Part 1
By Ellen Brown
The Web of Debt Blog
May 12, 2026
A Universal Basic Income (UBI) has long been proposed as a way to cushion the blow of jobs lost to automation. Under that model, everyone receives a modest monthly payment - enough to cover basic needs and prevent extreme poverty.
But Elon Musk has gone further. On April 16, he posted on X:
Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI.
By Brandon Smith
Alt-Market.us
May 12, 2026
Maybe the most prominent economic discussion circulating today is the fear that the vast majority of people have been priced out of housing markets for the rest of their lives, regardless of the country they live. Gen Z and even Gen Alpha teens are already planning for a future in which buying a home is impossible. Those that are buying are aiming for cost efficiency and they are buying alone (prioritizing savings and home ownership over marriage).
SchiffGold.com
May 12, 2026
On Friday's episode of The Peter Schiff Show, Peter takes apart the latest employment numbers and warns that financial markets are already discounting an ideal outcome few can reasonably expect. He walks listeners through why headline job gains are misleading, why stock valuations rest on optimistic assumptions about war and AI, and why the nation's debt picture is far more dire than most realize.
By Martin Armstrong
Armstrong Economics
May 12, 2026
There is a pattern within the cost of living series based on a series of factors that directly contribute to the overall economic health of a population. What we are witnessing globally is not random. The same patterns continue to emerge regardless of the country, language, or political party in power. Nations that are expanding their middle class, attracting capital, building infrastructure, and maintaining affordable energy are experiencing economic growth in real time.
GEH April 28, 2026, US swap agreements with Emirates
Radhika Desai: Hello and welcome to the 64th Geopolitical Economy Hour, the conversation that illuminates the fast-changing political economy and geopolitical economy of our times, and does so from a socialist and anti-imperialist point of view. The point of view that is of the world majority. I am Radhika Desai and you're watching Radhika Desai, Geopolitical Economist.
Source: Gettyimages.ru
Les réserves mondiales demeurent proches de leur niveau le plus bas depuis 2018. [Photo d'illustration]
Les réserves mondiales de pétrole diminuent à un rythme sans précédent sous l'effet du conflit au Moyen-Orient et du blocage du détroit d'Ormuz. Les analystes redoutent une hausse durable des prix ainsi qu'une aggravation des tensions sur l'approvisionnement énergétique mondial.
By David Stockman
David Stockman's Contra Corner
May 9, 2026
Here is a salient place to start regarding the economic impact of the Donald's misbegotten war on Iran: To wit, approximately 7 billion ton-miles of freight moves by truck each and every day in the USA, which heavy truck fleet consumes upwards of 2.9 million barrels per day (mb/d) of diesel fuel.
Alas, the price of diesel fuel was about $3.55/gallon both a year ago and as of early January 2026, but has since soared by more than+$2.00 per gallon to around $5.60 recently.
By Doug Casey
International Man
May 8, 2026
International Man: Kevin Warsh looks likely to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, and the market seems to assume he'll be more willing to cut rates than Powell was. What's your take on him?
Doug Casey: Before we look at Warsh, let's look at what a Fed Chair can do.
The Fed has 12 governors, but we generally only hear about the Chairman. While he's only got one of the 12 votes, the others traditionally follow his lead because of his prominence and extra powers.
Massive spending even from Republicans is causing a fast change to gold-based contracts that will free us from USA governments' spending and inflating.
By James Anthony
May 8, 2026
Total government debt now exceeds the total in the peak war-associated year, 1946, and is exceeded only by the total in the peak covid-associated year, 2020. As of FY 2025, total government debt is 137% of GDP.
By Charles Hugh Smith
OfTwoMinds.com
May 8, 2026
Refusing to recognize, much less actually fix, what's broken hurries our collective rendezvous with consequences.
We've come to an interesting juncture in history, interesting because while we're being assured that AI will solve all problems, including any it creates, back in the real world, AI is incapable of fixing what's broken because too many people are getting rich off the status quo, and since the status quo is the problem, those who own / control AI will use it to maintain the status quo, guaranteeing that what's broken spirals into irreversible breakdown.
By Martin Armstrong
Armstrong Economics
May 6, 2026
The U.S. Treasury has now frozen $344 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iran, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who announced sanctions targeting multiple digital wallets allegedly connected to Tehran. Most people will view this story narrowly through the lens of sanctions on Iran or Middle East politics. The larger issue is far more important.
SchiffGold.com
May 6, 2026
Last week, Peter joined Caroline at The Street for a discussion about the state of the economy and the future of the global reserve currency. He warns listeners that the U.S. faces deeper trouble than most realize and that the fallout could touch everything from stocks to sovereign credit and the value of the dollar. He moves through markets-equities, bonds, Bitcoin, and gold-arguing that policy mistakes and excessive monetary expansion set the stage for a major repricing of risk.
© Stringer/picture alliance Source: Gettyimages.ru
Des installations de l'usine de liquéfaction de gaz de Ras Laffan, au Qatar. [Photo d'illustration]
Sur fond de guerre contre l'Iran, le commissaire européen à l'Énergie Dan Jørgensen redoute que les pays du Golfe mettent des années à retrouver leurs capacités de production.