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

Defunding the US Department of Education

“The federal government provides roughly 14% of funding for public K-12 education, with states and local governments contributing the majority. This federal funding can vary significantly from state to state.” Federal public education funding is equivalent to 0.51% of total taxpayer income. Yikes, that is alot! The Department of Education has a budget of ~$104 billion. […]

Microplastics and the Impact on Healthcare

Environment, Energy, & Related News from the Week ending March 15th, R.J. Sigmund. Two interesting articles on microplastics in healthcare and the environment. – Microplastics contribute to evolution of antimicrobial resistance, study finds, University of Minnesota A new study by researchers at Boston University indicates microplastics in the environment might facilitate antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Applied and […]

U.S. Bird Populations Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats

Whether you are a birder or not, birds are interesting and entertaining creatures to watch. If they have the right and safe habitat in your yard or nearby, you can watch birds build their nests. With some luck in where the nests are placed, you may be able to watch them bring life into the […]

The Trump/Vance Administration seeks academic mediocrity

American universities are the envy of the world—for now. If President Musk’s cuts to the NIH budget hold, that will likely change*. But for JD Vance, that’s a feature, not a bug: “When President Trump and his allies think of the idealized version of higher education, they don’t look to the Ivy League or the […]

Study Shows Workers Fleeing States With Abortion Bans

AB: I apologize as this is way too brief. Women should have and need the right to decide what is correct for themselves without dictates by outside influences. It appears the outside influences want control of the rights of women to decide and are willing to punish them for exercising that right. There’s a new […]

Rust Belt Cities reborn?

Rust Belt cities reborn? – The one-handed economist Guest Post by Student Sara Pittsburgh and Detroit, known as Rust Belt cities because of their proximity to areas of heavy manufacturing, were two of the wealthiest American cities in the 20th century (Warda, 2016). Yet today, while one city is said to be a model for […]

Percentage of Public School Funding Coming from the Feds

The question? How much Federal Public School Funding comes from the Feds? The answer is here and you have to read it for yourself. Not a lot of reading to stymie you. Not terribly difficult. Not even 30 minutes of reading. The first question that comes to my mind? What would happen to schools if […]

Economic Data

Data drought continues  – by New Deal democrat There is no new significant economic data today, and I am on the road. Meaningful reporting should resume tomorrow with housing permits, starts, and construction. In the meantime, here is a look at a high frequency series I keep track of: Redbook retail sales, for the past […]

federal government should regulate business

February 15, 2025 – by Prof. Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American After World War II, the vast majority of Americans (Democrats and Republicans alike) agreed that the federal government should regulate business, provide a basic social safety net, promote infrastructure, and protect civil rights. But not everyone was on board. Some big businessmen […]