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

May new manufacturing orders slide, truck sales rise, construction spending close to unchanged

 – by New Deal democrat As usual, the month starts out with important data on manufacturing and construction. The news was mixed this month and weighted more to the downside in my opinion. First, the ISM report on manufacturing declined again slightly to 48.7. This is the second month in a row that this index […]

Plug-in hybrids: a reality check

We’re seriously considering a hybrid for our next car. One species of the hybrid genus is the “plug-in hybrid,” which seemed appealing to me, both from the standpoint of gas economy and to reduce our carbon footprint. Caveat emptor: “In one study from the ICCT published in 2022, researchers examined real-world driving habits of people […]

Dr. Richard Bucholz and the origins of modern brain surgery

If you or your loved one had successful brain surgery, you can probably thank my colleague, Dr. Richard Bucholz, Professor of Neurosurgery at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Bucholz pioneered and invented the image-guided surgery navigational system marketed by Medtronic as the “Stealth Station.” It is standard equipment in nearly every neurosurgical suite […]

EIGHT WAYS TO FIX SOCIAL SECURITY

NOW THAT IT’S TOO LATE, “to do it the easy way.” Dale Coberly . . . Notes on possible fixes after reaching “short range financial inadequacy.” The Social Security Trust Fund is projected to run out of money by 2033. Possible fixes to fix the short fall in the Social Security Trust Fund. first possible […]

Student Loan Crisis Would Likely Worsen Under a Second Trump Administration

I have written about student loans or have added articles about student loans to Angry Bear here, here, here, here, etc, etc, etc. I go back years on the topic as well as Alan Collinge of Student Loan Justice does. Politicians resist loan forgiveness claiming students are taking advantage of the system. It is a […]

New Deal democrat Weekly Indicators May 27 – 31 2024

Weekly Indicators for May 27 – 31 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. None of the high frequency indicators made any meaningful change this week. The short term outlook continues to be positive. As I wrote yesterday in my summation of the personal income and […]

Manufacturing in China? The true cost may surprise you

by Nick Dewhurst Plastics Today AB: This is along the lines of what I used to do when I was working in supply chain and manufacturing. Typically, companies would hire me to adjust or fix the supply chain and I would end going much further than just supply chain. If you understand the process and […]