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Vital Signs Series

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Vital Signs is a weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualize weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data impacting global economies.

Vital Signs Series

Untaxing childcare is a bold idea that seems unfair, but might benefit us all

Nov 24, 2019 14:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Australias system of childcare support is pretty good. It ensures high-quality care is provided to a large number of children, it is targeted through income-based subsidies, and it is attentive to the needs of...

Vital Signs Series

To tackle unemployment, start by empowering jobseekers

Nov 19, 2019 02:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

If youve ever lost your job, youll know how overwhelming and difficult it can be. One day youre in work, the next youre not and so starts the hunt to find another job. This can be particularly tricky if you lose your...

Vital Signs Series

Interest only loans are an economic debacle that could bust the property market

Apr 27, 2018 07:40 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy Real Estate

This week: This risks of interest only loans that the RBA is ignoring and more revenue for the government ahead of the budget. Australian taxpayers wont face a rise in taxes now that Treasurer Scott Morrison...

Vital Signs Series

The calm before the storm in US-China trade

Apr 20, 2018 05:38 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

This week: the US administration continues its anti-trade rhetoric, China grows a little faster than expected, Australian employment figures underwhelm, and the RBA seems unperturbed by household borrowing...

Vital Signs Series

The spooky mortgage risk signs our bankers are ignoring

Oct 13, 2017 09:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

Vital Signs is a weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualise weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data affecting...

Vital Signs Series

The data is mixed but worrying signs from mortgagees

Oct 06, 2017 00:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Vital Signs Series

Vital Signs: don't count your economic chickens before they hatch

Sep 22, 2017 03:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

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Economy

Interest rates: the ugly dilemma facing Europe’s central banks – and why it’s a mistake to cut too soon

Central banks in Europe are discovering an old dilemma: when they lower interest rates because inflation is slowing down, its likely to weaken their currencies. This in turn may delay the fall in inflation towards their...

Europe is still in short-term crisis mode over Ukraine and lacks a vision for its post-war identity

Some believe that the war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe, giving birth to a different kind of European order. That is, it appears to be driving structural shifts in the way Europe is run and organised that...

Mortgage prisoners: regulatory changes and low credit scores have left thousands trapped in a cycle of high payments

There are 8.5 million households in the UK who own a home with a residential mortgage, often with fixed interest rates from two to five years. Usually, when that mortgage deal ends, the borrower will move to another deal...

What should you do if you can’t pay your rent or mortgage?

The cost of living crisis is making it difficult for many people to pay their bills, including housing costs. Private sector rents have increased by an average 9% over the year to February 2024, and rising interest rates...

Reducing energy demand and improving efficiency will help prevent the next gas crisis

Gas prices have relaxed, Europe has come out of the winter with record gas storage levels and a surfeit of liquefied natural gas is set to reach the shores of Europe over the coming years. Many commentators are hopeful...

Politics

Gabon: post-coup dialogue has mapped out path to democracy – now military leaders must act

At the end of April 2024, a long and peaceful process of national dialogue in Gabon between the military junta, presided over by coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema, and civil society, represented by 580 civilians,...

How German media attention idealises female Ukrainian refugees

According to the latest available data, around 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, while nearly 6.5 million have registered as refugees globally. With 1.13 million, Germany has taken in the largest...

Over 26 million South Africans get a social grant. Fear of losing the payment used to be a reason to vote for the ANC, but no longer – study

Social grants to reduce poverty feature prominently in the campaign promises of political parties in South Africas 2024 national and provincial general elections, set for 29 May. The countrys social grants system is one...

Donald Trump Allegedly Offers Oil Execs a Deal to Scrap EV Incentives for $1B Donation

Former President Donald Trump reportedly proposed a $1 billion deal to oil executives, offering to end electric vehicle (EV) subsidies in return for campaign funding, according to The Washington Post. This move underscores...

US Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in 2022 by allowing voters to vote with gerrymandered maps instead of fixing the congressional districts first

For the 2022 midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use congressional districts that violated the law and diluted the voting power of Black citizens. A 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court in February...

Science

Is dark matter’s main rival theory dead? There’s bad news from the Cassini spacecraft and other recent tests

One of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics today is that the forces in galaxies do not seem to add up. Galaxies rotate much faster than predicted by applying Newtons law of gravity to their visible matter, despite those...

Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of

Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without...

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

Technology

Shibarium BONE Token Set for Potential Binance Listing, Price Up by 5%

Binances recent request for project proposals has ignited the Shiba Inu community, fueling a 5% surge in BONE token price amid speculation of a potential listing. Binances New Strategy Supports Small-to-Medium...

Wendy’s Launches $3 Breakfast Deal as McDonald’s Tests Limited $5 Value Meal in June

Wendys will offer a $3 breakfast deal starting May 20, while McDonalds plans a $5 value meal for June, reflecting a strategic push to attract budget-conscious consumers amid high inflation. Wendys $3 Breakfast Deal...

Ethereum Trends Amid SEC ETH ETF Speculation and $341M Whale Purchases

Ethereum has become the top trending asset, driven by SEC ETH ETF speculation and massive whale purchases totaling $341 million in the past 24 hours. Ethereum Whales Boost Holdings by $341M as SEC ETH ETF Decision...

Analysts Suggest SEC May Reconsider Spot Ether ETF Denial Amid Market Speculation

Analysts James Seyffart and Eric Balchunas have increased the likelihood of the SEC approving a spot Ether ETF from 25% to 75%, citing new speculation about the regulators stance. ETF Analysts Increase SEC Spot Ether...

OpenAI Suspends ChatGPT Sky Voice Following Scarlett Johansson 'Her' Comparisons

OpenAI has decided to suspend its ChatGPT Sky voice after multiple users noted its resemblance to Scarlett Johanssons voice in the 2013 film Her. OpenAI Addresses Voice Similarity Concerns OpenAI says it will pause...