Links 30 May 2014

Global Macro / Markets:

• S&P 500 Pushes To All Time Highs On First Economic Contraction In Three Years – Zero Hedge

North America:

• Mortgage-Bond Revival Cut Short as Wall Street Sidelined – Bloomberg
• North Dakota Is Being Very North Dakota About Its Oceans of Oil Money – Slate
• GDP just shrank for the first time in three years – VOX
• The U.S. economy shrinks, but it’s not a big deal – CNN Money
• Business Live: US economy shrinks for first time in three years – The Guardian
• The Great Recession’s “biggest policy mistake” – CBS News
• California’s Fracking Gusher Runs Dry – Bloomberg
• Do Conservatives Have Any New Ideas? – Bloomberg

Europe:

• Belarus plans to bring back serfdom – Financial Times
• Putin creates ex-Soviet trade bloc, denies new USSR – Reuters

Asia:

• Japan Retail Sales Fall at Record Pace After Tax Increase – Bloomberg
• BOJ’s Shirai says stimulus support will continue well into 2016 – Reuters

Local:

• An open door policy, at a price – The AFR
• PM draws line at dead people – The AFR
• Killing-off a good education idea – The AFR
• We need to talk about our ties to the US – The AFR
• Productivity watchdog backs rise in super age – The AFR
• Labor championed GP fees – The Australian
• Pension dip not worth a fright – The Australian
• Freebians can afford to pay – The Australian
• Nation can’t afford welfare – The Australian
• Tight lipped on ACT light rail leak – Canberra Times
• Foreign buyers claim a mirage: RBA – Canberra Times
• Rates threaten negative gearing party – Canberra Times
• Some good news amid Australia’s capex decline – Business Spectator
• China’s gloomy forecasts for iron ore miners – Business Spectator
• How Abbott’s asking CEOs to share the pain – Business Spectator

Other:

• Porn may be messing with your head – Reuters
• With G.D.P., It’s Important to Distinguish Signal From Noise – New York Times
• Google’s Driverless Cars Won’t Transform Our Daily Commute. They’ll Make Us Even More Miserable on the Road – New Republic
• What’s the Economic Impact When a Country Breaks Up? – Wall Street Journal
• The Economic Data Hidden in Nighttime Views of City Lights – City Lab
• Google’s Self-Driving Toaster Is Detroit’s Worst Nightmare – Bloomberg
• Cynicism Kills the Brain, Triples Dementia – Counsel Heal
• College Is a Poor Solution to Income Inequality – Slate