Weekend Links: 17-18 April 2021

‘Cumberland Creek, near Apollo Bay’ 1863, Nicholas Chevalier, Art Gallery of South Australia

Macro & Markets

The War Against Financial Crimes: a Global System that Needs Restructuring – Guardian Mag
Pandemics make us more averse to inequality – VOX
Oil hits one-month highs as IEA, OPEC raise forecasts – Reuters
The impact of COVID-19 on artificial intelligence in banking – Bruegel
The U.S. Has a Moral Obligation to Forgive the World’s Debts – Current Affairs
A Commonsense Corporate Tax – Project-Syndicate
Build Back the State – Project-Syndicate
Geopolitics makes the Russian ruble rate highly volatile – BNE
Is Stagflation Coming? – Project-Syndicate, Roubini
What’s Behind the Big Bond Rally? It’s Counterintuitive. – Bloomberg
How the chip shortage got so bad — and why it’s so hard to fix – Nikkei Asia
US exit from Afghanistan underscores pivot from terror to China – Nikkei Asia
Brown assets might be the next subprime – VoxEU
Scientists Create Early Embryos That Are Part Human, Part Monkey – NPR

Americas

U.S. Housing Market Is Nearly 4 Million Homes Short of Buyer Demand – WSJ
US jobless claims plunge to 576,000, lowest since pandemic – AP News
Pace of U.S. economic recovery accelerates, Fed says – Reuters
The Biden Administration Is Quietly Keeping Tabs on Inflation – NY Times
U.S. imposes wide array of sanctions on Russia for ‘malign’ actions – Reuters
U.S. preparing for 1-year COVID-19 booster shots; Pfizer chief sees need – Reuters
US expels Russian diplomats, imposes sanctions for hacking – AP
With layoffs down and spending up, US rebound gains momentum – AP
Powell defends Fed’s consideration of climate change risks – AP
Pfizer’s CEO believes people will need COVID-19 vaccination shots every year – MarketWatch
Tax cheats cost the U.S. more than previously thought — and Bitcoin is part of the problem, IRS commissioner says – MarketWatch
How Much of China’s GDP Was Made in America? – Bloomberg
What’s behind the push for a fourth stimulus check – CBS News
Average price of Canadian home rising at fastest annual pace ever, now up to $716,828 – CBC
America Has Pandemic Senioritis – Slate
Can Amazon Be Stopped? – Washington Monthly
Obituary for America’s war in Afghanistan – Asia Times
Bank CEOs to testify as U.S. Congress ramps up scrutiny of Wall Street – Reuters

Asia

Chinese Economy Grew More Than 18% in First Quarter – WSJ
China’s Very Bad Bank: Inside the Huarong Debt Debacle – Yahoo
China’s Q1 yuan-denominated exports surge 38.7% y/y, imports up 19.3% – Reuters
China says its economy grew 18.3% in the first quarter, slightly missing expectations – CNBC
Romania approves bill to bar China, Huawei from 5G networks – Reuters
China’s Q1 GDP grows at record pace as recovery speeds up – Reuters
China’s home price boom spreads to more cities as investors defy curbs – Reuters
Xinjiang: will the West’s sanctions on China force the issue or unravel? – SCMP
China GDP: economy surged record 18.3 per cent in first quarter compared to a year earlier, but slowed versus fourth quarter – SCMP
China’s growth surges to 18.3% but rebound leveling off – AP
China population: birth control policies should be scrapped to retain economic edge over US, says central bank – SCMP
China Steel to hike prices for 11th straight month – Taipei Times
China’s Economy Soars by Record a Year After Pandemic Slump – Bloomberg
China’s Economy Is Booming. Shoppers Are Skittish Anyway. – NY Times
Is India planning to spy on Chinese submarines from the Andamans, with a little help from Japan? – SCMP…you betcha…

Europe

Biden to bar U.S. banks from buying Russian government rouble debt in primary markets – Reuters
Europe’s low-tax nations braced for struggle over US corporate tax plan – FT
The EU is considering a ban on AI for mass surveillance and social credit scores – The Verge
City of London Brexit hit worse than expected, says study – Reuters
German constitutional court strikes down Berlin rent cap – Politico
Brexit Led Over 440 Finance Firms to Shift Some Business to EU – Bloomberg
Poland deploys troops close to Belarusian border in response to crackdown on Polish minority – BNE
Turkey’s grand canal plan is dividing the nation – Asia Times
‘Coiled spring’: The UK’s economic surge has taken the world by surprise – Ninefax, AEP
The race to be Germany’s next chancellor is also a race to define its evolving political centre – New Statesman
Rethinking the EU’s Fiscal Framework – Project-Syndicate
Is it time Germany opened up its stores on Sundays? – DW
Hong Kong: Britain must prepare now for a great wave of immigrants – Prospect
Fixed mortgage rates are at record lows, so is it time to consider fixing your home loan? We asked the experts – ABC

Terra Specufestor

Australian Conservatives Are Using Religious Faith as a Cover for Misogyny – Jacobinmag
Taxpayer-funded aged care homes funnelled tens of millions into church coffers, ABC investigation finds – ABC
Australians warned to prepare for ‘1,000 virus cases a week’ when international borders reopen – SBS
Christine Holgate gets her own bully pulpit — and uses it to effect on Morrison’s weak spot – ABC
Liberal party says rival New Liberals will cause ‘widespread voter confusion’ – The Guardian
The gas-fired recovery swindle – Independent Australia
Federa Court found Google misled consumers about the collection and use of location data – ACCC
Adelaide Uni shuts down for week after pandemic hits bottom line – InDaily
‘Great polarisation’: Morrison warns authoritarian countries are threatening liberal democracies – The Age
Quarantining at home on the agenda for travelling Australians – The SMH
‘There will be bankruptcies’: Mascot Towers owners urged to sell as developers circle – ABC
‘RBA house price model’ predicts 25pc rise by 2023 – AFR
‘Mighty bleak’: economists warn delay in vaccinating Australians could devastate tourism – Guardian
Jobkeeper doubled return for investors compared with companies that did not have subsidy – Guardian
House prices in Australia are soaring, but not because there aren’t enough homes – ABC
Mascot Towers owners urged to sell as developers express interest in demolishing beleaguered block – ABC
Greek Orthodox Church took tens of millions in rent from aged care home at centre of deadliest COVID outbreak – ABC
Australia finds Google misled customers over data collection – regulator – Reuters
ANZ’s Elliott sees best economic conditions in six years – Ninefax
‘Supply is restricted’: NAB chief calls for faster housing approvals – Ninefax
Yes, Minister, you can entice our best and brightest into teaching. You will have to pay them more – Ninefax
‘I can’t sleep’: Household debt escalates as Victorians struggle to pay bills – Ninefax…that would be a direct result of bipartisan energy policy since the early 2000s, wouldn’t it?…
NSW woman’s death ‘likely’ linked to COVID-19 vaccine: TGA – Ninefax

…and furthermore…

Regional house price growth ranged from 9.3% to 37.7% in March year – Interest.co.nz
Ten years of study, still languishing on productivity – Interest.co.nz
RBNZ leaves interest rates unchanged as expected – Interest.co.nz
National proposes dangling cash before councils to incentivise more building consent issuance – Interest.co.nz
Cannabis as a Consumer Staple – Bengal Capital
Madoff and me: How I lost my father to the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme – New Statesman
Long-distance love: The couples torn apart by Covid – New Statesman
Mass legal action against Facebook over data breach – RTE
Why work lost its worth – New Statesman
How Bernie Madoff Fooled the World – Bloomberg, Authers
‘It’s a Roller-Coaster Ride’: Global Chip Shortage Is Making Industries Sweat – NY Times
Sanctions on Russian Debt Are Called a ‘First Salvo’ That Sends a Message – NY Times
John Williamson, 83, Dies; Economist Defined the ‘Washington Consensus’ – NY Times
The pandemic’s impact on our world is only just beginning – Vox
How free trials trick you into thinking you’ll get something for nothing – Vox
Pandemics make us more averse to inequality – VoxEU
A solution to the mystery of excess trade balances – VoxEU
Economic recessions and age discrimination – VoxEU
The impact of COVID-19 on artificial intelligence in banking – Bruegel
Are Unemployment Benefits Really Making It Impossible for Restaurants to Hire? – Slate
Modern Communication’s Big Open Secret – Slate
The road from Rome: The fall of the Roman Empire wasn’t a tragedy for civilisation. It was a lucky break for humanity as a whole – Aeon
Brain wifi: Instead of a code encrypted in the wiring of our neurons, could consciousness reside in the brain’s electromagnetic field? – Aeon
Demand for rare-earth metals is skyrocketing, so we’re creating a safer, cleaner way to recover them from old phones and laptops – The Conversation
Male fertility: how everyday chemicals are destroying sperm counts in humans and animals – The Conversation
Iron ore price jumps on big spread between spot cargoes and futures – Mining.com
Wunderkind’s alleged $970 million fraud jolts Singapore – Ninefax
Post-Covid economics: How the virus could kill off our damaging debt delusions – Prospect
Zoomed out: the surreal nonsense of the online meeting cannot end soon enough – Prospect
I Called Off My Wedding. The Internet Will Never Forget – Wired
Gnome shortage: Lockdown and Suez canal blockage blamed – BBC

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Business Journo in Russia and the Middle East. Anarcho-syndicalist, wine lover, poet, and general all round punter. Currently coming to terms with Australian morning TV and commercial network news.........

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Weekend Links: 17-18 April 2021

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