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

Cutting Trade with China and Asia

What it means if you cut trade with China and Asia. Shipments start to decrease once the announcement is made. The impact is shown in Paul Krugman’s bar chart. I added the numbers in the second chart. Containers also come out of other countries. Keep in mind. One week (minimum) in the port on either. […]

And now, for some decent economic news: new home sales steady, prices slowly deflating

 – by New Deal democrat In ordinary times, new home sales are important because while they are very noisy and heavily revised, they are the most leading of all housing metrics. They remain important even presently because they can tell us about the underlying upward or downward pressure on the economy going forward one year […]

Avoiding Medicaid Cuts

The House Republicans’ budget resolution is now available. In it, they are proposing a cut of ~$800 billion. Almost all of the $800 billion 10-year spending cut target for the Energy and Commerce Committee would come out of Medicaid by choice. (God forbid those not being able to afford healthcare should have healthcare.) Those with […]

Beginning of an exodus?

The training for an independent research career in the biomedical sciences entails a significant opportunity cost. It takes an average of about seven years from the bachelors degree to get the PhD, and then there are 2-5 years of postdoctoral training. Indeed, it’s common to do two postdocs to get diversified training. Those years could […]

Business Conditions in April 2025? The worst since July 2022

Regional Feds so far on general business conditions in April: the worst since July 2022  – by New Deal democrat Three of the five regional Feds that report on their region’s state of the economy have now reported for April. With one exception in the data, everything is negative. On the manufacturing side, the NY Fed […]

Weapons of mass stupidity

mRNA vaccines have proven to overwhelmingly successful in blunting the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also as safe or safer than any other vaccine. So what’s up with a small group of Republicans (yes, they’re all Republicans) in the Minnesota legislature who want to criminalize mRNA vaccines? “A group of eight Republicans in the Minnesota House […]

“But you have to ask: What is the problem that’s being solved?”

AB: Just more Trump holding universities hostage till they submit, allowing security breaches, threatening people, and crashing the economy. Professor Heather reports . . . April 21, 2025, “Letters from an American“ Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis performed his final public act when he waved to worshippers in St. Peter’s Square. He died today […]

Whether a publication is “partisan” when it comes to “various scientific debates”

I have various subscriptions to medical mags. Not that I am a doctor or even a doctorate. I did work for medical supply/pharmaceutical companies and became familiar with various supplies. Some were even used on myself. I found this article to be rather interesting. Hmmm, a government attorney asking questions of an editor on partisan […]

I Never Realized How Tall Bill Walton and Dr. J were till I Saw Them Close Up

I was a part of Oscar Mayer Purchasing in 2017 when it was acquired by General Foods and then Philip Morris. I was also the one who sourced Lunchable’s packaging with a company in Iowa. What made the packaging unique was it being made of recycled material, having a similar SBS brightness, and foldable without […]

Efficiency for thee but not for me

Elon Musk, as czar of DOGE, has been making deep cuts in federal programs that serve civilians. But what about that budgetary elephant in the room, the military. There must surely be waste, fraud and abuse in military spending that Musk’s tech bros can ferret out, right? “After misleading headlines suggested that its topline would […]