Circular Financing and the AI Boom

Wall Street is 'tiring of the Bank of Nvidia, the Bank of AMD and the Bank of Broadcom': Baird's Mortonson
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/wall-street-is-tiring-of-the-bank-of-nvidia-the-bank-of-amd-and-the-bank-of-broadcom-bairds-mortonson-121235021.html 

Related:

What Are Data Centers Doing? A Mind-Boggling Amount of Math.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/15/upshot/ai-data-center-math.html
The calculations needed to train A.I. are nearly impossible to visualize — but we tried anyway.

Inflation is Still a Problem

Wholesale prices bubbled higher in September, keeping a rate hike on the table
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/article/wholesale-prices-bubbled-higher-in-september-keeping-a-rate-hike-on-the-table-133644620.html
 
Rising Costs Push Necessities Out of Reach for Nearly Half of Americans
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/business/economy/high-prices-cost-of-living-pew-research.html
Inflation has made basic goods hard to afford and attitudes toward inequality have changed, studies from the Pew Research Center showed. 

Mean versus Median

The Average 50-Something Is Worth $1.5 Million. Most Have Far Less
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/the-average-50-something-is-worth--1-5-million--most-have-far-less-88814.html
·      Average net worth: $1.55 million
·      Median net worth: $271,200
Average net worth rose for 50-somethings (from $1.41 million in 2022), while median net worth declined (from $311,898). 

AI Revolution's Paradox

The AI Revolution's Paradox: The Faster We Innovate, The Slower We Grow
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/the-ai-revolution-s-paradox--the-faster-we-innovate--the-slower-we-grow-88764.html 

Term Premium and Bond Yields

The Forces Driving Up Bond Yields Take a Troubling Turn
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/business/term-premium-bond-yields.html
Some analysts say investors are demanding a higher “term premium” to buy government debt, reflecting growing worries about debt levels and deficits. 

Related:

Forget The Adage About Owning More Bonds as You Age
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/forget-the-adage-about-owning-more-bonds-as-you-age-88791.html

China’s Economic and Policy Challenges

China’s Weakening Economy Is Creating a Lost Generation
https://www.wsj.com/world/china-economy-gen-z-f9058941
Young people are watching their bright futures disappear as the country’s job losses pile up and the milestones of adulthood slip further away.
 
Xi’s Superpower Ambitions Fuel a Dangerous Debt Spiral in China
https://www.wsj.com/world/china/xis-superpower-ambitions-fuel-a-dangerous-debt-spiral-in-china-edad4f9f
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is presiding over a dangerous spiral of debt that is strangling the economy at home and damaging trade partners around the world.
 
A Stronger Renminbi Is No Quick Fix for Global Imbalances
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/chinese-currency-weakness-symptom-not-cause-of-global-imbalances-by-kai-guo-2026-10 

The Hidden Policies That Power China’s Export Boom
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/business/china-exports-currency.html
Huge tax breaks and a weak currency sustain exports, widen the government budget deficit and complicate the country’s efforts to rebalance its economy. 

China Is Offering Half Measures to Its Mounting Economic Problems
https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-is-offering-half-measures-to-its-mounting-economic-problems-3074211f
Beijing is pursuing big technological advances while shunning painful policy measures needed to fix the broader economy.

China is giving its economy a big shot in the arm
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/10/01/china-is-giving-its-economy-a-big-shot-in-the-arm
A massive infrastructure scheme may give the country a sorely needed boost—and help rebalance the world economy. 

Impact of UBI

What a Year of Free Money Meant: Softer Diapers, Clean Laundry, a Visit to Six Flags
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/technology/universal-basic-income-silicon-valley.html
For more than a year, The New York Times followed recipients of universal basic income programs, which Elon Musk and other tech leaders have promoted as a solution to A.I.-fueled job losses.