Houston

With the topic of infrastructure investing dominating today's newsflow after the NYT report that Democrats would support Trump if he endorsed their propsed list of some $1 trillion in infrastructure projects, which would create as many as 15 million jobs, the Kansas City Star and The News Tribune have compiled a presentation - based on internal White House documents - of about 50 infrastructure projects nationwide which comprise the "priority list" for US infrastructure projects in the coming years.

Several months ago, just as the market was tumbling on the back of crashing oil prices and not only energy companies but banks exposed to them via secured loans seemed in peril, we wrote a post titled "Dallas Fed Quietly Suspends Energy Mark-To-Market On Default Contagion Fears" in which we made the following observations:

US Marshals in Houston have begun arresting students who have failed to pay back their student loans.  Former student Paul Aker has confirmed that he was arrested last week in his home for failing to pay back a $1500 federal student loan he received in 1987. Fox26houston.com reports: He says seven deputy US Marshals showed up at his home with guns and took him to federal court where he had to sign a payment plan for the 29-year-old school loan. Congressman Gene Green says the federal government is now using private debt collectors to go after those who owe student loans.

On Friday, we noted that at least some local businesses in Texas are sympathetic to the pitiable plight of the state’s beleaguered oil patch workers.

Houston-based Gramercy Cleaners on Richmond avenue, we observed, is demonstrating their compassion for the imploding energy sector by offering service discounts.

Friday, well dressed men in suits and ties set up an encampment at a city owned park in Houston and said they weren't going to leave until the CFTC stops its "tyranny."

It just got weirder from there.