AP Moller-Maersk, which operates the world’s second-largest fleet of cargo ships, reported third-quarter profits shot from $521 million a year ago to $3.05 billion this year on the strength of continued conflict in the Red Sea.
ECONOMIC UPDATE – MARKET OVERVIEW
When you listen to the mainstream media, the future of the U.S. equity markets and the nation’s economy will all depend on who wins today’s race for the White House.
THE VANISHING POINT
Take everything that you think you know about economics and finance, AND IT ALL COMES DOWN TO JUST TWO FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS.
ONLY 12,000 NEW U.S. JOBS IN OCTOBER
The U.S. economy created only 12,000 additional jobs in October as the strike at Boeing combined with businesses shut down by two hurricanes to crimp demand for labor, analysts said.
AI SURVEILLANCE AND TRANSHUMAN GOD QUESTING PART OF DEMOCRAT CLOSING ARGUMENT IN ELECTION 2024
It looks like a trailer of a new Hunger Games / Mad Max spinoff. In a dystopian future, a group (of whites only!) sits around a hobo fire in the middle of a destroyed city.
RUSSIA NOT BLUFFING: MOSCOW CONDUCTS EXERCISE WITH FOCUS ON NUCLEAR STRIKE RESPONSE
The Russian military last week conducted an extensive military exercise that included test firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles amid growing tensions with the West over Ukraine.
BULLSHIT BLINKEN SAYS ‘GOOD PROGRESS’ ACHIEVED TO END ISRAEL’S WAR IN LEBANON
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken struck an optimistic tone last week when describing the ceasefire negotiations to bring an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Global Economy
SPOTLIGHT, BIGS GETTING BIGGER: UAE BUYS INTO SOTHEBY’S FOR $1 BILLION
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) sovereign wealth fund has invested $1 billion in auction house Sotheby’s, giving the purveyor of art and luxury goods some badly needed cash to pay down some of its $1.65 billion in debt.
SPOTLIGHT: CHINA’S ECONOMIC STRUGGLE
For the first time in six months, China’s factory activity increased in October, reflecting the results of Beijing’s new stimulus initiative that included cutting interest rates and funneling money into the stock market.
SPOTLIGHT: LEAN TIMES IN THE LUXURY BUSINESS
On 31 October, the share price of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder plunged 21 percent after the company reported revenue fell 4 percent in its most recent quarter, year over year, due largely to poor sales in China.
The Israel War
BULLSHIT BLINKEN SAYS ‘GOOD PROGRESS’ ACHIEVED TO END ISRAEL’S WAR IN LEBANON
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken struck an optimistic tone last week when describing the ceasefire negotiations to bring an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
LEBANON DEATH TOLL
Lebanese health officials announced Monday that Israel killed at least 3,000 people in its 13-month campaign and at least 13,492 others have been injured.
GAZA DEATH TOLL
The IDF continues to carry out its mass-killing spree in Gaza, with the death toll surpassing 43,300 on Monday.
AI
CHINA CREATES MILITARY AI MODELS USING META’S LLAMA PLATFORM
Chinese research institutions with ties to the country’s Academy of Military Sciences have built an AI for military applications by using Meta's publicly available LLaMA generative AI, according to a recently published research paper.
DATA CENTERS COULD HEAT EUROPEAN HOMES AND BUSINESSES
Frankfurt, a German city of almost 800,000 people, is home to 60 AI data centers as well as some of the world’s largest Internet exchanges.
ANTHROPIC’S AGENT CAN OPERATE YOUR COMPUTER FOR YOU
Anthropic, the fast-rising start-up founded by two ex-OpenAI engineers, has unveiled its “Computer Use” feature that’s being added to its “Claude” generative AI.
Hi-Tech Science
A NUCLEAR POWER MICROPLANT THAT’S A NEIGHBORHOOD HANGOUT
Forget your image of nuclear power plants surrounded by chain link fences and with giant concrete cooling towers and armed security.
TINY ELECTRIC CURRENTS CAN PREVENT WOUND INFECTIONS
A skin patch developed at the University of Chicago delivers unnoticeable electric pulses across wounds and prevents bacteria from infecting exposed areas.
“MIRACLE POWDER” SUCKS UP 80 TIMES ITS WEIGHT IN CO²
Cleaning excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere is a budding industry, with ventures trying everything from giant vacuum filters the size of small office buildings to storing CO2 bubbles under the sea.