What if they threw an Olympics and no one cared? Although the games are comfortably winning their respective time slots, viewership is significantly lower in both absolute and relative terms compared to recent Summer Olympics. What are the reasons? Change in viewer behavior? Confusion about schedules? Lack of fans at the live events? An overall dearth of team spirit? Generational differences? All of this and more? In this week's Trading Perspectives, John and Sam discuss why interest in the Tokyo Olympics is as low as it is. Let's just say, it has been a perfect storm.

COVID-19 cases are again on the rise and vaccinations are falling. Will this recent spike in the Delta Variant lead to business and education lockdowns like last year? Would the US economy be able to rebound if that happens? Also, who isn't getting vaccinated, and why? With all the data the government has, it should be able to target areas of weakness instead of implementing blanket policies which could crush economic activity.

Recent studies suggest reducing the workweek might actually increase worker productivity. So, is it a good idea to ease the time constraints on workers in order for them to produce more? It might seem counterintuitive, but the results don't lie. Or do they? After all, do employers pay for output or time? That is the question. This week, John and Sam tackle the so-called 4-day work week to see whether it is good for the economy or much ado about nothing. Gen Z versus Gen X.

With stubbornly low interest, is the United States in danger of becoming the next Japan? A zombie economy characterized by persistent low growth and puny asset returns? While there are similarities between the two countries, the differences more than outweigh them. In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam and John analyze Japan's "lost decades" in order to make the case the United States will NOT become the next Japan.

Are the uptick in violent crime across the country and the Defund the Police movement correlated? Regardless, what message does 'defunding' your local law enforcement agencies send to outsiders? Is that good for economic growth? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam and John analyze what potentially happens when you defund the police in your area.

One aspect of the American Dream is the next generation will be better off than the previous one. Up until now, this has been the case in the United States. However, will it be so in the future? With all of societal unrest and distrust of one another, what do a Gen Z and a Gen X think about the future? What has the potential to change their forecast? In this week's Trading Perspective, John and Sam tackle the burning question: is life getting better in the USA?

Last week, 2 major meetings took place. One was the FOMC Meeting and the other was the much-anticipated Summit between Putin and Biden. Despite how widely anticipated these two meetings were, neither one of them produced any major news. If these two events weren't able to move the markets, what did? What was the unexpected news that caused investors to lose billions of dollars?

Is wearing a mask un-American? It seems the simple act of wearing a covering over your nose and mouth in public places has become a political issue. Those on the extreme far right say masks are affronts to their personal liberty, whereas people on the far left claim they in the 'public good.' So, what is it? In this week's Trading Perspectives, John and Sam discuss the issue of mask wearing, and its impact on liberty and the American economy.

Whenever investors take things to extremes, it seems we always hear the excuse: "this time is different." While that may or may not be case, what should investors do when this becomes the prevailing wisdom? Are things really that different or are we using the new difference as rationale to behave stupidly? In this week's Trading Perspectives, John and Sam take a look at some recent, and some not so recent, times when "this time really wasn't as different as we really thought."

This year, Americans have heard the phrase 'supply-chain bottlenecks' more times than they can count, and they have noticed the inflation these bottlenecks can bring. However, will this inflation last? Or is it transitory, as Fed Chairman has told the markets over and over again? Should we believe the Fed or should we believe our eyes? Do we even have to ask the question? This week John and Sam discuss some of the causes of the recent uptick in prices and what the potential for long-term inflation actually is.