Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Meanwhile in Texas: Privatize the Profits, Socialize the Losses

Under the guise of “protecting” citizens, the Texas legislature, instead of having the gas companies eat their losses from Winter Storm Uri last year, have floated a $3.4 billion bond package to have the taxpayers fund it. The sales pitch is that the gas companies, three large and a smattering of smaller operators get made […]

Ukraine Vs Russia: Lessons Learned

The current situation is that Russia has abandoned the effort to capture Kiev. Russian forces have been withdrawn from North Central Ukraine and are now operating on an arc from Kharkiv (North East) to Kherson (South Central). So far, Ukraine has won amazing victories and Russia has suffered astonishing defeats. The extreme surprise suggests that […]

The Obsolescence of Nostalgia

The Obsolescence of Nostalgia As the crow flies, it is around 200 kilometers from Michilimakinac, where Kandiaronk’s Wyandot people settled in 1671, when he was around twenty years old, to Tehkummah on Manitoulin Island where Isabel Paterson was born 215 years later.  It gets even cozier because the Wyandot had been displaced from the south shore […]

TIPS Breakeven vs Michigan Inflation Expectations

I am interested in inflation expectations (acting like a macroeconomist for a change). In particular I am thinking about something Brad DeLong just tweeted. He says his subjective probability of sustained inflation due to expected inflation causing current inflation is still just 40% Why “.only a 40% chance …? Because bond markets expect the Fed […]

Safe Healthcare Outcomes for Women Giving Birth

April 2019, I wrote on the topic of A Woman’s Right to Safe Healthcare Outcomes as asked by one organization a woman at ConsumerSafety.Org. It took me forever as I had to acquire greater understanding of the issues. In the end it was well received even though I did not feel it did the topic […]

What Politics Am I Missing here?

One Federal Judge ruled against the Administration using Title 42 to expel families due to Covid. Another Federal Judge said children can not be exempted. A different Federal Judge wanted weekly reports. Meanwhile, the state of Texas is filing more challenges to the stopping of expulsion. Arizona is also asking for the expulsions to continue. […]

Latest EIA US Oil Supply and Disposition Data

If readers are wondering what is the US doing to alleviate the rising prices of oil during the pandemic and the Russian invasion, RJS has written a good summation of what is going on in the US and where we might be during the drawdown of the SPR. It is dense reading due to the […]

Reading and Understanding Court Decisions

This week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Justice Amy Barrett acknowledged expected court decisions on reproductive rights and gun control would be seen through a political lens and may lead to division. The Justice urged people to read the decisions and understand their decisions are based on law and their interpretation of the Constitution. […]

Desperados

The ‘House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th 2021 Attack on the United States Capitol’ plans to open its hearings to the public sometime in May. Then, we are sure to learn a lot more about then President Trump’s role in the lead-up to the insurrection. Until then, given that he didn’t seem to […]