Economy

Changes in economic indicators, copper and other commodity prices and stock market trends are covered in this month's market intelligence infographic.

Water resources face many pressures, including: population growth, increased urbanization and overconsumption, lack of proper management, and the looming threat of climate change. [This article looks at each area of water stress and offers suggestions on how they can be alleviated to a certain degree.] Words: 917; Charts: 4

Three indexes of the Federal Reserve...calculate and report statistical measures of financial stress in the U.S. economy on a regular basis...[and] all three have returned to their pre-recession levels last seen in May 2007. [What does that mean for stock market valuations? Let's take a look.]

In 1975, 8% of all Americans were on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That percentage is 15% today. Enrollment soared to 47.8 million participants in recent months, an increase of 70%. Below is an interactive graphic showing the number of SNAP recipients in each of the 50 U.S. states.

Freedom is a relative concept. Compared to other states in the U.S., how does your state rank in terms of these 40 aspects of freedom?

I don’t think that KWN is doing the Gold community any good by throwing this guy at us and, unfortunately, I don’t think that JS is helping by not ripping this guy apart.

I've become interested in this whole Bitcoin thing, the electronic currency first was issued about 3 years ago, and I think it is fascinating - and troubling. Here's why.

I know a lot about the world’s financial system and how it works but you don’t have to be a technical wizard to understand that it’s financial insanity and ethically, financially, and socially wrong. .

The politicians of the western world are coming after your bank accounts. Cyprus-style "bail-ins...for systemically important banks" are actually proposed on pages 144 and 145 of "Economic Action Plan 2013" in the new Canadian government budget and it is being reported that the European Parliament will soon be voting on a law which would require that large banks be "bailed in" when they fail. ...I can't even begin to describe how serious all of this is. So exactly what in the world is going on here? Words: 1075

Cyprus is a trial balloon for the NWO [New World Order], taking a small country that can more easily be controlled, putting the financial screws to bank depositors and then watching how it all unfolds, creating a playbook for future bank raids... If anyone thinks this [was] a one-time, knee-jerk response, the Bank of Cyprus is offering a free toaster for new deposits as a reminder that your money will be toast.