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

Voters in West Virginia . . .

Voters in West Virginia Support the Build Back Better Agenda, Senior Analyst, Ethan Winter, Data for Progress, August 27, 2021 From August 20, to August 27; Data for Progress organization “conducted a survey of 348 likely voters in West Virginia” to discover whether there was voter support for Biden’s Build Back Better bill. As you […]

Record High in Producer Price Index and Other Market Indicators

Record 9.6% Annual Increase in November Producer Price Index; Record 6.9% YoY Increase in Core Prices; Record 7.1% YoY Increase for Final Demand Services, Record 14.9% Increase for Final Demand Goods, and a 46+ year Record for Prices of Intermediate Goods, RJS, MarketWatch 666 The seasonally adjusted Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand rose 0.8% in […]

Waldman on Waldmann

“the economist who thinks he has caught what all the virologists have missed” is right here Paul. OK now I have to put my mouth where my mouth is. I do honestly think I have answers which are of interest to actual virologists. Start with the antibody, then find the antigen. This is really a […]

Land Rich, Cash Poor

Farmer and Agriculture Economist Michael Smith “[Land profits] are a species of revenue which the owner, in many cases, enjoys without the care and attention of his own” -Adam Smith In other words, land appreciates not by the owners doing, but his neighbors.  Sure, there are certain things that can be done to improve land, […]

Un Tiro Manchin

The italian idiom for a low blow (also for an unexpected blow) is “un tiro mancino” literally a left handed blow. Manchin hit all the other Democrats with a tiro mancino yesterday. Notably “mancino” means left handed so, hard as it is to believe, he had ancestors who were lefties as in left handed. Aside […]

This is Just Cringeworthy

Cringeworthy, are the numbers of people who still are unvaccinated and believe they will not be stricken by Covid. Hospitals, doctors, nurses and the staff are at critical mass again. Meanwhile courts continue to block mandatory vaccinations on the premise it is their right to become infected and endanger others. And Republicans are cheering on […]

An Urgent Warning about Omicron’s Exponential Spread

A brief introduction, not to New Deal democrat, but to the subject matter. An extremely contagious new Covid virus is emerging globally and in the US. Those who have resisted inoculations and other preventative measures may find themselves particularly vulnerable. Reviewing the graphs presented, this virus will rapidly infect the US. This Covid Virus will […]

Oil Rebounds and SPR at another 18 – 1/2 year Low

Oil rebounds on Omicron optimism; SPR at another 18 1/2 year low as sales to Asian refiners begin, Focus of Fracking, RJS Not really much news this week; gasoline & distillate inventories continue to rebound from the lows, no big moves on prices or much else; the headline is almost contrived . . . the […]