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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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).  […]

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, […]

Ever since the Steele dossier was released, many of its claims have been under dispute. However none of them have been more scrutinized than whether or not Trump Organization lawyer Michael Cohen was traveling to Prague during August 2016 to meet with representatives of Russian intelligence. Today, it’s being reported by McClatchy, citing four unnamed sources, […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Assad’s “normalization” with both Arab and increasingly international countries who were a short time ago enemies is moving fast. First the embassy of the United Arab Emirates has formally reopened Thursday in Damascus, which is the first time a Gulf country has re-established official relations with the Assad government since all GCC states first shuttered […]

By Art Cashin of UBS Financial Services On this day (+2) in 1916, one of history’s most celebrated but most inept assassinations began. In the retelling of most assassinations we hear how the victims might have been spared if….! You know the drill – if the guy guarding Lincoln’s box had not gone for a […]

Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, As we look ahead to 2019, what can we be certain of? Maybe your list is long, but mine has only one item: certainty is fraying. Confidence in financial policies intended to eliminate recessions is fraying, confidence in political processes that are supposed to actually solve problems rather than […]

During a surprise visit with US troops in Iraq on Wednesday, President Trump offered his own spin on Mario Draghi’s famous “whatever it takes” line when asked about what it would take to break the impasse and deliver a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown, which entered its sixth day on Thursday. Illustrating […]

Special counsel Robert Mueller needs to be investigated for destruction of FBI evidence, President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani said in an interview with Hill.TV’s John Solomon and Buck Sexton.  Referencing recent reports that Mueller’s office allowed text messages from former FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page to be destroyed, Giuliani levied harsh accusations at the […]

No more Mr. Nice Chinese Guy. After years of “benevolent” handouts to various African countries by Beijing, all of which however came in the form of loans, of which few have led to viable, long-term projects and cash-flow generating assets, and led to accusations that China is pursuing a “new colonialism” of the African continent […]

With consumer confidence in November printing near the highest levels since the dot com bubble, it was almost inevitable that in light of the recent economic and market turmoil, the December print would disappoint, and sure enough it did just that, when the Conference Board reported the December print dropped from 136.4 to 128.1, missing […]

One of the closest correlations between major asset classes has been that between stocks and bonds. But not anymore, because as Deutsche Bank’s chief international economist notes in a Wednesday note, the historical relationship between stocks and bonds is breaking apart, prompting Slok to exclaim that “something is wrong“, as it could portend danger for […]

The diplomatic crisis ignited by the killing of Jamal Khashoggi has largely subsided, and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s grip on power is, if anything, even stronger than it was before (having faced down incipient challenges from one of his uncles). Which is why it’s somewhat surprising to see MbS’s ailing father, King Salman, order […]

Authored by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute, “There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men.” – Ludwig von Mises The government has shut down again.  At least, parts of the government have temporarily shut down over President Trump’s demand for a $5 billion border wall. Yet while […]

China has brought to market a hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile, said to be the first of its kind on the international market for buyers seeking a “reliable and affordable deterrence against threats from the sea,” according to China.org.  “The system is intended for rapid and precision strikes against medium-size ships, naval task forces, and offshore facilities,” […]

Authored by Daisy Luther via SilverBearCafe.com, For some people, preparedness is about the big things: the well-stocked retreat home, buying yet another firearm, or getting a super-fancy generator. While these things can certainly be classified as preparedness endeavors, it isn’t the expensive and dramatic gestures that make us truly prepared people. The way prepared people spend their […]

China is reviving a leading indicator that was popularized during the aftermath of the financial crisis to tout a nascent economic recovery in one of its northeastern provinces. According to the Global Times, an English-language mouthpiece for the Communist Party, climbing sales of men’s underwear bodes well for the broader regional economy. The Men’s Underwear […]

Authored by Riz Virk via Hackernoon.com, About a year ago, I was visiting Sri Lanka and had the pleasure of visiting Arthur C Clarke’s well-preserved office (you can read about my visit here if you like). Anyone who’s read that piece knows that I grew up as a big fan of Clarke’s science fiction, so it was […]

A Chinese military plane buzzed a Canadian surveillance aircraft, flying too close and using “inappropriate language,” according to a Wednesday statement by Canada’s top military commander.  The Canadian CP-140 Aurura, which has since returned home, was monitoring UN sanctions in international airspace off of North Korea in October when the Chinese plane harassed it as […]

Authored by Stephen Cohen via The Nation, The year 2018 in the history of the new Cold War… The new Cold War is not a mere replica of its 40-year predecessor, which the world survived. In vital ways, it is more dangerous, more fraught with actual war, as illustrated by events in 2018, among them: […]

The feud between Ottawa and Beijing climbed to absurd new heights late Wednesday after Beijing announced that it would bring drug smuggling charges against a Canadian national recently detained in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Reuters reported Wednesday that a Chinese court in Dalian has formally charged Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg with smuggling “an enormous […]

As the Bank of Japan finally gives up on trying to hit its inflation target and resigns itself to the deflation that has already loomed over its economy for the past twenty years, the Japanese official birthrate data delivered the latest in a series of alarming milestones: According to government statistics, Japan suffered its largest-ever […]

Authored by Whitney Webb via Mint Press News, On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis would be “retiring” in February and that a replacement for Mattis would soon be named. Mattis’ departure had been the subject of speculation since late June, when it was reported that Mattis was already […]

In the latest indication that the market is due for a rebound, buying by corporate insiders – who are best known in recent years for aggressively dumping their shares to corporate buyback programs – surged in the past two months, and according to data from the Washington Service, has outpaced insider selling by the most […]

It seems everything is awesome again… Low key you fools! And lay off the Pina Coladas.–Mnuchin to PPT — Eric Scott Hunsader (@nanexllc) December 26, 2018 US equity markets are exploding higher – with Nasdaq up a stunning 3.5% – tagging Monday’s cash opening level… With Dow futures up over 600 points… Thanks to another […]

For the first time in its 28 year history,JCPenney stock just tumbled below $1.00. This is the 5th down day in a row for the lagging retailer… How long before the retailer’s suppliers start pulling lines? From now on Sub-Dollar General seem more appropriate.

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, In April of this year, I wrote an article discussing the 10-reasons the bull market had ended. “The backdrop of the market currently is vastly different than it was during the ‘taper tantrum’ in 2015-2016, or during the corrections following the end of QE1 and QE2.  In those previous cases, the Federal […]

Another day, another rout in the credit market which no longer seems to follow the daily gyrations in stocks but has developed a mind of its own in the past month. And there appears top be just one thing on said mind: selling. One week after some wondered if we have crossed the “obscene point” […]

The Russian Defence Ministry, on special orders from President Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday conducted a successful final test launch of a new hypersonic glide missile system ahead of its official deployment in 2019, according to reports from Russian state media. The new weapon, called the Avangard, uses an intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic glide vehicle and can travel 20 times the speed […]

Via Middle East Monitor, Russia’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta said that Israel is preparing for a comprehensive war on Syria following the US’ withdrawal from the country. The newspaper said that the decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from Syria has left Israel forced to face the Iranian presence in Syria with its troops alone. The newspaper […]

Last week, when previewing the next big slide in stocks, we warned that according to Nomura calculations, CTAs, or trend-following models had just turned bearish, going net short the S&P for the first time in three years. As we further explained, once CTAs turn from even modestly bullish to net short, “it will no longer […]

It was set to be another dismal day for traders, with the Dow set to fade the entire 282 points jump hit shortly after start of trading after Trump’s Christmas Day trading reco to “buy the dip”, when with the Dow at session lows and set for its 5th straight decline, White House economic advisor […]

Those seeking an economic indicator of an imminent recession just got one courtesy of the Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, which tumbled from 14 in November to -8, crushing expectations of a modest rebound to 15, weighed down by drops in the indexes for new orders and shipments. With analysts expecting the Richmond Fed to print […]

Authored by Robert Bridge via The Strategic Culture Foundation, The reason so many people continue to misread the actions of US President Donald Trump is because they tend to confuse him with the actions and behaviors of past US administrations, where indiscriminate death and destruction was America’s calling card around a shell-shocked planet. Although certainly […]

China has rolled out its latest combat drone for its first public flight, after Beijing released footage of the Wing Loong I-D combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which can carry over 10 different types of weapons (up to 881 lbs) and operate up to 35 continuous hours without refueling. It is China’s first all-composite unmanned aerial vehicle, […]

Authored by US Army Major Danny Sjursen via TomDispatch.com, Leave it to liberals to pin their hopes on the oddest things. In particular, they seemed to find post-Trump solace in the strange combination of the two-year-old Mueller investigation and the good judgment of certain Trump appointees, the proverbial “adults in the room.” Remember that crew? […]

Like the old saying goes: What goes up must come down. And just as the fortunes of the world’s wealthiest swelled during the post-crisis era as QE and ZIRP bolstered asset prices, now that trend has been thrown into reverse thanks to the turbulence in global markets during the second half of the year. According […]

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk, Today seems straight from the Twilight Zone: First the PPT and now Abenomics in full reverse. Please consider Japan Finally Concedes Its Crazy Low Prices Can’t Be Beat. Japan has virtually given up on reaching 2% inflation after nearly six years of trying. An argument gaining ground in Tokyo holds […]

On Christmas Day, president Trump had a simple message for Americans: BTFD. They chose to sell instead. As we noted earlier, in a presser following his address to U.S. armed forces members on a Christmas Day video conference call, Trump told reporters “we have companies, the greatest in the world, and they’re doing really well. […]

About one-third of natural-born Americans are ready to call it quits, pack up their stuff and move outside of the US — at some point in the future, according to Study Finds, a website that seeks out research released by universities and established companies then summarizes it for the general public.  Researchers Dr. Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels and Dr. […]

In one of the texts read by Coffina, McClure allegedly wrote to a friend, “Ok, so wait, the gas part is completely made up but the guy isn’t. I had to make something up to make people feel bad. So, shush about the made up stuff.” –ABC

Stocks may have finally found the catalyst they need, if only for a brief relief rally. Almost ten years after president Obama marked the bottom of the financial crisis, when on the day the S&P hit 666, the president gave the green light to buy stocks on March 6, 2009, saying – rather bizarrely – […]

Nunchuck-wielding New Yorkers are free to injure themselves in the testicles after a federal judge ruled last week that the state’s 45-year ban on the simple but deadly weapon is unconstitutional and protected by the Second Amendment.  The ruling, reported by Guns.com, was based on a 15-year-old case brought by New York attorney, college professor and amateur martial artist James […]