Water bankruptcy does not just happen gradually, then suddenly, but also with the prospect of violence.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Satyajit Das: President Trump’s Spat With the Federal Reserve Is Not About Central Bank Independence
A look at the overly-large, internally conflicted role of the Federal Reserve and Trump’s dodgy aims in trying to bring it under his control.
Capital Dividing Lines in the New Police State. Are We Approaching Reconciliation?
ICE Nation is good for surveillance tech and private prisons. Not so much for other sectors—but is there a plan in place to make them whole again?
ICE Called Out by Minneapolis Police for Harassing Off-Duty Officers of Color as DOJ Targets Minnesota Officials Personally with Criminal Subpoenas
As authoritative proof of ICE civil rights abuses emerges, the Feds issue criminal subpoenas against officials seeking an injunction.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Dangerous New Mideast Alliances
Emerging Middle Eastern alliances are often dismissed as inconsequential because regional states have a long record of weak and fragmented cooperation. This article argues the opposite: it is precisely the fragility of these alliances that makes them dangerous. Ambiguous commitments, existential threat perceptions, and nuclear capabilities combine to magnify escalation risks, even from routine military incidents.
NYC Is Testing Guaranteed Income for Homeless Youths. Here’s How It’s Going.
A new program to give a monthly stipend and other support to homeless young people in New York City is showing promising initial results.
The (Attempted) Israelisation of Latin America
“We hope and believe that 2026 will be the year of Latin America,… one in which we see a positive change in the relations of the continent’s countries with Israel.”
Europe Can Impose Costs on Trump Over Greenland, But Looks Too Craven To Try
Though it seems highly unlikely given weak and incompetent leadership in Europe, it has cards to play to stymie Trump’s Greenland grab.
Inside the Economics of Venezuela’s Elusive Oil Reserves
Debunking Trump Venezuela oil claims.
Coffee Break: Bari Weiss’ CBS Not an Auspicious Beginning to Total Info Control
Bari Weiss’ CBS tenure so far shows that for Larry and David Ellison, buying a media empire is one thing, imposing total information control is another.
Polymarket Manipulation and Other Guessing Games
How Polymarket traders using tools like “insider finder” to identify positions that look based on special intel can be fleeced.
Greenland and Irrational Responses to the Crisis of Capital Accumulation
The case that the tech bros desire for freedom cities and need for AI energy is driving the Greenland obsession.
