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

Policies Shifted Trade from China?

Has trade for materials, components, and product shifted away from China to be used in the U.S.? Maybe, maybe not, and maybe later. If you are going to manufacture in the US, you have to have the capability. It make take a bit to get up and ready. If we are buying product, etc. from […]

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators August 21-25 2023

Weekly Indicators for August 21 – 25 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat While I was away on vacation, the high frequency data continued to pour in. And so my Weekly Indicators post for the week is up at Seeking Alpha. There continue to be some very negative signs associated with interest rates, including important […]

microplastics

These days, microplastics seem to have displaced methane and carbon dioxide as the environmental bogy man. And not that we shouldn’t worry about all pollution sources, but it turns out that, once again, driving is a big problem–not just for global warming but for microplastics as well: “Driving is not just an air pollution and […]

Friendly Fire, Allies tangle over single-payer strategy

California Democrat State Senator Scott Wiener’s (SB770) wants to talk more about single payer which some dispute as even being single payer. Health Care 4 Us (Democrats) join with union nurses in California who champion AB 1690. SB 770, establishes a “working group” to advise the Governor in informal conversations with the federal government about waivers […]

Another win for semaglutide

While I don’t find this surprising, it underscores the power of modern pharmacology. Many drugs deliver only incremental improvement, but semaglutide–like anti-hypertensives and statins–looks transformative for many people. “The diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide significantly reduced symptoms and improved quality of life in people with obesity and the most common form of heart failure […]

Initial Jobless Claims, Continue to Suggest Slow Weaking

Initial claims improve weekly, continue to suggest slow weaking  – by New Deal democrat [Reminder: I’m still traveling, so with no economic news, don’t expect a post tomorrow.] Initial jobless claims declined to 230,000 last week. The more important 4 week average increased to 236,750. Continuing claims, with a one week lag, declined slightly to […]

Public funding for bringing transformative drugs to market

AB: It is a government policy to turn the fruits of its research over to private industry without any strings attached. The 1980 Bayh-Dole Act allows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and universities housing government-funded scientists to patent and transfer (for royalties, of course) their scientific discoveries, research tools, and drug candidates to private […]

Unlike homeowners, home builders can alter their product and pricing point

Unlike homeowners, home builders can alter their product and (much more flexibly) their price point  – by News Deal democrat Yesterday I noted that home builders, unlike existing homeowners trying to sell their existing house, have flexibility in the size and amenities of the house they will build, as well as the price they are […]

Inclusion of Women in Clinical Trials Still an Issue

I have written on women being included in clinical trials in 2019. The article I was asked to write included Clinical Trials, reviewing the issues with Essure, and also Maternal Mortality. Three issues which had much detail and information, difficult to cover it all , and could have been much longer. A Woman’s Right to […]