America

One day after Trump escalated his war of words with the UN, threatening to cut off foreign financial aid over today's UN vote on the president's decision to recognize Jerusalem the capital of Israel, the United Nations on Thursday delivered what has been dubbed a "stunning rebuke" of the US President's Jerusalem decision, voting overwhelmingly to condemn the move and calling on the U.S. to withdraw the decision.

The final vote was a landslide against Israel, with some 128 nations voting in favor of the resolution. Nine countries opposed the resolution while 35 abstained.

The founder and CEO of Bridgewater, the world's largest hedge fund, was not exactly cock-a-hoop about Trump's tax reform plan ahead of this week's successful vote, and now that the details are out, Ray Dalio explains why the tax changes don't do what's needed to help America...

In the aftermath of the 'great recession,' private equity firms placed massive bets on subprime auto finance companies with the typical "thesis" going something like this: "well, people have to get to work don't they?"...genius, if we understand it correctly.

Even though consumer confidence cooled for a second straight month in November, CNBC is reporting that holiday spending for the average American household is on track to be the highest in 12 years.

Amazingly, the CNBC All-America Survey found that the average family will spend $900 for the first time in the 12-year history of the poll, eclipsing last year's estimate of $702 by a wide margin.

Christmas Column, 2017

Dear Donors, thank you for your support in 2017. Although you have kept me working yet another year, I find it encouraging that there are some Americans who can think independently and who want to know. As Margaret Mead said, it only takes a few determined people to change the world. Perhaps some of you will be those people.