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

Trump crashed the world’s markets

Rachel Maddow: Trump crashed the world’s markets based on on the advice of a fictional economist. Summary The video highlights a Rachel Maddow segment revealing that Donald Trump’s tariff policy, destabilizing global markets, was based on advice from a fictional economist invented by Trump adviser Peter Navarro. This absurd but dangerous origin story underscores the […]

Congressional Control Goes to Trump and Musk

GOP’s subservience to Trump and Musk is also problematic for Democrats featured at MSNBC originally. The GOP is throwing out the powers that the Constitution gave Congress to better bow to the Republicans scrambling to keep Trump and Musk from hurting their constituents. The Constitution’s authors clearly saw Congress as being the first among equals in the […]

CBO Projection of Extending the 2017 Tax Breaks Plus Some

This is about a 12-minute read. It is most of the CBO report minus what I thought would be extraneous information, detail you may not need. I get lost in the detail and have to read it a few times. These are projections based upon various assumptions. Budgetary Outcomes Under Alternative Assumptions About Spending and […]

Cars and Trucks Made in Mexico, Canada, and China

Just some thoughts on manufacturing and international trade I have seen and experienced over the decades. I worked in automotive (care and trucks) for the Tier1s supplying wire harnesses and other components to Chrysler, Ford, and GM. The company also did business with foreign car manufacturers. This particular company was Japanese. US components were shipped […]

Critics of VA Cuts Say: “This is Life and Death Stuff”

– by Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early Washington Monthly also at Z Musk and Trump’s DOGE cuts are a grave threat to veterans’ healthcare and benefits or the VA as many know it as. Earlier this month, Vietnam War veteran Paul Cox went to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in St. Louis to […]

Balance of Payments Primer, Part II

A follow up to Part I. Brief Intro: The international role of the dollar and how it does or doesn’t affect the U.S. balance of payments. Paul throws in some discussion on the foundational fallacies underlying Trump officials beliefs on trade. “A Balance of Payments Primer, Part II: The Dollar and All That“ – by […]

State Comparisons of Student Loans Balances to State Budget etc,

No words. Just numbers . . . Student Loan Justice Org. I lied . . . some words. The first, oldest and largest citizen’s group in the nation fighting for student loan justice (Alan Collinge).  We are fighting for the cancellation of all federally owned student loans by executive action, and the return of bankruptcy […]

Whacking Medicaid Healthcare

Detailed information commentary by the “Center for Children and Families.” Whacking Healthcare for tax breaks. Somewhat edited. Probably needs more . . . Detailed . . . “Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements: More than Meets the Eye,” Center For Children and Families Republicans from President Trump on down are trying to hide the ball on how much they […]