democracy and for provoking bloodshed in societies small and large. But for […]

Faith Hope Consolo, a Force in Retail Real Estate, Is Dead at 73

Faith Hope Consolo, who as the chairwoman of Douglas Elliman’s retail group was one of New York City’s most prolific retail real estate brokers, died on Sunday at her home in Manhattan. She was 73. A spokesman for Douglas Elliman confirmed the death but did not specify the cause. A mainstay in the clubby world […]

4 Strategies To Boost Your Career In The New Year

The New Year is a time when we tend to focus on self-improvement and goal setting. We’re thinking of ways to improve and grow and better ourselves. By adding career goals as part of that focus, you can start the next year off on the right foot both personally and professionally. These four strategies will […]

Oil prices slide as concerns about global economy, oversupply weigh

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Thursday, retreating from an 8 percent rally in the previous session as the oil market focused on signs of faltering global economic growth and record production of crude. FILE PHOTO: A maze of crude oil pipes and valves is pictured during a tour by the Department of […]

Lockheed Martin wins $712 million U.S. defense contract: Pentagon

Trade visitors are seen walking over a road crossing covered with Lockheed Martin branding at Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, Britain, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) has been awarded a $712 million U.S. defense contract for the development of advanced hardware in support of the F-35 Lightning II […]

52 things learned by Kent Hendricks

Here are a few: Contrary to the beliefs of roughly 33% of Americans, Kansas is not the flattest state. In fact, it’s the 9th flattest state, and it’s one of only two Great Plains states to make the top ten (the other is North Dakota). The flattest state is actually Florida, the second flattest state […]

Spirit Of 1989 AWOL As Poles Await Momentous 2019

A tram with an election poster for Solidarity in 1989East News, Warsaw Many since 2015 and the election of the Law and Justice (PiS) party to government in Poland have asked if the post-communist transition to liberal-democracy hadn’t been a detour and not a destination. Defenders of the ‘Enlightenment Project’ in the region began to fret that […]

Second dramatic day for global stocks ends on high note

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A wild Christmas week ride in global markets continued on Thursday as stocks rallied from significant losses to post gains for the day. For the second consecutive session, early weakness in markets turned to strength by the time U.S. stocks closed as investors shuffled their portfolios. “We had a very wild […]

Three Research-Driven Tactics For Overcoming Sales Objections

objectionstoryblocks Salespeople perpetually fight an uphill battle against rejection and adversity. Rejections loom especially large at the beginning of sales cycles. In 2007, it took an average of 3.7 cold call attempts to reach a prospect, according to research by TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group. Fast forward to today and it takes an average of […]

For Some Entrepreneurs, New Year's Resolutions Address Growth, Market Changes

Some folks may approach every New Year with the same resolution, whether it be losing weight, becoming better organized or finally writing that novel. Resolutions don’t have to be static, though, and a business may need to revisit its goals to adjust to its own rapid growth, evolving market conditions or other significant changes. NuORDER, […]

Trump’s Tax Cut One Year Later: What Happened?

ImageApple employees during the announcement for a new campus in Austin in front of the map showing the layout.CreditRicardo Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman, via Associated Press There was a point in early 2018 when big American companies couldn’t stop talking about the Trump tax cuts. Flush with the projected savings from a $1.5 trillion law, they promised […]

2:00PM Water Cooler 12/27/2018

By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Trade “The Battle Over NAFTA 2.0 Has Just Begun” [Lori Wallach, The Nation]. “On the upside, NAFTA’s outrageous investor privileges and ISDS tribunals are dramatically reined in under NAFTA 2.0… For Mexico, ISDS is replaced by a new approach: Whereas ISDS allows investors to skirt domestic courts, the new process […]

How to Create A Job Worth Waking Up For

Casual businesswoman is working on the computer at office.Getty Heading back to work after the holiday break makes Monday morning even harder. Your unrelenting alarm clock blares loud noises, dragging you from peaceful sleep. It seems the only thing that could make that dreaded Monday morning wake-up call any worse, besides realizing you only have decaf […]

Nomura Updates Its “Nightmare” Chart

One week ago, ahead of an especially violent selloff in the stock market – and yesterday’s historic rally – Nomura’s head of cross-asset strategy Charlie McElligott showed what has been dubbed a “nightmare” (or “forced goalseeking” according to some) chart, according to which plotting the current selloff since the Sept 20 high, and screening back […]

Wall St. tumbles after data sparks concerns over economy

(Reuters) – U.S. stocks fell broadly on Thursday, giving back a chunk of the previous day’s big rally, as fresh concerns arose about the U.S. economy with a measure of consumer confidence dropping by the most in more than three years. The pullback on the heels of Wednesday’s huge advance, which featured the Dow Jones […]

How I Freaked Myself Out: Economic Crisis Management Teams, 2009 vs. 2019

In the wake of the pre-holiday meltdown in the financial markets, I thought for a few minutes about who would be doing crisis management, especially after SecTreas Mnuchin’s ham-fisted attempt to calm the markets. My musings did not calm my nerves. Consider the January 2009 team and the (likely, barring further dismissals) January 2019 team, […]

Wall St. Stocks Drop, Riding Roller Coaster Back Down After Best Day Since ’09

Wall Street’s roller-coaster ride continued on Thursday, with stocks tumbling as euphoria over a surge in prices a day earlier began to fade. Investors have struggled to get their bearings this month as the S&P 500 hurtled toward bear-market territory. They are trying to assess the prospects for economic growth and corporate profits as interest […]

That was then, this is now

[Andrew] Jackson imagined his role as that of a Roman tribune or dictator, summoned to executive power for a season for defend the plebeians against corrupt patricians.  That meant, among other things, slashing federal expenses and retiring the national debt. Jackson in fact worked hard to strike down “internal improvements” in only a single state, […]