Just weeks after the completion (and failure) of one supposed 'containment' wall (and as the construction of the "ice wall" begins), TEPCO, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, has admitted that the levels of radioactivity in underground tunnels has risen sharply (4000x last year's levels). As NHKWorld reports, TEPCO officials have stated that they plan to investigate what caused the spike in radiation... yes, that would seem like a good idea.

Submitted by Nick Giambruno via InternationalMan.com,

“What’s it like playing chess with Obama?” asks a top aid of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

 

Putin replies, “It’s like playing chess with a pigeon. First it knocks over all the pieces, then it shits on the board, and finally it struts around like it won.”

Now, Putin hasn’t actually said this on record. It’s just a popular joke circulating in Russia.

The Paris climate change agreement will be a disappointment. But that's no reason for climate justice campaigners to despair. Here's what did and didn't happen in Paris, why it matters, and what comes next.

As 2015 draws to a close, Goldman identifies 15 straddle-buying opportunities on stocks with liquid options, reporting in December. Our studies analyzing historical earnings events show at-the-money straddles are systematically undervalued ahead of the event. Buying straddles ahead of earnings has returned 10% through early December vs. the long term average of 2%.

As Goldman Sachs writes, our studies analyzing historical earnings events show at-the-money straddles are systematically undervalued ahead of the event.

Last weekend we wrote that in Europe's attempt to contain the greatest refugee crisis since WWII, it would directly take control over the border control of the one country which over the summer lost its sovereignty (but at least it still has the euro), and which serves as a springboard for tens of thousands of migrants to proceed onward with their journey to Germany (where as reported earlier, they are no longer desired, as their continued arrival results in a plunging approval rating for Angela Merkel).