Europe

Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

The 2016 Presidential election was a gigantic wakeup call for the corporate press in the U.S. not so much because Hillary Clinton lost, but because it represented the end of mainstream media’s ability to seamlessly force feed narratives down the throats of a gullible and pliant American public. The marketplace of ideas had been flooded by the internet and the people made a decision. The media wars came and went, and the corporate press lost, badly.

After numerous media appearances, Macron and Le Pen are facing each other in a TV debate tonight, which Barclays' analyst Francois Cabau dubs "Crucial."

According to Barclays, this debate is key for two main reasons: 1) it will allow Le Pen to clarify her views on Europe (that she has tried to soften to a large extent recently in an apparent move to attract Fillon's voters) which are arguably a weak point on her side; and 2) it may be seen to, informally, mark the start of the campaign for the legislative elections.

Some further thoughts from Barclays:

Authored by Vijeta Uniyal via The Gatestone Institute,

Following the ridiculously round number demands of EUR100 billion ransom to leave the EU, UK PM Theresa May has stated that EU officials have issued threats against The UK as Europe's negotiating stance has toughened. Furthermore, May accuses EU countries of trying to maliciously influence UK general election result.

With Bloomberg recently writing articles such as "Mnuchin to Wall Street: U.S. Is Serious About Ultra-Long Bonds", "Mnuchin Says Ultra-Long U.S. Bonds Can Absolutely Make Sense" and "Wall Street Sees Treasury Paying Up for Ultra-Long Bond Issuance", there was a tangible buildup of confusion and excitement that the US Treasury under Steven Mnuchin may follow in Europe's footsteps and announced 50, if not 100 year Treasurys in the near future.