Economics and International Affairs Blog

Friday, August 21, 2026

Investing in Bonds? Be Careful.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/business/investing-bond-market-stocks-funds.html
High-quality bonds are still safer than stocks, but they have been swinging in value, so move cautiously, our columnist says.

How the A.I. Borrowing Binge Helps Drive Up Government Bond Yields
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/business/bond-yields-tech-ai-debt.html
Analysts said the recent rise in Treasury yields partly reflected investor expectations that A.I.-driven growth could keep interest rates elevated.

It Won't Take Much to Burst the Stock Market Bubble
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/it-won-t-take-much-to-burst-the-stock-market-bubble-88174.html

The Case for Chilling Out About Birth Rates by Idrees Kahloon
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/birth-rate-panic-overblown/688320/
Even if the fertility decline doesn’t reverse itself anytime soon, the consequences are unlikely to be apocalyptic.

Don’t panic about the global fertility crash
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/09/11/dont-panic-about-the-global-fertility-crash
A world with fewer people would not be all bad.

A contracting population need not be a catastrophe
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2025/09/11/a-contracting-population-need-not-be-a-catastrophe
The economics of a shrinking world.

U.S. Debt Just Topped $40 Trillion: How We Got Here
https://www.wsj.com/economy/u-s-debt-just-topped-40-trillion-how-we-got-here-c1c6c9d2
The U.S. has reached a new borrowing milestone in its struggle to get hold of its finances.

Why Scott Bessent Is Playing with the Treasury Market
https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/why-scott-bessent-is-playing-with-the-treasury-market-828256d4
The simple explanation for all this is that the world is going into a new era of capital need, for data centers, the military and reshoring.

The Treasury Market’s Coveted Status as a Safe Haven Is Fading
https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/the-treasury-markets-coveted-status-as-a-safe-haven-is-fading-c68fed93
Two new studies find signs investors aren’t as willing to accept low yields because of Treasurys’ safety.

Investors Predict a New Era of Higher Yields in Bond Market
https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/bonds-are-getting-hammered-and-wall-street-says-the-rout-wont-end-anytime-soon-895e0ad8
The rout has driven up borrowing costs for governments, businesses and families across the developed world.

Bond Sell-Off Sends Borrowing Costs to Highest Level Since 2007
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/business/oil-prices-bonds.html

Central Banks Are Stuck in a Rinse-and-Repeat Cycle of Crises
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/central-banks-are-stuck-in-a-rinse-and-repeat-cycle-of-crises-47da47e9
By becoming market makers of last resort, policymakers are pumping up leverage and risk.

Africa Can’t Afford to Squander Its Demographic Opportunity
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/africa/africa-cant-afford-squander-its-demographic-opportunity
What the Youngest Continent Stands to Gain from Growing Old.

What’s the Value of an Hour?
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/whats-the-value-of-an-hour
If the world seems to waste our time, it’s partly because we view time itself as a resource to be extracted and optimized.