rdan An op-ed by Marjorie Cohn, Jurist in Forum details the further developments with Guantanamo detainees. Finally, on November 20, in a stunning development, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered the government to release five Guantánamo Bay detainees “forthwith.” Finding that the government failed to prove the men were “enemy combatants,” the judge, […]

by reader coberly WHY BILL GATES GETS SOCIAL SECURITY for Aaron In a recent thread reader Aaron asserts in his confident way that “if Trump, Soros, and Redstone get Social Security “then in can’t be an insurance policy for poverty in old age. These three are not poor yet they qualify for social security.” To […]

Bloomberg has an article on the international implications to remind us competitors are watching and acting as many of us look inward very intensely. This article reminds us that even though the Doha rounds are done, the WTO structure is in place. A U.S.-triggered spate of global carmaker-bailout proposals may spark trade disputes over whether […]

rdan David Sirota at Salon has reflected my take on media and says it much better than I. And here in addition to the first link. If you’re having trouble remembering what the recent election was all about, rest easy: You’re probably not going senile — you’re likely experiencing the momentary effects of brainwashing. For […]

Late Working-Age Suicides Rising: Study Noni Mausa This study from the American Journal Of Preventive Medicine offers troubling statistics – between 1999 and 2005, there has been roughly a 5% increase in suicide rates. But all that increase is confined to one demographic — whites aged 40 to 64. An L. A. Times story today […]

rdan hat tip to reader Jack for this example of reading making the rounds of car dealers: Subject: An example of American management expertise. It’s nice when they use an analogy to show what’s really going on – then we can understand it better. This should be sent to GM !!! Toyota and GM decided […]

OSO writes: “With thousands of houses already torched beyond repair and tens ofthousands more likely to perish, this mass immolation will reduce thesurplus supply of houses in California.” said Professor Saul O’Hara ofthe New York School of Economics today. “With a drop in supply therewill come an increase in prices, which will then reinvigorate thestate’s, […]

by reader vtcodger In a discussion on November 16th under the title The Gold Standard in One Easy Quote, I suggested inverting a chart of the spot price of gold in dollars to get a chart of the way a gold based currency would behave. Rdan thoughtfully inverted said chart (labels and all) and asked […]

Hat tip MG. CNBC has a good video on the next 12 months and a possible floor for the DIJA. MG says a pretty good bet is around 6500, and a worst in the 4500 range. Update: Vtcodger points us to a post at Calculated Risk with graphs.