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

Friday Update: Warehouse What? Protein Inflation, Tanks and Wheat

We’re headed into a busy planting week as we get phase whatever into the ground and more stuff started. At some point we will build caterpillar tunnels to shield crop from extreme August heat, and winter frost, but we plan to plant year round as best we can. A few things happening in the ag […]

14.5 million in the ACA due to American Rescue Plan

January 2021 finds 14.5 million people having healthcare plans due to Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act. As commenter “Arne” pointed out, this represents an increase of ~2.98 million more people insured under the ACA. Even the other Joe voted for it. Manchin that is. Kind of catching up with old news here. Earlier this […]

February Retail Sales Up, January Sales Revised Higher

RJS, MarketWatch 666 Retail Sales Rose 0.3 % in February After January’s Sales were Revised 1.0% Higher Seasonally adjusted retail sales increased 0.3% in February after retail sales for January were revised 1.0% higher . . . the Advance Retail Sales Report for February (above) from the Census Bureau estimated our seasonally adjusted retail and food services […]

Republican’s Deliberately Dangerous Vaccine Messaging

Florida’s Surgeon General Is Sending a Dangerous Message | MedPage Today, Thresia B. Gambon, MD, MBA, MPH March 15, 2022 There is a lot of unclear and purposeful misleading messages coming from politicians, pundits, and the internet. Doctors are also not clear in explaining Covid prevention. The result being the public not understanding whether to be […]

Despite OPEC shortfall, first global oil surplus of 360,000 barrels per day

RJS, Focus on Fracking; Oil prices went on another wild ride, but i’m going to copy what I wrote on the monthly OPEC report here. The oil surplus, albeit small, surprised me. If it was going to happen, it would be during the winter for most of the planet’s driving population. Note this is for […]

First Quarter ’22 Cattle & Ranch Report

Green grass is growing finally down south as some rainfalls are being received east of the Colorado River, not that Colorado River, the other one that moves through Austin, and has very little to do with it’s namesake. Grass growing in the spring brings on the grazing and let’s the ranchers get off the expensive […]

Mixed Bag; Crude Oil, SPR, Oil and Product Supply, Distillates, etc.

RJS, Focus on Fracking, Commercial crude supply rise as SPR falls to 19½ year low, total oil + products supply at new 95 month low; exports of distillates at a 20-month high after largest drop in domestic demand in 18 months The Latest US Oil Supply and Disposition Data from the EIA US oil data […]

Why Is Germany Increasing Defence Spending ?

Recently, we have learned that the Russian military is vastly less capable than anyone imagined. Also, in three whole weeks, Ukrainians have markedly reduced the capabilities of the Russian military. Therefore, naturally many governments (including the German government) have decided they must spend more on their militaries to face the Russian threat. This makes no […]

Higher Covid Death Rates in Trump States

I was reading the usual MedPage Today articles. One commenter discusses the State of Florida under Governor DeSantis having a high Covid Death Rate. Fourteen of 15 states favored Trump in the election and have the highest Covid Death Rates. The article: “Florida’s Surgeon General Sends a Dangerous Message” | MedPage Today, Thresia B. Gambon, […]