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

The future of higher education in America looks bleak.

I got my BA from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1977. At the time, the university charged no tuition, but “fees” were about $165/quarter for a full load. Of course, as a state university, it was heavily subsidized by state tax dollars. Quite a feat for a state that has no income tax. The business […]

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators for December 25 – 30 2023

 – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. 2023 has been a year of improvement, and that improvements continued in the final installment, as ever so slowly more and more indicators flip neutral or positive. As usual, clicking over and reading will bring you up to the virtual moment, and […]

An honorable Republican

I’ve only voted for a Republican once (John Anderson, in a presidential primary in North Carolina), but if I lived in Vermont, I might vote for Republican governor Phil Scott: “Many point to his steady hand during crises, including last summer’s historic flooding and the pandemic, when he appeared in daily, low-key televised briefings to […]

Largest ACO Program is Saving Piddling Amounts for Medicare

Introduction: “new analysis finds that that MSSP, the oldest and largest Medicare accountable care organization (ACO) program, has lost money for individuals it covers and overall for Medicare it saves just 75¢ per $1000.” AB: Not much of gain there. What does it do for other programs? “Largest ACO Program Saves Piddling Amounts for Medicare,” […]

Jobless claims end the year on a solidly positive note

Jobless claims end the year on a solidly positive note  – by New Deal democrat For our last data of 2023, initial jobless claims remained at a very low level, up 12,000 from one week ago to 218,000. The four week average declined 250 to 212,000. With the usual one week delay, continuing claims rose 14,000 […]

Repeat home sale prices may be easing back into their pre-pandemic YoY range

Repeat home sale prices may be easing back into their pre-pandemic YoY range  – by New Deal democrat As I forewarned last week, this holiday week is very light on data, so don’t be surprised by me taking some time off. We did get November home prices for repeat sales this morning from both Case […]

Open Thread December 23 2023 Nippon Steel Purchasing U.S. Steel

President Joe Biden “has been clear that we welcome manufacturers across the world building their futures in America with American jobs and American workers. However, he also believes the purchase of this iconic American-owned U.S Steel company by a foreign entity — even one from a close ally — appears to deserve serious scrutiny in […]

Completing the housing market picture for November, sales decline bigly, and prices remain down YoY

More economic news an d this time new single family housing. Completing the housing market picture for November, sales decline bigly, and prices remain down YoY   – by New Deal democrat Our final important pre-year end release was also the final item of housing data for the month, new home sales. To reiterate, the […]