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

Open Thread August 19, 2023 “Appeals court strikes down Utah oil railroad approval”

“The statement received pushback from environmentalists concerned that constructing new infrastructure to transport more fossil fuels will allow more oil to be extracted and burned, contributing to climate change. “Appeals court strikes down Utah oil railroad approval, siding with environmentalists,” msn.com. Additionally, communities in neighboring Colorado including Eagle County and the city of Glenwood Springs […]

The last domino still refuses to fall: Travelin’ Man edition

In housing construction, the last domino still refuses to fall: Travelin’ Man edition  – by New Deal democrat [First, a blogging note: I will be traveling for the next week and a half. I’ll keep posting the data, but the posts are likely to be brief, and may be a day late. On days when there […]

Chickens, Eggs, and Krugman

Paul Krugman has the amazing ability to get me (briefly) interested in economic theory. He writes that the (non provisional) IRA has had a larger than expected impact on investment writing: Paul Krugman has the amazing ability to get me (briefly) interested in economic theory. He writes that the (non provisional) IRA has had a […]

Non-fungible tokens

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) first came to my attention just a couple years ago. Apparently, anything could be an NFT. Per Investopedia: “Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are assets that have been tokenized via a blockchain. They are assigned unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from other tokens. “NFTs can be traded and exchanged for money, […]

What is Going on at Angry Bear

With the passing of my friend Daniel Crawford, I have had to take on new responsibilities. Angry Bear will continue like it has for the last 20 years. Retired Prof. Joel Eissenberg has joined with me is writing at Angry Bear. There will be more new writers joining us with new topics. I am losing […]

July retail sales: gas and vehicle sales continue to dominate the trend

July retail sales: gas and vehicle sales continue to dominate the trend  – by New Deal democrat As always, real retail sales tell us a great deal about what is happening in the consumer economy. July continued the recent trend since gas prices started declining over a year ago. Nominally retail sales increased 0.7%. Since […]

Open Thread August 15, 2023 The Inflation Reduction Act – real climate change policy?

Briefly, Josh Bivens: “Put simply, the IRA puts the U.S. on a path where meeting its global climate change  commitments is within reach. The commitments which would provide a genuine chance at securing a livable planet for future generations if they are kept. At the beginning of August 2022, there was no such path to secure this […]

The Big Story: a 100+ year near-record decline in commodity prices is enabling continued record wage growth and employment

This is the Big Story: a 100+ year near-record decline in commodity prices is enabling continued record wage growth and employment  – by New Deal democrat No important economic data today, so let me elaborate on the matter of “immaculate disinflation,” i.e., the decline in inflation without a decline in growth. I’m going to argue […]