United States

The missile that is known as “the world’s longest-range missile”, China’s DF-41, is expected to be complete as early as this year. The DF-41 is capable of striking the United States from anywhere in China. Yahoo News reports: “Given the number of real reported tests, it is reasonable to speculate the DF-41 will be deployed to PLA Strategic Rocket Force bases in 2016,” Richard Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Washington told the Financial Times.

What do Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Dimon, James Gorman, John Thain, Jimmy Cayne, and any of the revolving door of AIG CEO’s have in common? Three things come to mind rather quickly: 1) All were financial executives during the 2008 global financial crisis. 2) All of their firms received massive public bailouts. 3) None of them went to jail for their firm’s involvement in said crisis. As a matter of fact, most are still plugged in somewhere on Wall Street, presumably helping to facilitate the next great financial crisis.

From Nicholas Colas at Convergex

Back in late 2014 and early 2015, this website soundly mocked any and every economist that suggested that plunging oil prices - in a globalized economy where oil has been financialized beyond recognition and impacts every asset class, the stock market, global trade flows, and international diplomacy - is "unambiguously good." 

Last week, Reuters reported a development which should have surprised precisely nobody: while the Kremlin announced one month ago that it would begin withdrawing military forces from Syria at once, Putin was doing the opposite.