Thursday, January 9, 2020

John Batchelor Show: After Brexit, Scotland is not leaving either the Queen's UK or the Church of the NHS

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Korn Ferry: Women on Boards -- Hitting an Ambitious Goal

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It was an ambitious goal when it was set in 2010: triple the percentage of female board directors on corporate boards by 2020. But as this new year dawned, more than three out of every ten directors—30.6%, to be exact—at the 250 largest publicly traded firms in the UK are women. The goal now? Keep up the effort without a highly publicized campaign. Read more here.

Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Medium: 35 Questions About California’s AB5 Law That Limits Freelance Journalists to 35 Stories A Year

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Starting January 1, there are new laws in California that have all the look of outright war on the media.

While President Donald Trump has from day one as a candidate consistently hurled abuse at the press, what California has done makes Trump look like a rank amateur in the field. Read more here.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Constable's Work on Italy Cited by the Center for American Progress

Constable's work was recently cited by the Center for American Progress in a paper titled: Embrace the Union: A New Progressive Approach for Reviving the Trans-Atlantic Alliance. Among a slew of things, the paper discusses the importance of a unified Europe.

WSJ: What Are Green Bonds?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Going green is gaining ground on Wall Street.

Surging interest in bonds intended to encourage sustainability means investors likely will hear the term “green bonds” used more often. While similar to traditional bonds, these fixed-income securities are different in at least one important way: Funds raised via green bonds must get used for projects that benefit the environment. For example, the cash could finance the purchase of solar panels to power office buildings. Read more here.

Solar Panels

Friday, January 3, 2020

Forbes: Assassination Of Iranian General Soleimani “A Game Changer,” Experts Say

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Expect more violence in the middle east following the assassination of Iran’s most prominent and proficient General.

The killing is likely to provoke a significant response from the Islamic Republic towards U.S. interests and could mean more interruptions of oil supplies. Read more here.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Barrons: The Price of Gold Could Hit a New Record High in 2020

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investors who didn’t own gold in 2019 could be kicking themselves after an 18% rise in prices for the year. But it might not be too late to join the rally. 

Some gold bulls even see the price of bullion breaking the record high set in 2011, when it topped $1,900, roughly 25% higher than current levels. Robust buying by central banks, a weakening of the U.S. dollar, and growing political tensions could combine to fuel further gains. Read more here.

Photo by Jingming Pan on Unsplash