United Kingdom

• Korea tensions ease slightly as U.S. officials play down war risks (Reuters)
• Pence Plays Down Trump Threat on Venezuela (WSJ)
• Trump Pressed to Reject White Nationalist Groups (WSJ)
• White House Says Trump Abhors Neo-Nazis (BBG)
• Charlottesville, and the World, Take Stock of Violent Episode (NYT)
• Car Attack Suspect Had Shown Troubling Behavior (NYT)
• U.S. Default? Unlikely, But Bond Traders Are Taking No Chances (BBG)
• Voters sense betrayal in Britain's Brexit heartlands (Reuters)

Gold Up 2.3%, Silver 5.3% In Week - Gundlach, Gartman and Dalio Positive On Gold

David McWilliams: Great Disaster Looms as Technology Disrupts White Collar Workers

Authored by Steve H. Hanke of the Johns Hopkins University. Follow him on Twitter @Steve_Hanke.

When one strips away the lies about central banks' "inflation and employment" mandates and focuses on what they really do - which is to keep asset prices artificially supported and volatility suppressed - the motive behind virtually every central bank act becomes readily apparent: preserve (and increase, if possible) confidence in the market and economy, while saying anything and everything that helps achieve this, or in other words, lie but don't get caught.