finance

Money talks; reviewing the global economy, government spending, taxes, and economic policy that affect our social and political future.

How four years of Ukraine war have changed Russia. AI-Generated.
Four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia is not the same country it was when its troops first crossed the border. What the Kremlin described as a short “special military operation” has become a grinding, transformative conflict. The war has altered Russia’s political system, economy, social fabric, culture, and global standing in ways that will reverberate for decades.
By Ali Khan23 days ago in The Swamp
Fed’s Preferred Gauge Shows Accelerating December Inflation Trends. AI-Generated.
Inflation concerns resurfaced in December as the Federal Reserve’s preferred price measure indicated a renewed pickup in underlying price pressures. The latest data from the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index — the inflation gauge most closely watched by policymakers at the Federal Reserve — suggests that while headline inflation remains far below its pandemic-era peak, progress toward the central bank’s 2% target has slowed.
By Ali Khan23 days ago in The Swamp
Prediction: This Will Be Nvidia's Stock Price in 5 Years. AI-Generated.
Few companies have reshaped the technology landscape in recent years quite like Nvidia. Once primarily known for powering high-end gaming graphics, Nvidia has transformed into the backbone of the artificial intelligence revolution. From massive data centers to autonomous vehicles and generative AI systems, its chips are at the center of the modern computing boom.
By Ali Khan24 days ago in The Swamp
Depleted Savings and Plummeting Sales: The American Casualties of Economic Slowdown. AI-Generated.
For years, American consumers were the engine of economic growth. Stimulus checks, strong job markets, and rising wages allowed households to save more and spend freely. But that momentum is fading fast. Today, depleted savings and plummeting retail sales are becoming two of the most visible casualties of a slowing economy.
By Sajida Sikandar24 days ago in The Swamp
U.S. Economic Growth Weaker Than Thought in Fourth Quarter With Government Shutdown, Consumer Pullback
When economists first projected growth for the final quarter of the year, optimism was still in the air. But updated figures have revealed a more sobering picture: U.S. economic growth slowed far more than expected during the fourth quarter, largely due to a prolonged government shutdown and a noticeable pullback in consumer spending.
By Sajida Sikandar24 days ago in The Swamp
US Economic Growth Slowed in Fourth Quarter of 2025 Amid Government Shutdown. AI-Generated.
The U.S. economy lost steam in the fourth quarter of 2025, as a prolonged government shutdown collided with cooling consumer spending, tighter financial conditions and lingering global uncertainty. After a year marked by resilience, the final stretch exposed vulnerabilities that had been quietly building beneath the surface.
By Ali Khan24 days ago in The Swamp
After the Supreme Court's Ruling on Tariffs, Companies Line Up for Refunds. AI-Generated.
a decision that could ripple through global trade and corporate balance sheets alike, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled on the legality of certain tariffs imposed in recent years — and the fallout is immediate. Across industries, companies are lining up to seek refunds for duties they argue were unlawfully collected.
By Ali Khan24 days ago in The Swamp
Grail Stock Craters as Key NHS-Galleri Cancer Blood Test Trial Fails to Hit Primary Endpoint. AI-Generated.
Shares of GRAIL plunged after results from a closely watched clinical trial conducted with the National Health Service failed to meet its primary endpoint. The setback marks a significant blow to one of the most high-profile efforts in the race to revolutionize early cancer detection through blood testing.
By Ali Khan25 days ago in The Swamp
US Economic Growth Weaker Than Thought in Fourth Quarter With Government Shutdown, Consumer Pullback. AI-Generated.
Economic growth in the United States lost more steam than initially estimated in the fourth quarter, according to revised figures that paint a more fragile picture of the nation’s economic momentum. A combination of government disruption, softer consumer spending, and persistent uncertainty appears to have cooled what had previously seemed like resilient expansion.
By Ali Khan25 days ago in The Swamp
The Protection-of-Innocence Reciprocity Doctrine. AI-Generated.
Core Moral Premise The highest duty of any legitimate social order is the protection of innocent life. Innocent life has absolute moral primacy. Any system that systematically insulates predators, tolerates predatory asymmetry, rewards hypocrisy, or allows aggressors to retain insulation has inverted its purpose and forfeited legitimacy. Truth, justice, reciprocity, humility, mercy, forgiveness, and vertical accountability are structural necessities rather than optional virtues. Vertical accountability means recognition of and submission to a moral law higher than oneself. Authority must flow toward those who most consistently demonstrate sustained competence in moral and epistemic discipline. This competence is shown through observable conduct and trajectory over time, not through doctrinal label, tribal identity, credential alone, or self-profession.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast25 days ago in The Swamp
Key Study of Grail’s Cancer Detection Test Fails in Setback for Company. AI-Generated.
A highly anticipated clinical study evaluating a flagship cancer detection test from Grail has failed to meet key performance expectations, delivering a significant setback for the biotechnology company and the broader field of multi-cancer early detection (MCED).
By Ali Khan25 days ago in The Swamp
Oil Prices Jump Amid Signs of U.S.–Iran Conflict. AI-Generated.
Oil markets are once again on edge. Crude prices surged this week as rising tensions between the United States and Iran injected fresh uncertainty into global energy markets. While no direct disruption to supply has yet occurred, traders are increasingly pricing in the possibility that conflict in the Middle East could impact one of the world’s most critical oil-producing regions.
By Ali Khan25 days ago in The Swamp