Investment Watch Blog

via aier.org: In fiscal year 2018, $137 billion was paid “improperly” by the federal government, according to arecent report. That number sums all the improper payments by what the government calls high-priority programs. They are programs with improper-payments estimates exceeding $2 billion annually. If it makes your head spin, it should. Always the optimist, I have … Read more

via Reuters:  The Bank of Japan cut its inflation forecasts on Wednesday but maintained its massive stimulus program, with Governor Haruhiko Kuroda warning of growing risks to the economy from trade protectionism and faltering global demand. Rising pressure from the trade war between China and the United States — Japan’s biggest trading partners — is adding … Read more

When at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s what Hillary Clinton’s machine did in 2016, eventually getting the FBI to bite on an uncorroborated narrative that Donald Trump and Russia were trying to hijack the presidential election. Between July and October 2016, Clinton-connected lawyers, emissaries and apologists made more than a half-dozen overtures … Read more

by Shaun Richards The Italian banks have certainly kept us busy in the credit crunch era. We have found ourselves observing a litany of cash calls, bad debts, crises, and official claims that there is no problem. Of the latter the worst was probably the claim by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi that equity investors in … Read more

via Reuters: China will step up fiscal spending this year to support its economy, focusing on further cuts in taxes and fees for small firms, finance ministry officials said on Wednesday. Mounting pressure on the world’s second-biggest economy pushed growth last year to its lowest since 1990 even as Beijing stepped up stimulus measures and spurred … Read more

‘Exceptional period of growth’ is done in US, JPMorgan global market watcher warns from CNBC. via CNBC: One of Wall Street’s largest investing firms warns that a global growth slowdown could sink the U.S. into recession this year. According to J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Ben Mandel, it’s a risk pushing the firm to turn cautious … Read more

Risk of bear market in 2019, Yale’s Shiller says from CNBC. via CNBC: “There is a feeling that the stock market might be due for some deflating now because it’s been a long time, and we’ve seen some hints of it and we haven’t seen the real deflation yet,” he told CNBC at the World … Read more

by OB1_kenobi   So what does that mean? It means that everything CNN does is done under the guidance of someone who’s got their eye on the ratings and on profits. The profit motive leaves it’s mark on everything they do. It means CNN tells the news as a secondary purpose… because the most important thing is … Read more

With Rapid DNA machines, genetic fingerprinting could become as routine as the old-fashioned kind. But forensic experts see a potential for misuse. BENSALEM, Pa. — They call it the “magic box.” Its trick is speedy, nearly automated processing of DNA. “It’s groundbreaking to have it in the police department,” said Detective Glenn Vandegrift of the … Read more

Going for the big time. Terrorist death threats and terrorist charges.. can carry 20 years in prison. also going after those inciting violence Just Breaking on Fox news. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/01/ky-prosecutor-confirms-multiple-investigations-underway-into-twitter-users-for-terrorist-threats-against-covington-kids/ Rob Sanders, a Kenton County Prosecutor, confirmed Tuesday that there are multiple investigations into Twitter users who made terroristic threats against Covington Catholic High School. “We’ve … Read more