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

How restrictive are “real” interest rates?

How restrictive are “real” interest rates?  – by New Deal democrat This post is inspired by a Xtweet from Paul Krugman this morning, in which he pointed out that if we measured inflation the same way it is done in Europe, the Yoy% change would be only 1.7%. That got me wondering, since the primary […]

Lower Gasoline Prices cause Americans to feel better Economically

According to Nate DiCamillo at Quartz, “September is shaping up to be another good month for consumer sentiment.” AB: I believe there are other aspects which would make the citizenry even feel better then decreasing gasoline prices. The economy is getting there, just not fast enough for many, and people show their doubts. Gasoline pricing […]

Two years ago today, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law

By Isabel Soisson The Copper Courier AB: This piece on the IRA cover quite a bit of territory discussing the Inflation Reduction Act. There is still more that was accomplished under the Biden Administration with the American Rescue Plan 2021 Act. Who would have thought an old president suffering from dementia could have accomplished so much? […]

Why vilify the oil and gas industry? Because It Deserves to Be . . .

by Emily Atkin Heated World The richest man in the world has a new message about climate change: It’s real, but don’t knock the industry most responsible. “I don’t think we should vilify the oil and gas industry,”  Elon Musk said while speaking about climate change during his two-hour conversation with former president Donald Trump last […]

Real hourly wages, median income, and aggregate payrolls: update for July

– by New Deal democrat It’s a slow economic news week, so don’t be surprised if I play hookie tomorrow or Wednesday. In the meantime, now that we have July’s inflation data, we can update some “real” consumer well-being indicators. First, real average hourly wages for nonsupervisory workers rose 0.1% in July to a new […]

That’s one small step for carbon capture

The existential crisis of our time is global warming. The planet is already in deep trouble, with polar ice melting, permafrost thawing, sea level rising, increased desertification and more violent storms. The hour is late. “The quest for net zero needs to be fought on many fronts. You have your vanguard offense: simply reducing the […]

Ford delays EV plans to make more Super Duty trucks as demand booms

AB: That the US is still playing around with costly old technology and pollutes the environment is unbelievable. In the end, it will come back and haunt the later generations as energy and resources become more expensive. Ford Motor Co. is ramping up production of its F-Series Super Duty pickups with a $3 billion investment to keep […]

Challenges of Poverty

The Chronic Challenges of Poverty – Public Health Post Having empty pockets can impact long-term health. Poverty has been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, among other chronic conditions. The symptoms of chronic diseases are caused by inflammation, part of the body’s immune response. Obesity, stress, autoimmune disorders, and other chronic diseases involve a constant state of […]