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

Fast Facts about Firearm Violence Prevention

An introduction to how the CDC views firearm safety, firearm violence prevention, definitions, and some numbers to think about. More Detail. It is not an attack on your ownership of a bullet-spewing-weapon. It is a recital of what they are seeing from the numbers reported. If you own a firearm, you do have an obligation […]

New Deal democrat’s weekly indicators February 6 – 10

Weekly Indicators for February 6 – 10 at Seeking Alpha I neglected to post the link to this yesterday, so let me do it today. My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. We continue to see a slow drip, drip, drip of ever so slightly more negative coincident data, without it crossing over into […]

Unionization increased by 200,000 and More Wanted to Join

In the Private Sector? The Protecting the Right to Organize Act is a historic proposal restoring fairness to the economy by strengthening the federal laws protecting workers’ right to unionize and bargain for higher wages and better benefits. In the Public Sector? There is no federal law protecting the freedom of state and local public […]

Red/Blue COVID Death Rate Divide did not disappear after all

So much for the Covid Gap disappearing. The difference in the death rate for Covid still exists politically. It looks like the Red/Blue COVID Death Rate Divide didn’t disappear after all, ACA Signups, Charles Gaba Last month Charles Gaba noted the partisan COVID death rate gap again. And again it had been higher in the […]

Of Patches Paint and Ploy

Up from craft workers to those of the large industrials, by the mid-20th Century unions had grown to represent large segments of American workers (density peaked at 35% of workers in 1954, membership at 21 million in 1979). From the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s they played a huge role in the nation’s politics, social order, […]

Interesting Stuff from My In-Box, Maybe?

More Economic and Government topics the time. Much of it due to the pandemic caused economic issue. It is interesting as to how the news varies from week to week and what becomes important. I did add reports on Ukraine’s economy for 2022. You will see percentages from ~31% to ~38% cited depending on who […]

Wages and Salaries are Not the Cause for High Prices

Another take on wages and salaries outpacing inflation. Not so says Robert Shapiro. Inflation Reality Check: Don’t Blame Wages and Salaries for High Prices, Washington Monthly, Robert J. Shapiro Yes, economics can be complicated, and economic reporters work under tight deadlines. There is no excuse for the media meme blaming rising wages for much of […]

Updating some important coincident indicators

Updating some important coincident indicators  – by New Deal democrat We returned to no more significant monthly data today. So here are some important coincident indicators I’ve been particularly following. Redbook consumer purchases only increased 4.3% YoY last week, the lowest number in almost 2 years. The 4 week average also declined to 4.7%, also […]

Senators, Opioids, and EpiPens

Many things can be accomplished when you have a majority in Congress, Well. almost. For Democrats, Sinema is still growing up and trying to decide what she wants to be. Being a Democrat is boring. Sitting with Repubs is more exciting as Dems notice.  There is no excitement in going along with the crowd. Gotta […]