There is much to dislike in President Trump’s trade agenda, but he is correct on one subject: China’s relentless quest to extort American “intellectual property”—technologies, business methods, patents. Trump took a swipe last week at China’s policies by ordering his top trade officials to investigate. Whether he can alter China’s behavior is unclear, but he is right to try, even ...
Read More »Commodities lose as Trump’s business councils disband
President Donald Trump’s decision last week to disband the Manufacturing Council and Strategy & Policy Forum not only puts his agenda to revitalize the nation’s infrastructure in jeopardy, it also weakens the precarious support commodities such as copper, steel and crude oil have relied upon. Although not stellar, global commodity prices had shown decent support ever since it became clear ...
Read More »Good reason to dismiss market fears for now
Risk assets across the globe, despite already high valuations, have recovered impressively from a sell-off triggered by concerns about a North Korean nuclear attack. In doing so, they have again highlighted the extent to which traders and investors—highly confident about the environment they operate in (be it economic, financial or institutional)— have developed endogenous stabilizers. And while there is a ...
Read More »â€˜Great Again’ is Trump’s magic Twitter mantra
If President Donald Trump really wants to light up the Twittersphere, what should he write about? White supremacists? The wall? Obama? Fighting terrorism? Nope. Judging from experience, his best bet is just repeating his mantra: “Make America Great Again.” Welcome to another special edition of the Trump Twitter Filter, where we analyze the behavior of @realDonaldTrump so you don’t have ...
Read More »Poor healthcare is India’s greatest public failing
As India celebrated 70 years of independence last week, a tragedy in a remote corner of India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, highlighted how far the world’s largest democracy still is from being able to provide a healthy life for most of its citizens. For all its talk of smart cities and industrial corridors, this is the government’s greatest failing—and one ...
Read More »Sorry, but Silicon Valley isn’t special anymore
Silicon Valley has a perception problem. Steve Jobs once said, speaking about the irreverent culture he helped create, that “it’s better to be a pirate than join the navy.” This ethos served the community well when its firms existed at “pirate scale.” But now Silicon Valley’s most successful companies have become some of the largest in the world. This culture ...
Read More »Sorry, renewables won’t end geopolitics of energy
In another sign that the age of fossil fuels is waning, the California State Senate has passed a bill to commit the state to use 100 percent renewable energy for power by 2045. Other states and cities—including Massachusetts, Chicago and Atlanta—intend to make similar switches. Proponents highlight a bevy of ways in which the Age of Renewables will improve our ...
Read More »US grid report calls for saving coal plants
Bloomberg The Energy Department, in a long-anticipated report on the security of the US electric grid, makes the case for rescuing the nation’s coal industry from widespread plant shutdowns, but stops short of an assault on renewable power that environmentalists had feared. The study, commissioned by Energy Secretary Rick Perry who has warned that policies favoring solar and wind may ...
Read More »Shell joins solar push in Australian coal hub
Bloomberg Royal Dutch Shell Plc is investigating a solar power project in an Australian region better known for its fossil fuels, particularly coal. The company is studying the feasibility of a solar development on its land in the Western Downs area of Queensland, which is subject to a final investment decision, a spokeswoman said by email. Though Shell’s statement didn’t ...
Read More »Comcast deal prompts Sunrun to soar
Bloomberg Sunrun Inc., the residential solar company that’s boosting market-share, rose to a 52-week high last week after saying it will tap a partnership with the biggest US cable-TV company to add new customers. Comcast Corp. and Sunrun agreed to a 40-month partnership after a trial showed that cable customers had interest in solar products, according to a statement. San ...
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