Links 21 December 2018

Global Macro / Markets / Investing:

• Dirty dealing in the $175 billion Amazon Marketplace – The Verge
• Fed Hikes Rates, Market Tumbles – U of Oregon
• Powell’s Bet: The Data Is Right, the Market Is Wrong – WSJ
• The West at an Impasse – NY Times
• Oil Companies Expected to Slash Investment as Prices Tumble – WSJ
• America Could Lead the Transition to a Digital Currency Reserve – NY Times
• Sears Bankruptcy Battle Tests Swaps Market – WSJ
• ‘It’s Been a Rout’: Apple Stumbles in World’s Largest Untapped Market – WSJ
• The reinvention of economics after the crash – Quartz
• U.S. Oil Prices Down Almost 40% From High – WSJ

Americas:

• Trump 2020 campaign used a shell company to pay ad buyers at the center of alleged illegal coordination scheme with NRA – Open Secrets
• Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement – Fed Reserve
• Big Pharma returning to U.S. price hikes in January… – Reuters
• Officials Say Trump Has Ordered Full Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Syria – NY Times
• United States added to list of most dangerous countries for journalists for first time – NBC
• How Trump the ‘Tariff Man’ could lose to ‘Dow Man’ Trump – Politico
• ‘I Thought I Was Done For’: Tight Job Market Opens Doors for Ex-Convicts – WSJ
• South Carolina GOP could scrap 2020 primary to protect Trump – Washington Examiner
• How to Make the Trade War Even Worse – NY Times

Europe:

• Corbyn denies ’stupid woman’ jibe – BBC
• Hacked European Cables Reveal a World of Anxiety About Trump, Russia and Iran – NY Times
• Italy Says It Struck a Budget-Deficit Compromise With EU – WSJ
• EU and Italy strike crucial budget agreement – FT
• Brexit Is Destroying Britain’s Constitution – Foreign Policy
• Estonia detains eight in money-laundering case linked to Danske… – Reuters
• Italy reaches budget breakthrough after the EU initially rejected its 2019 spending plans – CNBC
• Brexit: Suicide warning if exit turns chaotic – The Times
• Rise in homelessness not result of our policies, says housing secretary – The Guardian

Asia:

• The US and China aren’t in a “cold war” so stop calling it that – Tech Review
• Japanese Justice Faces Scrutiny in Case of Nissan Chief and U.S. Board Member – NY Times
• China scrambles to sustain its trade truce with America – The Economist
• China’s Bizarre Program to Keep Activists in Check – New Yorker
• Hong Kong tabloid with China links tails visiting US-Australian academic – The Guardian
• Third Canadian detained in China as diplomatic feud escalates – SCMP
• Why China’s electric-car industry is leaving Detroit, Japan, and Germany in the dust – Tech Review

Trans-Tasman:

• Stuart Robert contacted ‘multiple’ times since 2016 over massive home internet bill – The Age
• ‘The water is absolutely putrid’: 10,000 fish dead in Darling River as water quality declines – ABC
• Mitsubishi exits thermal coal sector, sells stakes in Australia mines – Reuters
• ‘Ripping up my membership’: Jeremy Buckingham quits ‘toxic’ Greens to run as an independent – The SMH
• We’ve soundly established that this was a crappy, crappy year, even by Canberra’s standards – ABC
• Angus Taylor rejects claims government is driven by toxic ideology on climate policy – ABC
• Swipe left: Labor hangs up on Christopher Pyne’s electronic voting – Canberra Times
• Employers urge Shorten to abandon ‘damaging’ industry bargaining plan – Canberra Times
• Victorian human rights commission says racism complaints are up 90% – The Guardian
• Unemployment edges higher as more people look for work – ABC
• Glencore fires first salvo against ATO over Paradise Papers leak – The Guardian
• Adani’s Carmichael mine faces another potential setback, as opponents lobby insurers not to provide cover – ABC
• Making Australia a renewable energy exporting superpower – The Conversation
• ANZ economists forecast OCR drop to 1.00% by 2020 – Interest.co.nz
• The decline of the housing investor – Interest.co.nz