Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Abbie Normal
A Muppet Christmas Debate: Did Beaker Flip the Bird?
Forget the great political debates raging these days. We’ve got a genuine Christmas mystery to solve and after more than a quarter century we’re still no closer to knowing the truth of it all. In The Muppet Christmas Carol the vocabulary-challenged character of Beaker plays one of the English gentlemen who visit Scrooge early in the story to solicit from him a gift to charity. This is the scene where Scrooge famously asks Are there no poor houses?
Brexit Simplified
Flat list - collapsedFlat list - expandedThreaded list - collapsedThreaded list - expanded Date - newest firstDate - oldest first 10 comments per page30 comments per page50 comments per page70 comments per page90 comments per page150 comments per page200 comments per page250 comments per page300 comments per page Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
The Nailbiter Continues: Here Are The First Official Results And They Give "Bremain" Some Hope
Until this point, it was all polling, hearsay, speculation and rumors. Now, we finally have the first official results. We will update this post with incremental data as long as a clear picture emerges. The first official result, Gibraltar, has been a whopping victory for Remain with 19,322 voting to Remain and only 823 to leave.
Silver Options Traders Follow Gold To Longest Bullish Bet Since 2009
Where gold goes, silver often follows, and in the options markets that is increasingly so... 3 month Puts have now been cheaper than Calls for more than 97 days... As the chart shows, bearish options on exchange-traded funds tracking the metals have been cheaper than bullish ones for the longest time since at least 2009.
What's Next For Big Oil Now Brazilian President Rousseff Is Suspended?
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has been suspended from office following a senate vote to initiate her impeachment trial on corruption allegations that lead back to state-run Petrobras, leaving vice-president Michel Temer to take over in the interim, while foreign oil companies wait anxiously to see what this will mean for the industry. Rousseff has denied any wrongdoing and refers to the impeachment process as a ‘’coup’’. Temer is an academic who has also been accused of corruption.
Obamacare Rules Change Opens Door For State Bailouts
Under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the government spent $2.4 billion creating 23 non-profit healthcare cooperatives which were intended to help drive down health insurance costs through competition with for-profit companies. As we noted, insurance premiums have subsequently skyrocketed, 12 of the 23 co-ops lost so much money that they had to shut down, and the . So far, so good on the Obamacare front.
US Senator Shocked - "Are Americans OK With White House Propaganda?"
The New York Times Magazine recently profiled President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, in an article titled “The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru.” In it Rhodes openly brags about how the administration manipulated the media in the run-up to Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. I want to explain very briefly why I believe this piece is so important. We live in a time of precipitous change - both in American government and in communications.
Stocks Up, Bonds Up, Credit Up, Commodities Up, Dollar Up... Volume Down, Economy Down
Yeah ok - the best day in US equities in 2 months... on what? Data has been crap (even JOLTS 'good news' does nothging but corner The Fed into rate hikes even more), earnings have done nothing, bonds are rallying, and oil rallied on the back of a surge in production (perhaps front-running API inventory data)..."it's all good" up here right? And it appears bonds have been right...
Obama's Toilet Revolution
As a Western revolutionary, Obama has been relentless in his efforts over the last seven years to use all the machinery and influence of government, whether illegally (since 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled 13 times that Obama’s actions have been unconstitutional) or legally, to fundamentally transform America into the neo-Marxist democracy he and his father have long dreamed about.
Oil Slides After Crude Inventory Surges Most In A Month
Following Genscape's 1.4mm build estimate at Cushing, and expectations of a 1.1mm build, API reported a 1.46mm build. Chatter across trading desks was that API data had been leaked and that is what drove oil prices higher (after their Genscape-driven dump) which proved 100% incorrect as total crude inventories soared a shocking 3.5mm barrels (against expectations of no change) - the most in 5 weeks.
Retailer Bankruptcies Are Hailing Down on the US Economy
Another retailer is heading for bankruptcy. This time Aeropostale, with 800 teen-clothing stores, after three years in a row of losses. It’s “preparing to reorganize under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and could file as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg reported today. Upon Bloomberg’s propitious report, Aeropostale shares plunged 28% to 15 cents. It has been a penny stock since last September.
Silver Surges 8% In 6 Days To Over $16 Per Ounce
Silver Surges 8% In 6 Days To Over $16 Per Ounce Silver surged 3.65% on Monday and have surged 8% in just six trading days. Silver rose 56 cents from $15.34 to $15.90 per ounce on Monday, and consolidated on those gains yesterday to close above the psychological resistance of $16 per ounce.
The Oil Short Squeeze Explained: Why Banks Are Aggressively Propping Up Energy Stocks
Last week, during the peak of the commodity short squeeze, we pointed out how this default cycle is shaping up to be vastly different from previous one: recovery rates for both secured and unsecured debts are at record low levels.
S&P Panic-Bid Above 2,000 As Short-Squeeze Rip Trumps Fed's Fischer Dip
Just when you thoughjt it was safe to chase the biggest short squeeze in history Fed vice-chair Fischer f##ked it all up... The US equity market has only been more overbought 3 days in history... It's not the fundamentals; it's oil stupid!! As WTI (front-month continuous based on BBG data) has the biggest 3-week gain since August 1990... And SPY (S&P 500 ETF) saw its lowest volume of the year...
It's Official: This Is The Biggest Short Squeeze Ever (And May Get Even Bigger)
US equity markets are soaring once again and two things are driving it: CTA-driven short-covering in commodities and the algo-driven squeeze of the most-shorted stocks. Having risen 13 of the last 16 days, "Most Shorted" stocks are now unchanged since The Fed rate-hike, soaring 25% in that time - the biggest squeeze in history. And Credit Suisse warns, it could get worse as the dash for trash goes on, and on, and on....
"Alarm" Rises Among Foreign Diplomats As "Ignorant, Racist" Trump Eyes White House
On Sunday we asked Europeans the following as it relates to Donald Trump: “Idiot, Clown, or Hero?” It’s not that those are the only three ways to describe the GOP frontrunner (we're sure we could come up with any number of other colorful adjectives both flattering and not), but they do a decent job of summarizing the three ways a Trump presidency could turn out.
For Those Rushing To Move To Canada Under "President Trump", A Few Warnings
A Zerohedge headline that shocked the world this week showed net searches for “moving to Canada” are up more than 1,000% since the “Trump bump.” The same report said that the Immigration Canada web site (one of the most boring sites on the planet) was blown because of excessive access.
Desperation Moves: Romney Plots To Block Trump At Republican Convention
Only in America's so-called democracy could a proven "loser" so vehemently and shamelessly condemn a current "winner" with the goal of overturning 'we, the people's' prospective leader in favor of himself. In the latest (and most desperate) action from the neocon establishment, CNN reports Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention (by revising rules for instance).
Gundlach: Bonds Won't Bottom Until Panic Sends VIX Above 40
Over the past two years, Jeff Gundlach has been alternating between dispensing fire and brimstone, and doom and gloom. More importantly, he has also been right which explains why as his arch nemesis Pimco has been losing billions in AUM, Gundlach's DoubleLine has been getting bigger by the day.
This Is The Cartoon Germany Hands Out To Sexually Frustrated Refugees
Earlier this evening, we noted that the western German town of Bornheim has banned adult male asylum seekers from its indoor public pool after some German women complained of harassment. "There have been complaints of sexual harassment and chatting-up going on in this swimming pool ... by groups of young men, and this has prompted some women to leave (the premises)," the town’s deputy mayor said.
Oil, War, & Drastic Global Change
Submitted by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog, The first thing that popped into our minds on Tuesday when WTI oil briefly broached $30 for its first $20 handle in many years, was that this should be triggering a Gawdawful amount of bets, $30 being such an obvious number. Which in turn would of necessity lead to a -brief- rise in prices.
Last-Hour Buying-Panic Saves Nasdaq From Longest Losing Streak In 31 Years
It just seemed appropriate... 8 down days as of yesterday was longest losing streak since Jan 2008 but a red close today would have made it 9 down days in a row - The longest losing streak for Nasdaq Composite since May 1984 Deja Vu All Over Again... As once again, USDJPY took over after NYMEX closed... A desperate attempt to squeeze shorts at the open (Most Shorted spiked over 2% at the open) gave way to selling pressure... but then as soon as NYMEX closed - the squeeze resumed...
The Demise Of Dollar Hegemony: Russia Breaks Wall St's Oil-Price Monopoly
Submitted by William Engdahl via New Eastern Outlook, Russia has just taken significant steps that will break the present Wall Street oil price monopoly, at least for a huge part of the world oil market. The move is part of a longer-term strategy of decoupling Russia’s economy and especially its very significant export of oil, from the US dollar, today the Achilles Heel of the Russian economy.
Something Went Wrong In Baltimore
It has been a bloody year in Baltimore, that much everyone knows, but as The Economist shows, something changed dramatically after Freddie Gray's death in April... On November 14th the police department reported the city’s 300th homicide in 2015, a total not seen since 1999. The surge in killings in the majority-black city of roughly 623,000 began after the death on April 19th of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was fatally injured while in police custody.
Technical Analysis of the Lumber Market
The last two years rents have been rising primarily due to supply and demand issues. There hasn`t been enough multifamily housing to keep up with the demand, and as the employment levels go up and more millennials move out of their parent`s house, I expect the housing market to continue to be on the slow but steady upswing of the last several years for 2016.
"Political Correctness" Is About Control, Not Etiquette
Submitted by Jeff Deist via The Mises Institute, I’d like to speak today about what political correctness is, at least in its modern version, what it is not, and what we might do to fight against it. To begin, we need to understand that political correctness is not about being nice. It’s not simply a social issue, or a subset of the culture wars. It’s not about politeness, or inclusiveness, or good manners.
European Pre-Crime: France Changes Constitution To Protect Emergency Police Powers From Court Challenges
Back on September 11, Zero Hedge accurately predicted not only the terrorist events which unfolded in Paris on November 13, but also the resulting aftermath with uncanny accuracy. We said that "as the need to ratchet up the fear factor grows, expect more such reports of asylum seekers who have penetrated deep inside Europe, and whose intentions are to terrorize the public.
On The Verge Of The Great Unraveling, Looking Back From 2050
The future remains eternally unknown and invariably holds its surprises. Fortunately however, it will prove far less unknown because among our number we happen to have one, John Feffer, with the ability to channel a geo-paleontologist who’s had some experience with the world 35 years from now and so, unlike the rest of us, can look back on our planetary fate from what turns out to be a distinctly dystopian future. Let me start with a confession.
The Most Surprising Thing About Today's Jobs Report
After several months of weak and deteriorating payrolls prints, perhaps the biggest tell today's job number would surprise massively to the upside came yesterday from Goldman, which as we noted earlier, just yesterday hiked its forecast from 175K to 190K. And while as Brown Brothers said after the reported that it is "difficult to find the cloud in the silver lining" one clear cloud emerges when looking just a little deeper below the surface.
Scotiabank Warns "The Fed Is Cornered And There Are Visible Market Stresses Everywhere"
An economic slowdown is underway in China. This is reflected in the steep drop in the commodity complex and in the currencies of emerging market countries. Large imbalances are being worked off as Beijing attempts to shift the composition of its growth. Policy decision are not always economic. New sources of growth are being sought by Beijing as deleveraging occurs.
Crude Carnage Continues - WTI Hits $55 Handle, Brent Tests $60
Trading at its lowest since early April, WTI Crude has re-tumbled again today to a $55 handle as Greferendum deleveraging and Iran chatter send futures down 2.5%... Brent crude neared a break below the crucial $60 level in early trading.
Chinese Crash Continues After PBOC Cracks Down On Brokerage Liquidity
Just when you thought it was safe to buy the 12% collapse (the biggest since Lehman) in Chinese stocks, they re-plunge another 3-4% with no dip-buyers evident. The drivers are twofold: first, China PMI beat expectations modestly (uh oh no more QDII, QE, PSL, etc.); and second - and much more critically - The PBOC Operations Office has called for stricter regulation of brokerage liquidity (implicitly clamping down on the seemingly infinite expansion of margin lending required to fuel the boom).
The "War On Cash" Migrates To Switzerland
The war on cash is proliferating globally. It appears that the private members of the world’s banking cartels are increasingly joining the fun, even if it means trampling on the rights of their customers.
US May Run Out Of Oil Storage Space As Soon As June
On Sunday, we noted that the economics of the floating storage play could spell further declines for crude prices.
Either Oil Soars Back To $88, Or Energy Stocks Have To Tumble By Over 40%
Several days ago we showed something remarkable: "current forward 12-month P/E ratio for the Energy sector is now well above the three most recent historical averages: 5-year (12.0), 10-year (11.9), and 15-year (13.6). In fact, this week marked the first time the forward 12-month P/E for the Energy sector has been equal to (or above) 22.4 since April 8, 2002.
Meet The Millennials: All You Ever Wanted To Know About America's Youth, In Charts
When it comes to the future of the US, the biggest question mark by far is anything relating to the Millennial generation, those Americans born between 1980 and 2000, which happens to be one of the biggest generations in US history. In fact, the largest US age cohort is currently the 23 year olds. However, Millennials are different from previous generations in many ways. For example, today’s 25-34 year olds are more likely to be minorities (40%) and a higher share of them has college degrees (35%).
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Abbie
Contact Abbie, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack