What We Read Today 08 December 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

We are continuing to develop a new and improved “What We Read Today” daily column.  Please excuse formating variations and inconsistencies when they occur during this process over the next several days.  As always we will endeavor to keep the content itself at the highest quality and value levels.

JPMorgan Rushed to Hire Trader Who Suggested on His Resume That He Knew How to Game Electric Markets (Pam Martens, Wall Street on Parade)  Internal JPMorgan emails prove the bank was anxious to hire (and, after hiring, anxious to exploit) the abilities of a trader to extract billions by exploiting a defect in a utility power procurement software program.  Banksters uber alles!

Fall snow cover in Northern Hemisphere was most extensive on record, even with temperatures at high mark (Jason Samenow, The Washington Post)  There are 46 years of snow coverage records for the northern hemisphere.  The record for snow coverage extent in November was 1976 until until November 2014 closed its books.

If Spain is an economic success story … (Dirk Ehnts, econoblog 101)  Dirk Ehnts contributes to GEI.  Spain’s ruling party has fallen to third place on Spanish political polling over the past few months.  If this is success (see Merkel Says Euro Crisis Recovery Is Worth Austerity Pain, Patrick Donahue and Brian Parkin, Bloomberg) what would failure look like?

Articles about events, conflicts and disease around the world

Ferguson and Related News

Grand jury to consider fatal shooting of Akai Gurley by New York City police (The Guardian)  Hat tip to Ron Carter.

Hundreds of Police Killings Are Uncounted in Federal Stats (The Wall Street Journal)  Hat tip to Rob Carter.

Ferguson, Eric Garner Protesters Clash With Police Across Country (abc News)

Chicago pastors lead protests over deaths by police in Ferguson, NYC (Chicago Tribune)

What President Obama told me about Ferguson’s movement: think big, but go gradual (The Guardian)  Hat tip to Rob Carter.

Ebola

Sierra Leone to jail ‘entire families’ in Ebola crackdown (African Spotlight)

Third Sierra Leone doctor dies of Ebola (Al Jazeera)

Ukraine

Putin expresses hope for permanent Ukraine ceasefire (BBC News)

Ukraine’s Foreign-Currency Reserves Dip Below $10 Billion:  Group of Seven Considers New, $4 Billion Loan Package for Kiev (The Wall Street Journal)

Russia

Russian bond yield rockets to five-year high (Financial Times)

Merkel condemns Russia ‘interfering’ in Eastern Europe (BBC News)

‘Don’t get Russia wrong’: NATO intel warns against misjudging Moscow on Ukraine (RT)  Russia doesn’t want Ukraine to be split up, NATO intelligence officials say.

Pakistan

Key al Qaeda figure possibly killed in Pakistan (BBC News)

Mexico

Human Remains Identified As At Least One Of 43 Missing College Students Kidnapped, Slain In Mexico: AP (International Business Times)

Do not miss “Other Economics and Business Items of Note”, the final section every day.

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