Beneath the Surface of Brexit

by Charles Hugh-Smith Geography matters, the balance of power matters, and democracy–it’s not yet clear if democracy matters or not. I’ve been asked to comment on Brexit. I’m happy to do so, but not by promoting a position yes or no, or by attempting to unravel the political machinations, as I have neither the knowledge nor the interest to … Read more

This is How Stocks Get Hit When BBB-Rated Companies Try to Dodge a Downgrade to “Junk”

Wolf Richter wolfstreet.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter There are now many of them. Shoring up the balance sheet is the opposite of “shareholder friendly.” It’s “creditor friendly.” The amount of investment-grade corporate bonds outstanding by non-financial companies in the US and Europe – so excluding bonds issued by banks, insurance companies, and the like – has more than tripled (+204%) … Read more

UK-Based Multinational Department Store Debenhams Collapses, After 200 Years of Trading

“The traditional private equity model should have no place in retail.” By Don Quijones, Spain, UK, & Mexico, editor at WOLF STREET. Shares of UK-based multinational department store Debenhams — with 165 stores in the UK and Ireland and with 58 franchise stores in 19 other countries — were suspended today after the company and its creditors … Read more

“Ghastly” Vancouver Home Sales Crash By 46%, Lowest Since 1985

via Zerohedge: The Saretsky Report contributed to this article. Just like last month, when Grant’s Interest Rate Observer dubbed the Vancouver housing market as “ghastly”, in April Vancouver once again reported the fewest monthly sales in 33 years. According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, total housing sales were 46.3% below the 10-year March sales average and was … Read more

A Simon Property Group Mall Generates Largest Loss Ever for Retail CMBS

Wolf Richter wolfstreet.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter How the Brick & Mortar Meltdown works for Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities after America’s largest mall landlord defaults on a mortgage and walks away from the mall. The dust has settled and the numbers have emerged: A $200-million commercial real estate mortgage on an indoor mall of over 1 million square feet … Read more

Kurt Schlichter: Pay for your own damn college!

https://bit.ly/2FZsk0y Kurt Schlichter of The Rebel reports: When 60 Minutes published a story gushing over medical students whining about how much their education cost, it got plenty of backlash. Now, that story in particular was about a rich guy writing a check voluntarily, but it was designed as battlespace preparation for the “Free College” promise … Read more

PAIN CAPABLE: As The Senate Debates Banning Abortions After 20 Weeks, Maybe You Should See What A Baby At That Stage Looks Like

by Geoffrey Grider The baby girl weighed less than a pound when she was born just 21 weeks into Courtney Stensrud’s pregnancy. Infants that tiny and undeveloped aren’t expected to survive outside the womb, but her mother insisted that she be resuscitated. Lyla — who is now 4 — appears to have made medical history. Right … Read more

Wall Street loves socialism for bankers, but not for ordinary people — JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon decries socialism. Unless of course it’s the banks that need a government bailout

by User_Name13 Insane levels of hypocrisy here from JPMorgan CEO and bankster-extraordinaire Jamie Dimon. This has been the playbook in America for the wealthy the past 40 years: Privatize the gains, socialize the losses. Us taxpayers pay to bailout bankers and banks, but no one is going to do the same for the poor, average … Read more

Why much of the country is headed for $4 gas. Watch the MSM sell price gouging to the masses.

by MyPenisIsALesbian   With the summer driving season arriving and the subsequent increase in gasoline demand, refiners are planning their annual maintenance turnarounds to restrict supply. Additionally, they’re claiming that a spike in corn prices are driving up the cost of ethanol, which is an additive used as in volumes up to 10% in retail … Read more

US Losing China Trade War. So, Let’s Enter ANOTHER With The EU? By Gregory Mannarino

TradersChoice.net, Released on 4/9/19 Gregory Mannarino started his financial career working for the securities and trading arm of the now defunct Bear Stearns before the dot-com bubble. He is an active trader of the capital markets and has published several books pertaining to finance, global economics, and equity trading; His most recent book is titled Ultimate … Read more

Court Filing Reveals Numerous Comey Memos Including Investigative Meetings, Sources, Methods and Contacts…

by sundance A late day submission to DC Circuit Court in a FOIA case previously discussed, reveals the content of Mueller’s probe & use of multiple, previously unknown, James Comey memos. Additionally, within the filing we discover how Comey documented multiple events, meetings and information surrounding the FBI investigation of Donald Trump. The documents surface as part … Read more

Border Patrol official drops staggering stat about the nationalities of illegal immigrants, asylum seekers

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com A caravan-size influx of migrants is flooding across the border each week in just a single sector, a top Border Patrol official told lawmakers Tuesday — the latest indicator of the growing migration crisis on the southern border. “Much media attention has focused on caravans coming across from Central America,” … Read more

3 yr old locks dad out of iPad for 50 years!

A D.C.-based journalist has apparently been locked out of his iPad for more than 25 million minutes – or, nearly half a century – after his 3-year-old son tried to use it without the correct password, according to a screengrab shared on his Twitter page. “Uh, this looks fake but, alas, it’s our iPad today after 3-year-old tried (repeatedly) to unlock. … Read more