Links 25 September 2017

Global Macro / Markets / Investing:

• The Natural Evolution of Artificial Intelligence – Barron’s
• Tulip mania: The flowers that cost more than houses – BBC
• The Best Investment Since 1926? Apple – NY Times
• The benefits of central bank digital currency – VOX

Americas:

• Trump, GOP to cut top rate to 35 percent – Axios
• Disruption’s double standard: tech firms get rich but street vendors get fined – The Guardian
• Trump tells African leaders his friends ’are going to your countries to get rich’ and praises made-up country – The Independent
• Is Trump mentally ill? Or is America? Psychiatrists weigh in. – Washington Post
• Understanding America’s ridiculously large $18.6T economy by comparing the GDP of US metro areas to entire countries – AEI
• Joe Biden’s Platform for 2020: Anti-Populism – Politico
• Yellen and Cohn Said to Be on Shortlist for New Head of the Fed – NY Times
• The High Price of Student Debt – Barron’s
• Death toll, humanitarian crisis grow in Puerto Rico – Tampa Bay Times
• Argentina: An Opportunity to Rethink the WTO’s Working Practices – Cigionline

Europe:

• Angela Merkel, the Most Powerful Woman in a World of Unstable Men – New Yorker
• Italy’s 5-Star names youthful new leader as election nears – Reuters
• Brussels will want vengeance on Brexit Britain, warns whistleblower who exposed EU failings – The Telegraph
• More than 500,000 sign petition to save Uber as firm fights London ban – The Guardian
• Anti-Immigrant AfD Party Draws In More Germans as Vote Nears – WSJ
• One of Italy’s major parties just held a primary election. But the results are a secret. – Washington Post
• U.K. Credit Rating Cut to Aa2 by Moody’s on Fiscal Outlook – Bloomberg
• The real obstacle for the Brexit negotiations – Mainly Macro

Asia:

• U.S. B-1B Bombers Fly Just Off Coast Of North Korea: 4 Reasons Why This Time It’s Different – Zero Hedge
• Trump Has Started a Brain Drain Back to India – Foreign Policy
• Small North Korean quake likely natural, not nuclear test: experts – Reuters
• Prospect of Atmospheric Nuclear Test by North Korea Raises Specter of Danger – NY Times
• Chinese, Pakistani air forces conduct joint drill – Global Times
• China imposes limit on oil supply to North Korea – AP
• In Beijing and Abu Dhabi, Signs of Bannon’s Continued Influence – NY Times

Trans-Tasman:

• Commonwealth Bank axes ATM withdrawal fee – The SMH
• Labor calls for urgent action on foreign worker visas after reports of exploitation – The SMH
• Cory Bernardi accidentally raises $200,000 after blasting ‘wear a dress’ fundraiser – ABC
• Government denies claims it knocked back Chinese climate change offer and reveals ‘joint action plan’ – The SMH
• Is Melbourne already bigger than Sydney? – The SMH
• Chinese influence is more than just ‘soft power’ and we need to call it out – The Age
• Tony Abbott’s gut v Elon Musk’s brain and billions: which would you follow? – The SMH
• The markets are betting on a rate rise by mid-2018. I’m not so sure – The Guardian
• Australian taxi industry calls for Uber review following London ban – The Age
• Can two clean energy targets break the deadlock of energy and climate policy? – The Conversation
• Government denies claims it knocked back Chinese climate change offer and reveals ‘joint action plan’ – The SMH
• Car owners granted rego reprieve with introduction of instalment payments – ABC
• Australia’s infrastructure boom is just getting started – The AFR
• Borrowers in rates firing line – The Australian
• NZ Kingmaker to bide his time – The Australian
• New Zealand’s National Party wins most votes but not enough to govern outright – ABC