Wednesday morning news drop
Is this chart going up or down? You’d be amazed at how many financial advisors, insurance brokers acting as financial advisors, financial planners, wirehouse wealth managers, financial consultants and other assorted intermediaries in this business could not for the life of them look at this chart and give you a straight answer. (Reformed Broker)
Crypto’s Real Value Was Never $3 Trillion: The true value of the crypto market isn’t what its believers suggest, but it’s nothing to sneer at, either. (Businessweek)
Why Downtown Won’t Die: As the office recedes in importance, central business districts are transforming into spaces to live and socialize, not just work. It’s a process that began before Covid-19. (CityLab)
You Want an Electric Car With a 300-Mile Range? When Was the Last Time You Drove 300 Miles? “The average American motorist drives about 40 miles per day and 95 percent of our car trips are 30 miles or shorter… We haven’t so much overcome this psychological hurdle as thrown big batteries at it.” (New York Times)
Six months in, how are sanctions impacting Russia’s economy? Fuel embargoes and private sector divestment are further isolating Russia. (Vox)
“Danger Zone” Getting through the next 10 years of U.S.-China relations: The authors don’t spend a lot of time convincing you that China’s leaders are bent on conflict — that task was already carried out by earlier authors, such as Rush Doshi’s The Long Game. It’s no longer really a question of whether China intends to displace the U.S. as the world’s leading power — it does — but rather a question of how the U.S. and its allies can resist this attempt. That’s what Brands and Beckley try to answer. (Noahpinion)
How Long Droughts Make Flooding Worse: Parched ground is less likely to absorb water and increases the risk of dangerous flash floods. But there are ways to mitigate these conditions. (Wired)
In America’s fastest-growing metro, a rising fear water will run out: “This seems to be some level of insanity to me that you continue to allow unabated growth at the same time you’re dealing with this unprecedented drought. Rather than trying to find all these sources of water, we ought to be controlling the growth.” (Washington Post)
15 Under-the-Radar TV Shows That Deserve Your Attention: A lot of great television slips through the cracks these days. (The Atlantic)