Copper’s Deficit Will Not Be The Only One, Study Shows
The global energy transition is running into supply constraints, and copper sits at the center of that problem. The latest research from BloombergNEF shows that the orange metal is facing a structural shortage, as surging demand overwhelms chronically slow supply growth.
According to the Transition Metals Outlook 2025, this cycle is different. Unlike prior cycles fueled by short-term speculation, the copper deficit stems from long-lived infrastructure needs that are colliding with geological, regulatory, and geopolitical realities.
Copper faces the most acute long-term pressure, as a boom in copper-intensive data centers coincides with mine disruptions and slow permitting, the report points out… (Continue to full article)
Farm Bankruptcies Jump 60% as Trump Rolls Out $12B Rescue Plan
Farm failures are accelerating across the heartland just as President Trump is rolling out a $12 billion rescue plan that is supposed to keep producers afloat. The aid arrives after a sharp 60% jump in farm bankruptcies, underscoring how deep the financial stress has become and how limited short term relief may be against years of low prices and disrupted trade.
The most jarring number in the current farm economy is the surge in insolvencies, a clear sign that balance sheets are breaking under the strain of low margins and heavy debt. Farm bankruptcy filings have jumped 60% in 2025, a spike that tracks with a broader pattern of distress in rural America and signals that many operations have already exhausted their options with lenders before turning to the courts for relief, even as the new rescue money is announced.
Trade disputes are only part of the story, however, because the basic math of farming has been brutal even in the absence of tariffs. Crop prices have been stuck at levels that barely cover production costs, while inputs like fertilizer, fuel and machinery have climbed, leaving many operations in a persistent margin squeeze that erodes working capital year after year… (Continue to full article)
The Biggest ‘Welfare Queens’ in America Are ‘The Giant Corporations That Don’t Pay a Penny in Income Taxes’
James Talarico, a 36-year-old former public school teacher and current Texas State Representative, is mounting a 2026 U.S. Senate campaign that challenges conventional wisdom about government spending and corporate responsibility
He represents a growing push to scrutinize corporate tax strategies and reframe the debate around who truly benefits from government support. His arguments about tax avoidance by Fortune 500 companies and wealthy executives are gaining traction among young voters and may influence future tax policy discussions if he gains higher office.
Talarico’s argument strikes at a real issue: Some of America’s largest corporations have legally structured their tax arrangements to minimize or eliminate federal income tax liability. This practice has drawn scrutiny from policymakers across the political spectrum and sparked ongoing debates about tax code reform
Since his election to the Texas House in 2018 at age 28, Talarico has positioned himself as a champion of legislation targeting corporate and pharmaceutical industry practices… (Continue to full article)
Millions of Americans to Receive ‘Historic’ Refund Checks Up to $20k as January Tax Season to Begin
With the tax filing season fast approaching, millions are starting to prepare their documents and estimate how much they’ll owe or receive.
For those who get refunds, the number could be considerably higher than they might expect, according to what National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business recently.
“We are going to see the biggest refund cycle ever in the history of America, and people are going to get massive refund checks,” Hassett said.
“We’re expecting just that part of it alone to be worth a couple-thousand-dollar refund…the numbers are striking… (Continue to full article)
US Debt Jumped $1T in Under 3 Months
The federal government has added roughly one trillion dollars to the national ledger in less than three months, a pace that would have sounded alarmist a decade ago but now reflects the new normal in Washington.
The jump pushed total gross debt to fresh records and sharpened questions about how long the United States can keep borrowing at this speed without forcing painful tradeoffs in the budget. I see this surge not as an isolated blip, but as the latest acceleration in a long running shift toward permanent, structurally high deficits.
To understand what that means for taxpayers, investors, and the broader economy, it helps to look past the headline number and into the mechanics of how the debt is growing, who is tracking it, and which parts of the federal balance sheet are driving the fastest increases.
The story that emerges is one of rising interest costs, aging demographics, and a political system that has repeatedly chosen short term fixes over long term restraint…. (Continue to full article)
