evidence: 1 big thing: Checking in on Uncle Sam's checking account: Wall Street experts are paying closer attention to the disclosed financial data from the U.S. Treasury as they attempt to predict when the Federal government would run out of money if the debt ceiling isn't raised. The U.S. exceeded its $31.4 trillion statutory debt ceiling in January, which limited the Treasury's capacity to borrow. (Axios, Matt Philips & Emily Phillips) [...] If it is, Americans should worry. I wrote last week about the bad geopolitical habits Washington has developed because of its unrivaled unipolar status. That attitude is even more true economically. America’s politicians have gotten used to spending seemingly without any concerns about deficits — public debt has risen almost fivefold from roughly $6.5 trillion 20 years ago to $31.5 trillion today. The Fed has solved a series of financial crashes by massively expanding its balance sheet twelvefold, from around $730 billion 20 years ago to about $8.7 trillion today. All of this only works because of the dollar’s unique status. If that wanes, America will face a reckoning like none before." (Washington Post, Fareed Zakaria)