A new warning from Brazilian pulp exporter Suzano SA has raised concerns about the potential for toilet paper shortages and price hikes in the United States. While store shelves currently remain well stocked, the company reports that ongoing supply chain disruptions and new U.S. tariffs are already affecting shipments.
Suzano SA, the world’s largest exporter of pulp – a key raw material in toilet paper manufacturing – said it experienced a 20% decrease in shipments to the U.S. in April. The company’s leadership told Bloomberg News that the added costs from tariffs are now being passed on to American buyers and could soon be reflected in consumer prices. Continue reading
The 1792 half disme (or half-dime)(pronounced “deem”) is shrouded in mystery, rich with history, and is a true token of coin-collecting lore. Plus, this particular little proto-nickel is worth quite a lot. Firsts, in particular, tend to mean something in the coin-collecting world, with America’s first-ever gold coin being worth a fortune, as well as the first gold coin minted from California Gold Rush gold. However, the first currency to hit the scene in the fledging days of both the country, and the U.S. Mint, holds a particularly special significance. 
One economist is sounding the alarm on social security, warning that the money supply, which provides a cushion for those retired Americans, could dry up in a decade
Visitors from around the world come to the United States for healthcare because the U.S. has the best healthcare in the world, if you have money. 
Over the last several decades, the global economy has become more interconnected than ever, but now everything is changing. The flow of goods between the number one economic power on the planet and the number two economic power on the planet is absolutely imploding, and that is going to have enormous implications on both sides of the Pacific. I have written quite a bit about the dramatic decline of U.S. imports, but the numbers show that U.S. exports are falling precipitously as well.
For years, our economy and our financial markets have been artificially propped up. Since 2008, politicians in Washington have added about 26 trillion dollars to the national debt, and bureaucrats at the Fed have pumped trillions of freshly created dollars into the financial system. If we could go back and undo just those two things, we would be living an economic horror show right now. 
The value of a dollar shouldn’t require much math. If you have $1, you have $1, right?
