38 T he news was explosive during the 2nd Quarter 2017. Unfortunately, much of the serious news was drowned out by the noise of alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election in 2016. A great deal of the real news centered around global realignments as US power declined and around the US federal budget and the refusal to allocate significant funds for anything that might benefit the general popula- tion – including health care, infrastructure, and tax reform for middle and lower income groups. We added several features to our news coverage this quarter: • First, we created a long-term trends section to help you see the primary trends behind the news. These are trends we have covered before – often in earlier Wrap Ups. Understanding the primary trends can convert an explosive number of stories from an overwhelming amount of information to a picture of a world that makes sense. • We have also added a category called “Go Local.” We are on the lookout for more local action and success stories. Send them in via solari.com if you see them! Make sure to listen to my discussion with Dr. Joseph Farrell as we review the long term trends, the news of 2nd Quarter 2017 and the Trump Administration Report Card. Log in to the Solari Report to view Parts I and II. THE ECONOMY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS I. Global 2.0: From Slow Burn to Pressure Cooker A. Controlled Demolitions Accelerate • Animation: The Collapse of the Middle Class in 20 Major U.S. Cities Pension Funds: • Global Pension Underfunding Will Grow To $400 Trillion Over Next 30 Years • Illinois Too Broke to Fix: Chicago Police Pension Fund Broke by 2021 at the Latest • Fix for troubled Dallas Police and Fire Pension System Passes Senate • Texas Senate Passes Bill Overhauling Hous- ton’s Troubled Pension Systems • Teachers Retirement System of Texas is ‘Too Big to Fail’ • Michigan Teacher Pension Fight Pits Porta- bility vs. Risk • Ohio’s Public-Employee Pensions Face Cut- backs • Puerto Rico Budget to Protect Pension Payments PLEASE NOTE: All the news articles listed in this section can be ac- cessed by going to the online version of this Wrap Up at: www.Solari. com then use the search function to locate the items. III. News Trends & Stories