Thursday, March 01, 2018
News Links, March 2, 2018
## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
Iran Bans Use Of US Dollars In Trade
Will Italy's Banking Crisis (Rumored to be Over) Spawn a New Frankenbank?
Why U.S. GDP Hasn't Really Increased Since 2000
Consumers In Surprising Places Are Borrowing Like Crazy
Peter Schiff: The Party Is Over
GM Korea to slash executive numbers, talks with union make little progress
Will Italy's Banking Crisis (Rumored to be Over) Spawn a New Frankenbank?
Why U.S. GDP Hasn't Really Increased Since 2000
Consumers In Surprising Places Are Borrowing Like Crazy
Peter Schiff: The Party Is Over
GM Korea to slash executive numbers, talks with union make little progress
India's days of double-digit pay raises fade away
Salary growth levels off even with 9.4% forecast, casting shadows over consumption
Salary growth levels off even with 9.4% forecast, casting shadows over consumption
## Cut, baby, cut! ##
HNA Plans to Cut 100,000 Jobs Worldwide This Year, REDD Reports
Major U.S. solar company blames job cuts on Trump's solar import tariff
Major U.S. solar company blames job cuts on Trump's solar import tariff
Best Buy to close 250 mobile phone stores
## War on cash/cashless society ##
Why Central Banks are Scared of Cryptocurrencies
## War on cash/cashless society ##
Why Central Banks are Scared of Cryptocurrencies
People in Sweden Now at Risk of Losing Access to Notes
People living in the world's most cashless society may soon lose their access to notes and coins. To avoid that extreme scenario, Swedish cash-handling provider Loomis AB wants authorities to force banks and retailers to continue accepting cash.
People living in the world's most cashless society may soon lose their access to notes and coins. To avoid that extreme scenario, Swedish cash-handling provider Loomis AB wants authorities to force banks and retailers to continue accepting cash.
## Airline death spiral ##
Man Ejected From American Airlines Flight Strips Off Clothes, Fights Ground Crew On Tarmac
## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Pakistan launches naval exercise as it aims to counter India, protect economy
Henceforth Russia and China will be America's main enemies, with Iran and North Korea thrown in for good measure. So declared US Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, last week in a statement of profound importance for the world.
Qatar weathers the storm
The shock move by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to try to isolate Qatar looks to have failed. In fact, it appears to have bolstered the country's ties to Turkey and Iran, as well as the public standing of the Emir, while harming the Gulf council
## Migrants/refugees ##
Vietnamese immigrants sue US officials over detentions
Vietnamese immigrants have filed a lawsuit alleging U.S. authorities are rounding them up and holding them in detention facilities for deportation — even though the Vietnamese government has not agreed to take them back.
The shock move by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to try to isolate Qatar looks to have failed. In fact, it appears to have bolstered the country's ties to Turkey and Iran, as well as the public standing of the Emir, while harming the Gulf council
## Migrants/refugees ##
Vietnamese immigrants sue US officials over detentions
Vietnamese immigrants have filed a lawsuit alleging U.S. authorities are rounding them up and holding them in detention facilities for deportation — even though the Vietnamese government has not agreed to take them back.
## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Ethiopian Jews threaten mass hunger strike over Israel move
Ethiopian Jews threaten mass hunger strike over Israel move
## Energy/resources ##
Investors Demand A Payday: Do Shale Companies Agree?
While the oil boom continues into 2018, investors who got into shale in time for the jump are anxious about their future payout – a payout that doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Remember, the shale oil industry cannibalizes energy from the energy system to keep itself alive. -- RF
While the oil boom continues into 2018, investors who got into shale in time for the jump are anxious about their future payout – a payout that doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Remember, the shale oil industry cannibalizes energy from the energy system to keep itself alive. -- RF
The Cost of 100% renewables: The Jacobson et al. 2018 Study
Any sensible government would dump biofuels, whose energy yield is far too low to support industrial civilization. -- RF
Waste of money. The airline industry will crash and burn before it uses biofuels on an appreciable scale. -- RF
ASEAN could face a crisis over its appetite for coal
## Got food? ##
Watch out, cows. Yeast is gunning to be the next dairy disruptor
## Environment/health ##
## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
KFC reports gravy shortage, following chicken crisis
## Got food? ##
Watch out, cows. Yeast is gunning to be the next dairy disruptor
## Environment/health ##
Nuclear waste mountains just go on growing
Some politicians still claim atomic energy is the answer to climate change while leaving the problem of nuclear waste to our descendants.
Diesel exhaust might raise truckers' odds for ALS
Some politicians still claim atomic energy is the answer to climate change while leaving the problem of nuclear waste to our descendants.
Diesel exhaust might raise truckers' odds for ALS
Shale-rich Oklahoma still facing seismic test
The USGS recorded a minor tremor early Wednesday even as state officials work to stem the issue.
The USGS recorded a minor tremor early Wednesday even as state officials work to stem the issue.
Chop, baby, chop! Cambodia, Laos losing the last of their trees
Timber smugglers are devastating protected forest areas in a lucrative trade driven by China and facilitated by Vietnam
## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Timber smugglers are devastating protected forest areas in a lucrative trade driven by China and facilitated by Vietnam
## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Hacked Ex-CBS Journalist Says Obama DOJ Swapped Her Hard Drive While Inspecting Computer
US Cyber Command granted new, expanded authorities
US Cyber Command granted new, expanded authorities
Canada adds new cybersecurity center, hikes funding for electronic spy agency
Israeli Tech Company Says It Can Crack Any Apple Smartphone
Israeli Tech Company Says It Can Crack Any Apple Smartphone
Google Clips is an imperfect robot photographer for your family
Would you trust a robot to take candid photos of your family, pets and kids?
Germany acknowledges cyberattacks on defense, foreign ministries
This A.I. literally reads your mind to re-create images of the faces you see
Would you trust a robot to take candid photos of your family, pets and kids?
Germany acknowledges cyberattacks on defense, foreign ministries
This A.I. literally reads your mind to re-create images of the faces you see
The Russians Aren't the Only Election Hackers
YouTube Goes On Rampage Against Conservative Accounts; Blames "Newer Members" Of Mod Team
YouTube Goes On Rampage Against Conservative Accounts; Blames "Newer Members" Of Mod Team
North Korea, Iran and U.S. Intelligence that Neither Hears Nor Sees
A recent Worldwide Threat Assessment issued by the U.S. intelligence community exaggerates threats posed by North Korea and Iran, ignoring well-known realities and downplaying the U.S.'s own previous intelligence assessments.
## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
The War Against Alternative Information
America as Boot Camp
The mystery of the Russian planes that never were
A recent Worldwide Threat Assessment issued by the U.S. intelligence community exaggerates threats posed by North Korea and Iran, ignoring well-known realities and downplaying the U.S.'s own previous intelligence assessments.
## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
The War Against Alternative Information
America as Boot Camp
The mystery of the Russian planes that never were
## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
KFC reports gravy shortage, following chicken crisis
Brazil mail implements security tax for deliveries in Rio
Brazil's state-run postal service says it will start charging extra to deliver letters and packages in Rio de Janeiro due to a wave of wave of violence in the state.
Brazil's state-run postal service says it will start charging extra to deliver letters and packages in Rio de Janeiro due to a wave of wave of violence in the state.
## Japan ##
After snowfall, Tokyo barely dodged a power blackout
Fukushima's tankfuls of tainted water force tough call on dumping
Pouring diluted tritium into sea would trigger backlash, but space is tight
Fukushima's tankfuls of tainted water force tough call on dumping
Pouring diluted tritium into sea would trigger backlash, but space is tight
Kawasaki Heavy points to manufacturing error for bullet train crack
Japanese railway operators to replace nearly 150 faulty parts
Japanese railway operators to replace nearly 150 faulty parts
Japan spreads defense wings to cyber and space
New command center to focus on 'fourth and fifth battlefields'
Only 4% of kids in 4 disaster-hit Fukushima Pref. areas will attend reopened local schools
New command center to focus on 'fourth and fifth battlefields'
Only 4% of kids in 4 disaster-hit Fukushima Pref. areas will attend reopened local schools
Although Ellen Brown says many sensible things, this is all hocus-pocus. Because money is just tokenized energy, ultimately each unit of currency must be converted to energy to do work. And the more currency you create, the less energy each unit stands for. The Belt and Road project, just like everything else, ultimately depends on energy, not a certain number of currency units. Without access to high-quality energy, the funds you have created and allocated to a project are useless. At this stage, China is still able to obtain the needed energy, so the money hocus-pocus appears to be a sound system. -- RF
Construction Spending Flat, Private Construction Negative
Economists expected construction spending to rise. Instead, spending was flat, and only because of government spending.
Economists expected construction spending to rise. Instead, spending was flat, and only because of government spending.
Inflation is in the Rear-View Mirror
43 percent of credit card holders carry a balance. Delinquencies are rising. It's a deflationary debt trap.
43 percent of credit card holders carry a balance. Delinquencies are rising. It's a deflationary debt trap.
