Representative image Gold hit a four-week high on Tuesday, as a weaker dollar and a dip in U.S. Treasury yields boosted demand for the safe-haven metal amid mounting worries over an economic slowdown. FUNDAMENTALS * Spot gold was up 0.4% at $1,778.69 per ounce, as of 0044 GMT, its highest since July 5. * U.S. gold futures gained 0.2% to $1,791.10 per ounce. * The dollar fell 0.2% to a near one-month low against its rivals, making greenback-denominated gold less expensive for other currency holders. [USD/] Close * Benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields dropped to a four-month low, reducing the opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing gold. [USD/] [US/] * Data showed U.S. manufacturing activity slowed less than expected in July, with the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) index of national factory activity dipping to 52.8 last month, its lowest reading since June 2020. * U.S. construction spending also fell 1.1% in June, as outlays on … [Read more...] about Gold climbs four-week peak as US Treasury yields, dollar fall
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Editor Daily Rundown: Biden Invokes Emergency War Powers To Build Solar Panels
BIDEN INVOKES EMERGENCY WAR POWERS TO BUILD SOLAR PANELS… NY POST: Biden draws heat for invoking Defense Production Act to boost solar panels President Biden drew criticism Monday after invoking the Defense Production Act to potentially expedite the production of solar panels — with journalists and Republicans questioning the rationale for using special wartime powers. Renewable energy advocates, meanwhile, cheered the White House announcement that Biden would invoke the act “to accelerate domestic production of clean energy technologies, including solar panel parts.” […] The Biden administration did not specify a national-defense reason for using the act to boost solar panels. When Biden was vice president, the Obama administration aggressively pushed for solar energy production — sparking the Solyndra scandal when a politically-connected firm went bankrupt after getting $535 million in federal loan guarantees. KOREAN WAR-ERA LAW WIELDS POWER OVER AMERICAN … [Read more...] about Editor Daily Rundown: Biden Invokes Emergency War Powers To Build Solar Panels
Let’s Declare Our Independence — From Zoning
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Catch this podcast on the topic of ending zoning at Everything Urban. Today is the day Americans commonly consider our country’s “birthday,” the day which we officially declared independence from the United Kingdom. One could argue the other days would be appropriate, like the final ratification of our written Constitution on June 21, 1788, or even the burning of the ship Gaspee by a group of American tax evaders on June 9, 1722. But July 4 is now hallowed in our civil religion as the day, and it is also a good day for Americans to consider declaring their independence from another oppressive regime, the use of zoning to manage and control the use of land in American cities. The July 4 holiday is unique in that it doesn’t celebrate a battle or a person but a document, the Declaration of Independence , the central focus of which is shaking off the interference of a distant government in daily life. For people on … [Read more...] about Let’s Declare Our Independence — From Zoning
Oil languishes on recession fears; unconcerned stocks climb on
Oil languished near its lowest since the start of the war in Ukraine on Friday on fears of a global recession, though stocks ignored such worries, gaining ahead of U.S. jobs data that will give another clue to the health of the world's largest economy. Benchmark Brent crude futures were up a touch at $94.23 a barrel and U.S. crude futures were also a whisker higher at $88.70 a barrel, after both closed the previous session at their lowest levels since February. Losses were partly due to data on Wednesday showing surge in U.S. inventories last week. "It's a combination of the inventory data and a bit of worries about demand. Because the market is worried about growth more than inflation - even though inflation is still a major issue - the oil price has come down," said Prashant Bhayani, chief investment officer for Asia at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. In another warning sign for the global economy, the closely watched part of the U.S. Treasury yield curve measuring the gap … [Read more...] about Oil languishes on recession fears; unconcerned stocks climb on
Update: Housing Policy Discussion Only Getting Worse
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This month I’ll start with an update on housing issues generally then move to some specific proposals in Chicago and Cincinnati. Then I’ll share a couple of positive ideas for the future. When it comes to housing, the dominant topic these days is what is typically tenant/landlord law, rules that govern the operation of rental housing. The discussion has come even more narrow that that; today “housing” is almost synonymous with “eviction.” The problem is that regulating eviction won’t improve housing policy any more than regulating divorce will improve the life of families in the country. About a decade ago, housing really was a discussion about housing. Discussions about density, for example, were really about lifestyle, economics, and choices local governments needed to make about growth. As I’ve mentioned before , he discussion was intense, but it really was about where people would live. Today, interest groups with … [Read more...] about Update: Housing Policy Discussion Only Getting Worse