Fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics and power

A Trump advisor argues, in all seriousness, that other countries should help bear the cost of US empire because it confers so many benefits on them.

A few weeks ago, I repeated the drive of seventy miles along the north-south path of Hurricane Helene that I made two weeks after the storm .  In the few wealthier sectors along this highway, downed trees have been removed and sawn for lumber (at a large loss) or chipped.  I have heard hardwood and […]

“[W]e urge the US side to detoxify its mind. Instead of devoting its time and energy to… attacking China, it would be much more productive to make real contributions to the development of the countries of the region.”

In a lawsuit against Berkeley, RealPage contends that using pricing algorithms to coordinate residential rents among mega landlords is “free speech.”

The latest floods, wildfires, and other disasters reveal the flaws of adaptation as the main response to climate change.

RFK Jr. has said the U.S. should end the use of synthetic food additives. How would that affect public health?

Dietary supplements are a large part of the alternative medicine universe, with annual sales of more than $70B in the United states and much more than that in the rest of the world.  I have followed the supplement business since tryptophan, a canonical amino acid marketed as a sleep aid, caused an outbreak of eosinophilia-myalgia […]

At her recent meeting with Trump, IItalian PM Giorgia Meloni declared her allegiance to “western nationalism.” What does such nonsense portend for Italy and Europe?

An AI-fossil fuel axis is forming in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as AI advocates pledge an endless need for energy — spelling disaster for the climate.

The 9/11 attack on the U.S. triggered a series of disastrous wars in the Mideast in which the U.S. pursued the goals of overthrowing despots, securing oil supplies, and removing any real or potential military threats to Israel. The result was a large expenditure of blood and treasure for very little geopolitical gain and the […]

Silicon Valley’s darkest and most secretive unicorn “has finally made it big”. But at what cost to the rest of us?

Should Brussels join in, the economic fallout from Project Ukraine could seem quaint, and it could contribute to shortages in the US.