Tag Archive: newsletter

Drivers for the Week Ahead

2020-12-14

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2020-12-14

The Senate passed a stopgap bill late Friday that will keep the government funded until midnight this Friday; optimism on a stimulus deal appears to be picking up; the two-day FOMC meeting ending with a decision Wednesday will be important.

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Inflation Hysteria #2 (Slack-edotes)

2020-12-13

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2020-12-13

Macroeconomic slack is such an easy, intuitive concept that only Economists and central bankers (same thing) could possibly mess it up. But mess it up they have. Spending years talking about a labor shortage, and getting the financial media to report this as fact, those at the Federal Reserve, in particular, pointed to this as proof QE and ZIRP had fulfilled the monetary policy mandates – both of them.

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New Lockdowns and More Regulations Are Disastrous for US Jobs

2020-12-13

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2020-12-13

United States jobless claims have picked up, since the elections and the second wave of coronavirus have slowed down the economic recovery. Uncertainty about tax increases and changes in labor laws, including an increase in the minimum wage, add to the fear of new lockdowns, as employers see the devastating effects of these lockdowns in European employment.

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Why the Electoral College Matters

2020-12-13

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2020-12-13

We begin to understand the electoral college when we admit the United States is really supposed to be a collection of member states, and not a single unified nation. Abolishing the EC is likely to worsen national conflict and disunity.

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The Skyscraper Curse: And How Austrian Economists Predicted Every Major Economic Crisis of the Last Century

2020-12-12

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2020-12-12

The Skyscraper Curse: And How Austrian Economists Predicted Every Major Economic Crisis of the Last Centuryby Mark ThorntonAuburn, Ala.: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2018. Michael Novak ([email protected]) is a Ph.D. student in entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University. He also holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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Swiss direct democracy in action

2020-12-12

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2020-12-12

On the last Sunday of November the Swiss citizens once again rejected efforts staged by left-leaning groups and NGOs to chip away at the nation’s long tradition of free enterprise, respect for private property and financial freedom. Two important proposals were brought before the Swiss people in a set of referendums, both targeting private companies and attempting to place unprecedented burdens, threatening their ability to operate freely and...

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Inflation Hysteria #2 (WTI)

2020-12-12

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2020-12-12

Sticking with our recent theme, a big part of what Inflation Hysteria #1 (2017-18) also had going for it was loosened restrictions for US oil producers. Seriously.

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Covid vaccinations will be free in Switzerland

2020-12-12

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2020-12-12

On 9 December 2020, Switzerland’s federal government adopted a change to the rules on healthcare to make vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus free to the public.

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FX Daily, December 11: Brexit Fears Weigh on Sterling

2020-12-11

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2020-12-11

Overview:  The odds of a UK-EU agreement and new stimulus before year-end in the US have faded and are sapping risk appetites ahead of the weekend.  Although most Asia Pacific equity markets gained, China and Australia were notable exceptions, European shares are heavy, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is near three-week lows. 

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WEF’s Asian relocation to cost Switzerland tens of millions

2020-12-11

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2020-12-11

Swiss hotels, restaurants and shops are counting up the cost of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) flagship event moving to Singapore next year. This year’s 50th annual meeting realised a net gain of around CHF80 million ($90 million) for the Swiss economy.

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The Costs of Coronavirus Lockdowns

2020-12-11

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2020-12-11

Throughout the next weeks, we will regularly feature statistics showing some of the costs of the prevailing lockdown politics. This article is an introduction to this new series. All over Europe, life has come to a halt again. As a second wave of Coronavirus infections has arrived, social and economic life has largely once more, as was already the case in spring when COVID-19 first spread across the world.

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Central Banks Put Wind at Bitcoin’s Back

2020-12-11

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2020-12-11

“Russia, Russia, Russia,” the current president used to sarcastically chastise opponents for wondering about 2016 election tinkering from Putin’s principality. Recent MAGA rallies featured “Covid, covid, covid,” with President Trump complaining that the press could think of nothing else.

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FX Daily, December 10: Brexit and US Stimulus are Unresolved as Attention Turns to the ECB

2020-12-10

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2020-12-10

Overview:  US threats to break-up Facebook and the stalled stimulus talks spurred profit-taking in US shares yesterday and is dampening enthusiasm today.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell for the third time this week, and Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is little changed. 

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Dollar Rally Running Out of Steam Ahead of ECB Decision

2020-12-10

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2020-12-10

Stimulus talks drag on; US November CPI will be today’s data highlight; US Treasury wraps up a big week of auctions today with $24 bln of 30-year bonds on offer. The November budget statement will hold some interest; weekly jobless claims will be closely watched;

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Janet Yellen: Too Dumb To Stop

2020-12-10

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2020-12-10

Autographing Funny Money. The United States Secretary of the Treasury bears a shameful job duty. They must place their autograph on the face of the Federal Reserve’s legal tender notes. Here, for the whole world to witness, the Treasury Secretary provides signature endorsement; their personal ratification of unconstitutional money.

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Escaping Paternalism

2020-12-10

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2020-12-10

Some economists, such as the 2017 Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler and his colleague Cass Sunstein, have proposed an unusual justification for government interference with people’s choices. They do not intend, they say, to override the preferences that people have. They don’t want to tell people what they “should” want, according to an external standard that people don’t accept.

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Italy suspends rail links with Switzerland

2020-12-09

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2020-12-09

Update: It appears rail connections between Italy and Switzerland will not be interrupted after Switzerland’s president and the Italian minister of transport spoke on Wednesday. Solutions have been identified to ensure compliance with Italy’s anti-COVID measures. Rail links are expected to gradually return to normal over the next few days, according to a report by RSI.

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Covid, December 10: Bern to consider new measures as cases rise again

2020-12-09

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2020-12-09

Laboratory-confirmed cases
On 8 December 2020, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced it was considering further restrictions starting from 12 December 2020 and running until 20 January 2021.

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FX Daily, December 9: Hope Burns Eternal

2020-12-09

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2020-12-09

The market is hopeful today. The Johnson-von der Leyen dinner is seen as evidence that both sides see one more opportunity, and sterling is among the strongest currencies today. Hopes of a $900 bln+ fiscal stimulus package in the US helped stir animal spirits and lift US stocks to record highs yesterday.

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Climate Change Policy Isn’t Worth Its High Cost

2020-12-09

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2020-12-09

Audio Mises Wire
In most economies, inventories are valued at market prices, while in China they are valued by the authorities and adjusted later. This is just one of many ways China manipulates GDP data.

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