Quick Note After Leen’s Lodge: America’s Health
Fishing was great, weather warm; there was one rainy day. Intense, robust conversation with diverse views and collegial discourse was the daily norm.
August 12, 2026
David Kotok offers insights and analysis on current economic and political issues and their potential impact on global financial markets. David’s articles and financial market commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and other publications. He is a frequent contributor to Bloomberg TV, and Bloomberg Radio, Fox Business, and other media.
Fishing was great, weather warm; there was one rainy day. Intense, robust conversation with diverse views and collegial discourse was the daily norm.
I’m sending this note while at the annual Camp Kotok gathering in Maine. It has been quite a week.
Even as wide swathes of American life have fallen victim to culture wars, higher education was seen as immune. Until now.
Chris Whalen and I talked at some length recently about what US credit default swaps denominated in the euro can tell us about default risk and whether it’s a good idea now to hold some gold.
Companies the size of SpaceX or Nvidia can move entire indices. What are the practical and psychological implications of enormous scale for investors?
TLR has provided a critical and objective research analysis of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We have permission to share it.
A quick note after reviewing the events of recent strikes on Iran by the United States. We’re attaching a July 17th note which described, and we’ve excerpted from it, some of the targets.
Fed Chairman Warsh has announced excellent task force appointments, in my opinion. What models will they consider? Today we will talk about one of them — the Phillips Curve.
In response to recent KR commentaries regarding Social Security and Social Security disability benefits funding, two highly qualified readers weighed in with more food for thought.
This Sunday, we examine the half century that followed the creation of Israel in 1948, as conflicts flared and efforts to forge peace fizzled.
An astute reader asked how much money is involved with the Social Security Trust Fund shortfall.
We look at how planetary heat presents challenges for human health, farming, governments, market agents, and more.