Recessions can save lives

One of those weird quirks in the data: higher employment is correlated with higher number of auto accident fatalities. Blame it on the morning rush hour?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-25/recessions-have-a-silver-lining-they-keep-dangerous-motorists-off-the-road

World financial leaders are meeting in Jackson Hole

The annual shin-dig with the world's central bankers kicked off to a start on Thursday. Since the 2008-2009 financial ruckus, the central bankers have become more powerful with more direct influence, through quantitative easing, on the real economy. Over the past several years, the US dollar and the equity markets have paid closer and closer attention to what the Fed says, does, and forecasts, and have responded in kind.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/25/the-guardian-view-on-central-bankers-growing-power-and-limited-success

Amazon's counterfeit problem

The possibilities in eCommerce seems endless. Amazon has for years now served as one of the potential marketplaces for sellers to meet buyers. However, for sellers AND buyers in niche products, counterfeit products from China is causing MAJOR problems.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/08/amazons-chinese-counterfeit-problem-is-getting-worse.html

Hedge funds turn very bearish on crude

July was a horrible month for crude prices, with WTI falling more than -14% to price levels not seen since last year. As is often the case, the positioning of hedge funds towards crude has also accelerated simultaneously, with bearish futures positions rising sharply and bullish futures positions shrinking. Some analysts seem to think that this recent turn of events could actually be a contrarian indicator.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-global-kemp/hedge-funds-turn-ultra-bearish-on-crude-and-gasoline-kemp-idUSKCN10D03I