The Ticker >> Quick commentary on economics, politics & the world from Bloomberg View
Our Debate Questions, Their Answers: The Ticker
On Oct. 10 Bloomberg View editors posed a dozen questions to Republican presidential candidates in advance of the Bloomberg-Washington Post economic debate at Dartmouth College. We didn't get anything close to comprehensive answers to these questions, but more than a few candidate responses were germane if not directly on point. So here's a brief recap of what we asked, and what we heard.
1. We asked whether, as many business executives maintain, the economy is suffering from a lack of demand -- and what should be done about it.
What’s the Cost of a BlackBerry Blackout?: The Ticker
Don’t worry “CrackBerry” addicts, BlackBerry services are being restored, and the co-CEO wants you to know he’s sorry.
The service disruptions, which began in Europe, the Middle East and Africa on Monday and spread to India and then the U.S. late Tuesday, halted messaging and Web browsing and caused a flurry of complaints.
Europe's Capital Rules Miss the Mark: The Ticker
European bank stocks fell today on the news that policy makers are considering whether to make the region's lenders hold greater amounts of regulatory capital. One big caveat: Regulatory capital should not be confused with the actual amount of capital banks have in real life.
The European Banking Authority last week discussed a possible 9 percent capital threshold for banks at a meeting of its supervisory board in London, Bloomberg News reported. Banks would need to have "core Tier 1 capital" equivalent to 9 percent of their so-called risk-weighted assets.
Rick Perry and the Nuclear Option: The Ticker
Rick Perry is not going to win a debate until Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and perhaps a half dozen other Republican candidates running for president all call in sick. He is that bad. At a debate focused solely on the economy, the Texas governor announced that he would be laying out an economic plan "over the next three days."
The next three days?
Is Myanmar Giving Democracy a Try?: The Ticker
Unless it's an elaborate ruse, and only time will tell, Myanmar is giving democracy a try.
This is not the elections-based, human-rights-driven democracy U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would like. But it is a surprisingly transparent and thoughtful effort to open up to the world.
Slovak Drama Casts Doubt on European Solution: The Ticker
Judging from the Slovak government's struggle to approve a revamped European bailout fund, Europe's leaders will have a tough time gaining full support for a newer rescue plan big enough to solve the region's debt crisis.
The idiosyncrasies of Europe's governance were on display today as the prime minister of tiny Slovakia, the last country needed to ratify expanded powers for the European Financial Stability Facility, put her job on the line in an effort to garner the required 76 parliamentary votes.
A Price Tag on Romney’s Muscular Foreign Policy: The Ticker
How do you prefer your foreign policy?
Mitt Romney likes it to roar: "America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will."
Chastened Netflix Raises a White Flag: The Ticker
Never mind. That was the central message from Netflix Inc. today, as it abandoned a short-lived plan to repackage its DVD rental business under a new brand name, Qwikster, which would be separate from the company's fast-growing online streaming service.
The proposed split had been announced Sept. 18. It annoyed customers, who didn't want to lose the convenience of lining up all their movie choices through one service. Investors didn't like the plan either. Netflix stock fell nearly 20 percent in the first two days after the breakup was announced, and subsequently didn't show much sign of bouncing back.
After 10 Years, Public Is Weary of Afghan War: The Ticker
Today, the conflict in Afghanistan enters its second decade; more than a year ago it surpassed Vietnam as America's longest war.
According to a recent CBS poll, 34 percent of the American public thinks that U.S. troops should continue to fight the war in Afghanistan and 57 percent thinks the U.S. should no longer be involved. That's in stark contrast to a November 2001 Gallup poll that found 91 percent public approval for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. However, Americans also thought the deployment would be short. In December 2001, 47 percent told Gallup they thought the fighting would last for just a few months; only 15 percent thought it would be more than two years.
Jobs Report Helps Explain Wall Street Protests: The Ticker
For anyone trying to understand the motivation behind the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York and other cities, today's jobs report offers some insight.
While better than expected, the report suggests the economy is not growing fast enough to bring down a disturbingly high unemployment rate, and may be growing so slowly that joblessness could start rising again. The 103,000 jobs employers added to their payrolls -- actually closer to 60,000 if one excludes the effects of the recent strike at Verizon -- falls short of the roughly 150,000 jobs the economy must create monthly to offset the natural increase in the labor force.