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

A Battle Over High School Emails

It appears Michigan Republican politicians are afraid of high school students protesting the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Present Congress man Tom Barrett is seeking information about a high school walk out. A candidate running to replace Tom Barrett talked to students. Tom’s organization filed a FOIA to find out what opposing Democrat […]

SCOTUS overturns Trump tariffs

“The justices, divided 6-3 held that Trump’s aggressive approach to tariffs on products entering the United States from across the world was not permitted under a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).” *snip* “The decision does not affect all of Trump’s tariffs, leaving in place ones he imposed on steel and […]

Holding the Newly Built and Paid for by Canada Bridge Hostage

How many more times will the fool in Washington D,C, embarrass Americans to the rest of the world??? “Anatomy of Ignorance — and Corruption,” Jack Lessenberry Donald Trump and the Morouns, owners of the Ambassador Bridge (Editor’s Note: If you’ve been reading me regularly, you know I’ve written twice recently about Trump’s outrageous move to prevent […]

Presidents’ Day week jobless claims pose a quandary

– by New Deal democrat Later this morning I’ll discuss yesterday’s positive durable goods orders release, and in that context, I’ll also have more to say about the likely reason why industrial production also improved so much. Tomorrow we’ll get personal income and spending, and new home sales, both from December, as well as the […]

Worried About AI?

J.P. McJefferson talking Artificial Intelligence. “’We’ve been here before.’ Every generation has its technological scare story.” Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash Why Should I Be Worried About AI? J.P. McJefferson Thoughts For many people, the current anxiety about artificial intelligence feels overblown. They say, “We’ve been here before.” Every generation has its technological scare story. In the […]

Short and medium term inflation, interest rates, and the overstretched consumer

The deluge of data resumes tomorrow with housing permits and starts, industrial production, and durable goods orders. In the meantime, let me make a few “big picture” observations of the economy, and in particular, the short and longer term trends in inflation and interest rates. – by New Deal democrat 1. Short term inflation A very […]

Disinflating shelter prices and deflating gas prices work wonders for January CPI

No, it is not a mistake by putting the title at the head of this post (above) and a second time below. I did not want the AB readers to think I was writing this commentary about January CPI results. This report belongs solely to New Deal democrat. Oh, I did write or report on […]

Just the Facts Consumer Price (CPI) Report

CPI Report with just the facts being reported. Another report after the CPI Report. Gap in spending growth between higher-income households and all others was at its largest since mid-2022 . . . And many people will lose healthcare due to drop in the ACA subsidies and Medicaid. ACA Subsidies will go from 600 FPL […]

Leading sector benchmark job revisions were almost all seriously negative

– by New Deal democrat Before I get to the main point at hand, let me make a quick note about this morning’s existing home sales report for January: it was more of the same. Sales remained within the sideways range they have been in for nearly the past three years; prices were nearly flat YoY, […]