Worldwide waffling(15.05.2019) -The Asian Age

Washington seems to be barreling toward a constitutional crisis. Democrats are barraging President Trump with demands for witnesses and documents. Trump has answered by stonewalling, vowing to fight "all the subpoenas." As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned, Trump seems to be goading the Democratic-controlled House toward impeachment, perhaps because it's a battle he thinks he can win. Politicians on both sides are repairing to their tribal corners. Is there anyone who can serve as honest referees in this partisan standoff?

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow appears to have diverged from President Trump's claims that China would pay for a recently-announced tariff increase, admitting during an interview on Fox News Sunday that U.S. companies and consumers would effectively have to shoulder the burden. During the interview, anchor Chris Wallace said to Kudlow, "It's not China that pays tariffs. It's the American importers, the American companies that pay what, in effect, is a tax increase and oftentimes passes it on to U.S. consumers." Kudlow replied, "Fair enough.

Moms are great. I have one. She is super cool and gave me the impression that kids are the ultimate art project. So I thought I'd want some, too. However, when it didn't happen naturally, I did not pursue the matter, leaving the miracle of life to the gods and not doctors or adoption agencies. Although I'm pretty damn determined at times, I discovered that I did not want to try with all my might to have a child. In great part, I reached this conclusion because it became so apparent that the desire to do so was expected of me and that there were very few other positions I might politely occupy in society.

Markets in Europe are set to nudge higher at the open Monday, with investors continuing to monitor trade developments between the U.S. and China. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is set to open higher by 6 points at 7,209; the French CAC is expected to open 10 points higher at 5,337 points; and the German DAX is seen 5 points higher at 12,084. On Friday, Trade talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators broke up without a deal, shortly after America ramped up its tariff rate to 25% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.