Thursday, October 8

Global Economics

Looking at economic forecasts for the global economy and the impact of national and multinational policies.

Trump Administration Moves to Establish Federal Rules for Crypto Markets
Capitalism, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Trump Administration Moves to Establish Federal Rules for Crypto Markets

Following Trump's Directive, the CFTC and SEC Request Public Feedback on Proposed Rulemaking The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has begun the process of establishing a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrency markets. It follows a similar draft proposal by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both proposed rules are now available for public review and comment. The crypto industry is one of the most active in Washington, DC, not only in terms of financing campaign activity in the run-up to the midterm elections, but also in shaping policy. President Trump is actively engaged in promoting the cryptocurrency industry. He hosted crypto and stock trading executives at the White House ahead of the CFTC meeting in August. Attendees included Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, R...
Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model
Capitalism, Democracy, Europe, EU, Eurozone, and United Kingdom, Types of News: Brief

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

Spanish PM Calls for Snap Elections in November Amid Housing Crisis October 6, 2026—On the sidelines of the United Nations general debate in September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the featured guest at a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two politicians, along with other progressives, put forward an economic agenda focused on larbor rights, a higher minimum wage, housing regulations and rent control, and social protections across borders. https://youtu.be/JWbihVjDirM While he is celebrated among progressive circles overseas, back home Sánchez faces a crucial test. On Monday, he called for snap elections on November 29. It comes at a time of political crisis in Spain and neighboring France over affordability. The impact of the November 29 el...
Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

Spending by political action committees far outpaces what candidates running for office can and do spend. Follow the Money: PACs Lead Spending in the 2026 Midterms October 5, 2026—Campaign finance is where powerful interests intersect with government. The money spent does not just influence elections, it can also shape policies affecting society as a whole. In terms of money flowing through the campaign-finance system, political action committees (PACs) direct nearly three times as much money as candidates running for reelection or office. That concentration of money gives PACs considerable potential influence over which candidates reach—and remain in—office. The Power of the PAC Purse In terms of spending, candidates for office paid out$2 billion, while PACs reported $6.5 b...
Government Consumer Watchdog Investigating AI
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Types of News: Brief

Government Consumer Watchdog Investigating AI

FTC Oversight Includes Treatment of Consumer Data, Potential Deceptive Practices FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson resists the notion that AI can go rogue on its own. Ultimately, companies and the humans who use AI are responsible. UNITED STATES October 1, 2026—The consumer watchdog agency, the Federal Trade Commission, is investigating artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, examining not only how children interact with the technology but also potential use of deceptive practices by firms. The investigation is not surprising given widespread concerns voiced by industry insiders and the public over the seemingly unlimited power of AI. Recent news stories on hacking and autonomous AI agents have fueled controversy. The New York Times, citing an unnamed source...
MONEY FLOWS The World’s 10 Largest Investment Firms
Capitalism, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Global Economics, Types of News: Infographic

MONEY FLOWS The World’s 10 Largest Investment Firms

Who's Managing the World's Money, and Why It Matters September 13, 2026—Here is a look at the world's largest investment firms and a review of why their decisions matter to populations everywhere. As citizens in the United States and around the world look for ways to regain and assert economic power, one way is to understand who makes decisions about capital flows. A Trillion Dollar Industry Defined Private asset management (AUM) is a multi-trillion dollar industry. It impacts decisions on investments and money flows. Asset management (AUM) includes mutual funds, ETFs, hedge funds and other structured funds managed by investment firms. Two of the largest firms, BlackRock and Vanguard, account for a combined $25 trillion. Here’s the top ten. The World's largest investment firms...
Meta Platforms Settle Massive State AGs’ Lawsuit
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Types of News: Brief

Meta Platforms Settle Massive State AGs’ Lawsuit

Consent Agreement (Full-Text PDF) Includes $18 Billion Pay-Out and Policy Changes August 26, 2026—In a groundbreaking consent judgment with 52 attorneys general for U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia, Meta Platforms, Inc. has agreed to voluntarily pay states $18 billion over a ten-year period.The agreement effectively brings to a close Meta’s part in an industry-wide lawsuit launched in 2022 over “adolescent addiction/personal injury” in regards to using social media. META Platform State AGs Consent Judgment 8.26.26Download ‘Entice, Engage, and Ensare’ The Plaintiffs alleged that Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Furthermore, they argued that Meta used Facebook and Instagram “to entice, engage, and ultimately ensare youth an...
U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds
Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief, United States

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

As U.S. Debt Tops $40 Trillion, Debt-Holders Demand Higher Yields August 24, 2026—One of the most notable effects of soaring U.S. national debt are the rising yields on Treasury’s long-term bond market. Bond investors are simply no longer willing to invest in U.S. long-term debt unless the risk premium on those bonds pay higher yields. Since July, yields on Treasury’s long-term bonds have steadily risen. The 10-year and 20-year bonds rose climbed above 5.2 and 5.25, up from 4.7 and 4.74 earlier this year. Meanwhile, the 30-year bond rose by 11.49 percent in the past six months, up to 5.23 percent today. When it peaked at 5.30 percent earlier in the month, it was a two-decade high. That might not seem significant to everyone, but interest rates on long-term debt impact everything f...
A Guide to Economic Empowerment: Policy, Anti-Corruption, and Inclusive Capitalism
Capitalism, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Global Economics, Human rights

A Guide to Economic Empowerment: Policy, Anti-Corruption, and Inclusive Capitalism

How Consumers, Savers, and Citizens Have the Power to Transform Society for the Better Economic power of the consumer. Economic empowerment is the idea that individuals are free to make decisions over their own lives and equipped to influence the world around them through everyday decisions. Everyone engages in the economy. Citizens with economic power assert influence through spending, savings, and charitable decisions. Every act itself is a means of asserting individual impact—or at least it has the potential to do so. This recognizes that democracy is not only about elections and governance. It is built on a foundation of empowering society. An empowered citizenry is better able to hold government accountable and serve the interests of the population. Economics factors into...
AI Reshaping the Corporate Credit Market
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief

AI Reshaping the Corporate Credit Market

April 15, 2026—The momentum to infuse artificial intelligence throughout the economy is likely to reshape not only the job market, but also power centers and credit markets. Many observers refer to this as the “AI revolution”—the transformational, massive adoption of AI and machine learning to automate tasks. It’s a movement that represents a sea change in the workplace, business models, and the credit markets. Already, the AI disruption is impacting corporate credit, according to a new analysis by Moody’s Analytics Asset Management Research. The firm is adjusting its modeling for evaluating corporate credit risks and signaling that “a tipping point” is near. The report, Falling defaults, rising fragility, projects that U.S. corporate default rates are likely to decline through 20...
Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago

Event Highlights Questions About Pay-For-Access April 14, 2026—President Donald Trump is expected to headline an upcoming cryptocurrency memecoin conference giving top investors exclusive access at a luncheon at the Trump family’s Mar-a-Lago estate later this month, according to advertisements for the event. It’s an indication that even as the president implements public policy, he takes time off his official role to make money from sales of his personalized, celebrity memecoin. It is another sign of the merging of government and business. Furthermore, it raises concerns about political influence-for-sale amid the opaque world of cryptocurrency. Exclusive Gamified Invite The April 25 event is an exclusive, invite-only gala for people holding the $TRUMP token. It is the second ...