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

What’s he hiding in there?

To follow up on my previous post; “WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Tesla told U.S. regulators that all of its answers to questions on the safety of its robotaxi deployment in Texas are confidential business information and should not be made public, according to a letter released Monday.” Because the safety of Tesla’s stock price will be endangered. […]

It’s a casino

“(Reuters) -Tesla shares jumped 10% on Monday, lifted by the long-awaited launch of the company’s robotaxi service that CEO Elon Musk has for years championed as a key driver of the electric vehicle maker’s lofty valuation. “The automaker deployed a small fleet of self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, marking the first time its […]

The robotaxis that aren’t

Musk’s SpaceX rockets explode, sometimes on the launch pad. Now, Musk’s promise of Tesla robotaxis has also exploded. “Tesla’s much-anticipated June 22 “no one in the vehicle” “unsupervised” Robotaxi launch in Austin is not ready. Instead, Tesla has announced to its invite-only passengers that it will operate a limited service with Tesla employees on board […]

Tesla robotaxis are still in the future

Musk’s robotaxi debut in Austin ain’t happenin’. I guess Elon paid off some Texas legislators to give him time: “Since last year, Musk has discussed launching the service in Austin this summer. For the last few months, he had indicated that it would happen in June, with the June 22nd date being officially shared last […]

Why hasn’t the housing downturn caused a recession yet? A detailed look

 – by New Deal democrat As promised yesterday, today let me take an extended look at the important leading sector of housing. I want to walk through each of the important series generally in the order in which they have typically peaked, and how in at least one important respect this time is – somewhat […]

Housing construction looks even more recessionary

 – by New Deal democrat Because no data will be released tomorrow due to the Federal holiday, I am going to defer a deeper look at the very important housing sector until then. Today I’ll just note the top line indications from this morning’s housing construction data. As per usual, permits are much less noisy than […]

Can Israel win without boots on the ground?

In its latest attack on Iran, Israel has resorted to bombing and assassination to convince Iran to capitulate on its nuclear program*. What’s the track record of success for bombing and assassination campaigns? Bombing “Unless an enemy army takes Tehran, as the US military took Baghdad in 2003, this four-branch government cannot be gotten rid […]

Thought there wasn’t a healthcare insurance angle to Trump’s dictator gambit in Los Angeles? Guess again

No pay. no healthcare insurance, no rack to sleep in and probably no mess hall meals somewhere. I am going to guess their being federalized grants them access to regular Army healthcare. Still does not take care of family. Civilian authorities always like the help of Federal Detachments until it comes time to provide essentials. […]