“US President Donald Trump may not be a big fan of solar, but it’s the country’s fastest-growing source of power generation. Standing up an independent domestic solar supply chain is critical to the country’s energy security and AI ambitions, and to lowering power prices, especially as Beijing moves to restrict the export of some key solar technologies. But, although it may be wise to raise trade barriers that push more China-affiliated solar components out of the US market, China’s role in global solar supply chains is so pervasive that instantly severing all ties could kill many US solar manufacturing efforts in the crib. Future growth for this industry depends on a more nuanced trade policy that gives US companies the space to benefit from China’s world-leading solar expertise while the next phase of home-grown plants gets built.” (11/10/26)
“Britain’s Government Security Group (GSG) has launched an investigation into a potential leak of Budget measures, which may have moved financial markets. It comes after a Bloomberg article published before the Autumn Budget on October 28 contained accurate details of planned changes to bank taxes. … The Treasury Committee said in a statement on Tuesday that a probe in the Cabinet Office is underway, despite assurance that no banks, their representatives or their trade bodies were briefed by the Treasury on the details of the Budget.” (11/10/26)
“If you haven’t heard of data scientist Spencer Marlen-Starr, you should have. He’s a paragon of the intellectual deep dive. Recently, he wrote a diligent dissection of the Caplan-Jones UATX immigration debate, taking the time to speak to both me and Garett. So I decided to do a follow-up conversation with him on immigration, IQ, ancestry, and more.” (11/10/26)
“I suggest there is a key difference between left and right politically. The right feels comfortable with spontaneity, thinking that when people make decisions about their lives, the overall order that emerges will be superior to any planned agenda. The left, by contrast, prefers to take society towards preconceived and planned outcomes. The divide between right and left is not mainly about money, class or even the size of the state. It is about order, and where order comes from. The right trusts order that grows. The left trusts order that is made.” (11/10/26)
“The IMF is warning heavily indebted governments to act before borrowing costs become unmanageable. With America’s debt ceiling approaching, Congress faces another fiscal showdown.” (11/10/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“China is increasingly drawing Laos into its orbit through two main strategies: a railway freight line and a joint military air facility. Not going unnoticed among neighboring nations—especially Laos’s close ally Vietnam—the move feeds directly into China’s regional strategy of making mainland Southeast Asia a secure southern flank through close economic ties. In some ways, this is a continuation of a long tradition in the way China views the region. In the imperial era, China treated many of its neighbors as, essentially, vassals.” (11/10/26)
“Nvidia was hit with a shareholder lawsuit Monday after its stock price tanked 5 percent amid reports CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with an alleged Chinese spy. The lawsuit claims Huang’s failure to disclose the affair artificially inflated share prices, possibly violating federal securities laws. The lawsuit also contends the national security concerns raised by the allegations present a material risk to the company’s reputation and future business prospects. … The litigation is the latest turn of events for Nvidia and Huang, who are facing new scrutiny in Washington surrounding the CEO’s involvement with Alice Huang, a businessperson associated with Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed.” (11/10/26)
