Tuesday 20 January 2015

Headlines - 01/19/2015

## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards ##
And we must deepen Keynesian Kapitalism to save the world! -- RF
Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), one of the world's largest petrochemicals groups, reported a 29 per cent plunge in fourth-quarter net income on Sunday, widely missing analysts' forecasts because of the tumble of global oil prices.

## Airline Death Spiral ##

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Japan is expected to more effectively address North Korean military threats via a new information sharing framework with South Korea and the U.S. established at the end of 2014.

## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Palestinian protesters heckled and threw eggs at Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird during a visit to the West Bank on Sunday, denouncing Ottawa's diplomatic support for Israel.

## Energy/resources ##
Jim Chanos, head of the world's largest short-selling hedge fund, told CNBC on Friday he's been short major oil companies for a couple years because the North American shale explosion has been "uneconomic for drillers."
One thing for sure is production growth has dramatically slowed in the last couple of months. I expect that slowdown to continue to get even slower.
The oil industry is pulling back from some marginal areas of operation, slashing jobs and spending, and retrenching in the face of the ongoing slump in oil markets. Signs of a shrinking footprint are beginning to pop up across the globe.
It's just as I have said repeatedly: There will never be enough money for nuclear decommissioning. Get ready for a planetary-scale disaster. -- RF
Exporting crude oil and natural gas from the United States are among the dumbest energy ideas of all time.

## Got food? ##
Just one degree of global warming could cut wheat yields by 42 million tonnes worldwide, around 6% of the crop.
Word of advice: Stop reading this if you are eating. Especially in a restaurant.

## Environment/health ##
West Africa’s Ebola epidemic has morphed into several micro-outbreaks of varying intensity and with the potential to reignite more widespread contagion, a United Nations official said.
A U.S. federal court has ruled for the first time that manure from livestock facilities can be regulated as solid waste, a decision hailed by environmentalists as opening the door to potential legal challenges against facilities across the country.

## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Innocent adults can be manipulated to believe, over the course of a few hours, that they had committed heinous crimes in their teenage years, says a study.

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
In an era of email, text messages, Facebook and Twitter, we’re all required to do several things at once. But this constant multitasking is taking its toll. Here neuroscientist Daniel J Levitin explains how our addiction to technology is making us less efficient.
“We need new stuff,” sixth-grader Damian Rattler said recently while sitting in a chair held together with duct tape.

## Japan ##

## China ##
Chinese police shot and killed two members of the Uighur minority group late Sunday as they attempted to cross the border illegally into Vietnam and assaulted Chinese border guards who tried to stop them, state media reported  Monday.
Without explanation, authorities in two Chinese cities have refused to issue approvals for transfers of apartments built by selected developers, including troubled Kaisa Group.

## UK ##
The study by Turn2us highlights the drastic measures families are taking to pay their energy bills, with 66% of people in the North East cutting back on food - and 88% of people saying that cutting back on energy has negatively affected the health of their children.
Earlier this month Age UK warned one older person could die every seven minutes from the cold this winter

## US ##
This was going to happen no matter who is president. -- RF
But to be fair, let's keep in mind that the middle class is doomed no matter who is president. -- RF
The typical LA renter needs to earn $33 an hour just to afford a basic apartment.

And finally...

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