Links 14 March 2022

Global Macro / Markets / Investing:

• If High Gas Prices Are So Painful, Shouldn’t We Move Away From Fossil Fuels? – Pressenza
• Goldman Sachs’ CEO demanded all employees return full-time to the office. Only half showed up – Yahoo
• Oil Company Profits Have Surged. It’s Time to Tax the Windfall. – Jacobin Mag
• BlackRock Is Facing Losses of Over $17 Billion on Its Russian Holdings – Business Insider
• Nickel Prices Soar to ‘Unprecedented’ Levels. Shanghai, London Halt Trading. – Barrons
• The Commodity Crisis will Create a New World Order of Money says Credit Suisse Strategist – Crypto Time

Americas:

• Republican Adam Kinzinger: “I should have voted to impeach Trump over Ukraine.” – The Guardian
• 82% of US Voters Believe Inflation Is Fueled by Corporations ‘Jacking Up Prices’ – Common Dreams
• Democrats unveil plan to issue quarterly checks to Americans by taxing oil companies posting huge profits – Business Insider
• Cash-rich states create ‘competitive environment’ with flurry of tax cuts – CNBC
• Nearly 5M Californians healthier working from home over commuting: study – Fox
• President Joe Biden will cancel $6.2 billion in student loans through changes to student loan forgiveness. – Forbes
• ‘I would consider living in my car’: How some Americans are impacted by inflation – CNN Video
• Bacon, gas and coffee: Where 2,200 Americans have noticed inflation – Seattle Times

Europe:

• Russian central bank decides not to reopen stock market trading next week – Financial Post
• At least 14 private jets from Russia have landed in Israel in the past 10 days amid the latest round of sanctions targeting oligarchs – MSN
• Vladimir Putin’s Russia’s Alternatives for Dealing With the SWIFT Ban. Putin’s best option is linked to China. – Medium
• Russia owes Western banks $120 billion. They won’t get it back – CNN
• A Jewish girl was saved by a Ukrainian family during World War II. Now her grandchildren are returning the favor. – Washington Post
• Ukraine reveals ‘Russian warship, go fuck yourself!’ postage stamp – The Guardian
• Italian authorities seize one of world’s largest superyachts from oligarch – The Guardian
• EU payments for Russian gas surge from ~200 million euro per day before the war to now 689 million in one day – Yahoo

Asia:

• China calls for verification of Russian claims of US bioweapons help to Ukraine – SCMP
• Vietnam blocks Sony’s action movie ‘Uncharted’ over South China Sea map – Reuters
• Japan’s Nikkei falls 2% as shares in Asia decline; Chinese tech stocks in Hong Kong drop – CNBC
• Joe Biden gets new friend in Asia to take on China, North Korea – Times of India
• India Accidentally Fires Missile into Pakistan – BBC
• What South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Pledged to do as President – Korea Herald

Trans-Tasman:

• Ardern’s Labour party slips to second in New Zealand polling for first time since pandemic began – The Guardian
• NSW floods: Pilots say their helicopters were ‘not wanted’ by government during crisis – The SMH
• ‘The LNP are feeling threatened’: the growing ambition of independents challenging Coalition MPs – The Guardian
• ‘We must separate the idea of house from home’: the case for drastic action on shelter – The Guardian
• Morrison Government splashing working Australians’ cash on banning Union flags and logos – ACTU
• Why does Scott Morrison find it so hard to say sorry? And does it really matter? – The SMH
• Scott Morrison defends move to leave Queensland off emergency declaration as ADF boosts flood recovery efforts – ABC
• Labor demands Christian Porter resign before election after changes to ‘blind trust’ disclosure rules – The Guardian
• Scott Morrison is toxic waste for a government in desperate trouble – Crikey
• Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese addressed the Lowy Institute on how a Labor government would deliver national security in a complex world. – Lowy Institute
• With commodity prices soaring and inflation rising, should the Reserve Bank start lifting interest rates? – ABC
• WA Premier Mark McGowan’s texts with billionaire media mogul Kerry Stokes a revealing insight into power and politics from Palmer defamation case – ABC
• Banks providing healthy mortgage cash backs – Interest.co.nz
• Government changes responsible lending rules to tackle CCCFA problems – Interest.co.nz