> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thejanusobserver.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# December 15, 2017
- URL: https://www.thejanusobserver.com/december-15-2017/
- Published: 2017-12-15T12:00:28.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T20:09:58.000Z
- Author: Jonathan Janus
- Tags: Uncategorized, China, Energy, Environment, Real Estate, South Africa, Student Loans, #Migrated-1792957904788, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-10-25 19:52

# Perspective

[Visual Capitalist: Overflow Data - The U.S. States With the Most Million Dollar Homes - Jeff Desjardins 12/14](http://www.visualcapitalist.com/u-s-states-million-dollar-homes/?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/what-states-have-the-largest-percentage-of-million-dollar-homes-w-291.png)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/what-states-have-the-largest-percentage-of-million-dollar-homes.png?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

# Worthy Insights / Opinion Pieces / Advice

[Economist - The choice that could save South Africa, or wreck it - Leaders 12/9](https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21732114-avoid-dire-two-decade-dynasty-dysfunction-south-africas-ruling-anc-should-ditch?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

[NYT - Trump's Lies vs. Obama's - David Leonhardt, Ian Prasad Philbrick, and Stuart A. Thompson 12/14](https://nyti.ms/2jWqBz1?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/nyt_trump-lies-vs-obama-lies_12-14-17-w-300.png)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/nyt%5Ftrump-lies-vs-obama-lies%5F12-14-17.png?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

# Markets / Economy

[WSJ - Nearly 5 Million Americans in Default on Student Loans - Josh Mitchell 12/13](https://www.wsj.com/articles/nearly-5-million-americans-in-default-on-student-loans-1513192375?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

- "The number of Americans severely behind on payments on federal student loans reached roughly 4.6 million in the third quarter, a doubling from four years ago, despite a historically long stretch of U.S. job creation and steady economic growth."
- "The total number of defaulted borrowers represents about 22% of the Americans who were required to be paying down their federal student loans as of Sept. 30\. That figure has increased from 17% four years earlier."
- "The money they owe is becoming a bigger share of total outstanding student debt in repayment. Defaulted student loans totaled $84 billion at the end of the quarter, or 13% of the roughly $631 billion that borrowers were required to be paying down."
- "The government’s student-loan portfolio now totals $1.37 trillion."

# Energy

WSJ - Daily Shot: US Total Crude Oil Production 12/13

- "One of the trends spooking oil traders is what appears to be an acceleration in US crude oil production."

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj_daily-shot_us-total-crude-oil-production_12-13-17-w-300.png)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/df/b1/dfb1dfbb-f8fb-4ec3-bf5b-87cf7344bdd1/content/images/2026/10/wsj%5Fdaily-shot%5Fus-total-crude-oil-production%5F12-13-17.png?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

# Environment / Science

[Economist - A nasty-tasting shellfish could be just the job for cleaning rivers - 12/7](https://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21732084-filtering-out-pollutants-nasty-tasting-shellfish-could-be-just-job?ref=thejanusobserver.com)

# China

[FT - China lenders lobby to soften shadow bank rules - Gabriel Wildau and Yizhen Jia 12/13](https://www.ft.com/content/894f9522-dff1-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8&ref=thejanusobserver.com#myft:notification:daily-email:content)