Monthly Archives: December 2013

Growing Expectations Of TBTF Bank Creditor Bailouts Tighten Their Tentacles Around Taxpayers

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Growing Expectations Of TBTF Bank Creditor Bailouts Tighten Their Tentacles Around Taxpayers

One of the few rebellious Fed heads, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker, fired a salvo when testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. He hit Wall Street risks covered by implicit government guarantees in the size of America’s GDP.

Rising Slag Heaps of Petcoke Stir Up Environmental Concerns

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Rising Slag Heaps of Petcoke Stir Up Environmental Concerns

By John  Daly, Oilprice.com. A product of the Keystone XL pipeline delay is that crude from the Alberta oil sands is refined in the Midwest, generating slag heaps of petroleum coke, or “petcoke,” whose airborne particles has local residents up in arms.

Strung-out Consumers, Desperate Retailers, Crummy Sales

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Strung-out Consumers, Desperate Retailers, Crummy Sales

Tally: 7 deaths, 90 injuries from shootings, stabbings, tramplings, fights, pepper sprayings…. “Only in America people trample each other for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have,” a tweet explained. It’s been tough for retailers too.

Unemployment Crisis Hits Economic Wunderkind Austria

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Unemployment Crisis Hits Economic Wunderkind Austria

In Eurostat’s “harmonized” unemployment rates for EU Member States, Austria is the glory land for job seekers: 4.8% unemployment, in first place, a universe apart from Spain (26.7%) and Greece (27.3%). But this “harmonized” rate is bologna. Austria is facing a growing crisis.