Economics and Investing:

A sobering, yet mind-blowing visualization of the world’s money: All of the World’s Money and Markets in One Visualization – Sent in by V.M.

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U.S. Silver Production Drops Significantly Again In October… Has Peak Silver Arrived?

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

When the Salsa Stops (The Economist) Excerpt: “PUERTO RICO’S creditors have plenty to complain about, but they can’t claim they weren’t warned. Last June Alejandro García Padilla, the governor of America’s Caribbean outpost, announced that its $72 billion public debt was “unpayable”, and that a “unilateral and unplanned non-payment of obligations” loomed.”

News Flash from the December Jobs Report: The US Economy is Dead in the Water (Contra Corner) Excerpt: “That’s right. We are not talking tin foil hats here. It is plain as day that the BLS’ seasonal adjustments are a completely stupid waste of time. During the winter season especially, it might as well just use a random numbers generator.”

Deficit Rises to $212B (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “The deficit has fallen from more than $1 trillion in the wake of the financial crisis to successive lows in recent years. It is expected to begin growing again, however, in fiscal 2017, according to the CBO’s projections.”

How Much Did Obama Hawaii Trip Cost You? (Judicial Watch) Spoiler Alert: $8,098,060.33 Excerpt: “It is nice to know that Obama’s “tradition” of Christmas vacations in Hawaii comes courtesy of overburdened taxpayers.”

International News

When $3T Isn’t Enough (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “The paradox that China finds itself in is that as it devalues the currency in what it hopes is a controlled fashion, the FX outflows soar, forcing the PBOC to intervene and slow down the devaluation, leading to a self-defeating process in which China not only devalues far slower than it hopes, but results in an accelerated depletion of reserves…”

China’s Largest Bank Buys Huge 1,500-Tonne Gold Vault in London (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “China’s largest bank is buying the lease on Deutsche Bank’s huge London gold and silver vault, enlarging its footprint in the city’s bullion market…”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

37 Things You Should Keep in Your Car (Brad’s Deals) Excerpt: “With winter in full force, now is a good time to get your car in order. Would you have what you needed if your car broke down? Or if you were stranded somewhere? Check out our list of things you should have in your car – then knock on wood that you never need to use them.”

Time Warner Cable Warns 320,000 Customers Their Data May Have Been Stolen (Clark Howard) Excerpt: “If you’re a customer of Time Warner Cable, you might want to change your email password – and also check your financial statements for any potential fraudulent activity.”