I wrote this on a beautiful sunny morning last week, sitting on the Isle of Skye, enjoying the sun washing over the mountains with a fresh coffee and a copy of business continuity principles. Different day, different highland view, but you get the idea OK, so I enjoyed the sunrise, mountains, and coffee a little … Continue reading Business Continuity in a Nutshell

Good morning. America hit the debt limit yesterday: that means no more borrowing is possible until the debt ceiling is lifted. The government will keep running and paying the bills for a few months because funds have already been appropriated or because the extraordinary measures introduced by Treasury Secretary Yellen provide additional financial flexibility. The … Continue reading America defaults (kind of), using these metrics, and the value of delaying your morning cup of Joe.

Good morning. The newly released 2021 Chinese census showed a surprising drop in population for the first time in 60 years which, while not unexpected, was earlier than many had expected. Meanwhile, millions in Asia are preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year which for many in China, means it’s the first chance to see … Continue reading China’s population is shrinking and moving. Why ‘recyclable’ doesn’t mean what you think it means.

Good morning. First, a clarification In yesterday’s piece on sovereign debt, I said that Secretary Janet Yellen had announced that the US would hit the debt ceiling in early June and she was implementing special measures to help manage that process. In fact, Secretary Yellen said that the US will probably hit the ceiling around January 19 … Continue reading Some news from Davos while the metrics remain relatively quiet. Plus giant space lasers.

Good morning. *ding!* You've got mail.... 📬 Welcome to the first Daily SITREP! No more anxiously waiting between updates: now you’ll be getting the metrics and critical events delivered to your inbox daily, Monday - Friday. Please keep the feedback coming - that way, I can make this as useful as possible (and not waste … Continue reading A Mid-January reality check and why you need to pay attention to sovereign debt

GM and welcome to So What: your daily snippet of risky goodness that adds one extra headache to your to-do list. (But you'll read it right away tomorrow anyway.) Let's dive in. 1685 words - 6 mins, 30 seconds read time TL;DR The UFLPA addresses US concerns about the use of the Uyghur as forced … Continue reading The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Just Came Into Effect: So what?

GM and welcome to So What: your snippet of risky goodness that (in this case) will bum you out before breakfast (you are reading this before breakfast, right?) Let's dive in. 1,200 words, 4:48 reading time 1/5 of the world's grains originate from Ukraine and Russia, meaning the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing a … Continue reading Ukraine and Russia Produce Over 1/3 of the World’s Grains. So what?

GM and welcome to the 'So What' briefing: a shot of additional angst to go with your morning chai latte macchiato. Let's dive in 1,200 Words, reading time 5 mins 6 secs Nutritional information Today's post contains hints of regulation ESG under attack as 'woke' capital In a lot of recent coverage, ESG (environmental, social … Continue reading ESG is Under Attack: So What?

GM and welcome to So What: a fresh perspective on an emerging risk that will add to your grey hairs. Let's dive in. 839 words - 3 mins, 31 seconds read time TL;DR Container prices remain at record highsThis affects global shipping of all goods with an impact on supply chains and pricesThis looks set … Continue reading Shipping Containers Are Very Expensive: So What?

DCDR research is a succinct, useable data feed that cuts through the noise to give you the critical information you need to make data-driven decisions. The project is the outcome of over 15 years work in this area as both an analyst and decision-maker. The intent: to give leaders a set of critical metrics in an … Continue reading DCDR Research – Tuning Out The Noise