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The Suddenly Invisible And Silent President Of Argentina

by Contributor •  • Comments Off on The Suddenly Invisible And Silent President Of Argentina

By Adrian Bono, Argentina, The Bubble: The last time President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was seen in public was December 10th – dancing at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the return of democracy, while a wave of looting tore through many provinces that left ten people dead and frayed the very fabric of society.

Natural Gas Squeeze? “Panic hasn’t ensued just yet”

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Natural Gas Squeeze? “Panic hasn’t ensued just yet”

Record demand has pushed natural gas in storage to the lowest level for that week since 2005. And in 2005, the price of natural gas spiked to its all-time high. Something has to give.

Fracking Fluids to Blame for Rail Car Explosions

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Fracking Fluids to Blame for Rail Car Explosions

There has been a surge of derailments of trains carrying crude oil that resulted in huge, deadly explosions, highly unusual for crude oil trains. But the oil originated from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota.

The Next Tire To Drop On The US Economy

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Next Tire To Drop On The US Economy

Auto sales in the US have been hopping for the last few years, and production has soared, and exuberance along with it, and there were even hopes that sales would soon be where they’d been before the crisis, before the bankruptcies, the plant closures, the bailouts.

German Economy Wobbles Between Shrinkage And Stagnation, Stocks Soar

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on German Economy Wobbles Between Shrinkage And Stagnation, Stocks Soar

Since 2012, German economic growth has been back where it was when Germany was called the “Sick Man of Europe.” Only this time, Germany has been anointed the model economy for others to follow and admire.

Iran, Russia Ruffle US Feathers With Oil Swap Deal

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Iran, Russia Ruffle US Feathers With Oil Swap Deal

Iran and Russia are in talks about a potential $1.5 billion oil-for-goods swap that could boost Iranian oil exports by 50%, which didn’t go over very well in Washington.

Hang On Tight: ‘Merger Monday,’ Which Died in 2008, Is Back

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Hang On Tight: ‘Merger Monday,’ Which Died in 2008, Is Back

I thought we’d never see “Merger Monday” again, the concept. But now, the unthinkable happened, the zombie phrase has walked back into the scene. Like in the bubble days of 2007: the big numbers were there, the deal exuberance, the craziness, the hoopla.

The Magic for Our Hapless Renters

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Magic for Our Hapless Renters

Prices for housing have jumped and rents have jumped too, yet the 38.7 million renters, 34% of all households, watched with dismay as their real wages declined.

Offshore Fracking (And Dumping Chemicals Into Coastal Waters) Beyond The Public Eye

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Offshore Fracking (And Dumping Chemicals Into Coastal Waters) Beyond The Public Eye

Oil companies have been fracking offshore California and dumping chemicals into coastal waters for as long as two decades. It wasn’t until recently that FOIA requests brought it to light. Now the EPA is feebly trying to step in.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Banks: Deutsche Bank’s Whitewash Of “Senior Management”

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Lies, Damned Lies, and Banks: Deutsche Bank’s Whitewash Of “Senior Management”

Germany has its own JP Morgan, mired in a swamp of sordid scandals, investigations, lawsuits, and fines. Now a letter by the banking regulator was leaked that blasts Deutsche Bank’s internal investigation of the rate rigging scandal as a senior management whitewash.