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

His rockets blow up, his cars crash

“Autonomous driving is the core promise around which Elon Musk has built his company. Tesla has never delivered a truly self-driving vehicle, yet the richest person in the world keeps repeating the claim that his cars will soon drive entirely without human help. Is Tesla’s autopilot really as advanced as he says? “The Tesla Files […]

Jobless claims remain neutral

 – by New Deal democrat In addition to the jobs report, because this is Thursday we also got the latest jobless claims numbers. To wit, initial claims declined -4,000 to 233,000, and the four week moving average declined -3,750 to 241,500. With the typical one week delay, continuing claims were unchanged at 1.964 million: The more […]

Book Review “Basic Economics”

David Zetland doing a review of Thomas Sowell’s book, “Basic Economics.” I had written Mr. Sowell once, maybe a decade ago. I was the recipient of his book. I was a third of the way through it when I was called away for a business trip which lasted a month. I found the book and […]

JOLTS survey for May still consistent with “soft landing” scenario

– by New Deal democrat As promised, let me parse the JOLTS survey for May, which was reported yesterday.  As a quick refresher, this survey decomposes the employment market into openings, hires, quits, and layoffs. In 2024 the data were most consistent with a “soft landing,” but the actions of the new Administration, especially on trade, […]

Some Additional Thoughts and Reading . . . Fellow Rats

– Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions, but fate of Trump birthright citizenship order unclear. The Copper Courier. “the decision left unclear the fate of President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship.” – States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules. Associated Press. “authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined by the […]

The Brushy Mountain State Prison of the Everglades

I grew up about 20 miles from Brushy Mountain State Prison. You may remember it as the place James Earl Ray was held until, briefly, he wasn’t. He escaped and was re-captured. The appeal of Brushy Mountain included rough terrain and venomous snakes that inhabited the surrounding area. Copperhead Alcatraz. I once visited the prison […]

The US federal deficit isn’t the scariest deficit

While Congress debates just how much to goose the federal deficit, the global climate budget is even further out of balance that previously feared: “But another approach can give us a very clear sense of what’s going on: track how much heat enters Earth’s atmosphere and how much heat leaves. This is Earth’s energy budget, […]

Pay close attention to real personal spending on goods

 – by New Deal democrat  This week data arrives in two batches: a smaller batch (ISM manufacturing and construction spending) tomorrow, and a huge tranche (nonfarm payrolls, jobless claims, ISM services, and factory orders) on Thursday. Which means I might take Wednesday off, and/or delay reporting on some of Thursday’s data until Friday. In the meantime, […]