Just over a year ago we wrote about Paul Manafort resigning from the Trump campaign amid outrage over his consulting firm's ties to a lobbying campaign designed to sway American public opinion in favor of the Ukraine's pro-Russsian government (see: FBI Probes Firm Belonging To Brother Of Clinton Campaign Chair For Ukraine Corruption Ties).
Dow futures down over 120 points (and Nikkei 225 down over 200 points) at the reopen following North Korea's 'successful' firing of a ballistic missile across Japan.
Gold futures spiked to $1325 as USDJPY plunged...
The USDJPY is tumbling on the news... Breaking below 108.50, a break of April's 108.12 may require more than a little help from Kuroda and friends.
Japanese equity market futures plunged to 4-month lows...
And VIX futures are snapping higher...
Live Feed from NHK (in Japanese)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/realtime-parts/player-live.html
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Update 4: S.KOREA MILITARY IS RAISING ALERT AFTER N.KOREA MISSILE: YONHAP
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Update 3: According to Richard Haass, president of the CFR, the "N. Korea missile test over Japan will stimulate missile defense buildup as well as intensify consideration of preventive military action"
Authored by Jazz Shaw via HotAir.com,
Generally when we see news of a new minimum wage law it relates to a city or state raising it. Missouri went in the opposite direction recently, instituting a rule which forbids any local government entities from instituting a minimum wage which is higher than that state minimum. (Currently sitting at $7.70 per hour.)
Via Snake Hole Lounge blog,
The US Statutory Debt Limit, a failed tool to halt the endless growth of Federal debt issuance, is once again in play at nearly $20 trillion. It was only at $6 trillion in 2002.
The problem, of course, is runaway Fed spending which is currently at around twice that of Federal current tax receipts, requiring that the deficit be funded by issuing Federal debt (or raising taxes and/or cutting Federal spending).