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

Domestic factory orders and production vs. real imports as economic forecasting tools

 – by New Deal democrat Over the past year, I have downgraded the importance of manufacturing indicators as a forecasting tool for the economy as a whole. This post explores why and suggests a revised tool that may be a helpful short leading indicator. On Monday, durable goods orders rebounded sharply in July from their […]

How will the Trump and Harris budgets affect the national debt?

Here’s the Penn Wharton Budget Model breakdown for how much each candidate’s economic proposals will affect the national debt: “We estimate that the Trump Campaign tax and spending proposals would increase primary deficits by $5.8 trillion over the next 10 years on a conventional basis and by $4.1 trillion on a dynamic basis that includes […]

Why people stay after local economies collapse

Why people stay after local economies collapse − a story of home among the ghosts of shuttered steel mills by Tracy Walsh The Conversation It was midday on a Saturday, and Simonetta led me from the open front door of her home in southeast Chicago to her sitting room and settled next to her husband, Christopher, […]

Superseding Indictment in the Election Interference Case

Joyce Vance at Civil Discourse on Jack Smith’s New Approach. Since trump now has certain immunities due to being a former pres, pres, president as declared by SCOTUS. Took a bit to call trump a president. Jack Smith takes a different approach in indicting trump as citizen trump. He carefully avoids reference to the office […]

Repeat home sale indexes show continued deceleration in house price inflation

Repeat home sale indexes show continued deceleration in house price inflation, more comfort room for Fed to cut rates  – by New Deal democrat This morning, we got the repeat home sales price data from the FHFA and Case Shiller. And the news was good, especially in the slightly leading FHFA Index. This is of […]

Banning Price Gouging. What Do Economists Say? – WSJ

Americans hate high prices, and Kamala Harris says she plans to combat them by banning price gouging in food and groceries. But, depending on what form it takes, economists could hate her plan. Vice President Harris, who will formally accept her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, has laid the blame for high food […]

FTC is Interfering with Kroger and Albertson’s Consolidation

Yes, it is true. That is only part of the story. There is more to it as to why the FTC is interfering. I am surprised there is not more “current” information on Cerberus and Apollo Global involvement in the Kroger-Albertsons merger. I keep reading the same blathering over and over. $25 billion at play […]