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

Republicans Claim Immigration Fraud

Rather than build upon a program or programs, Trump and fellow Republicans decided to change, make more difficult, or destroy a number of initiatives as listed below. Think back to the expansion of ACA healthcare so many citizens were covered during Covid. Our brazen overweight president eliminated the subsidies for millions of citizens. In many […]

A Reflection on Memorial Day

This needs no introduction. Robert Reich takes on the issue correctly in his latest piece. Sunday thought: The problem ISN’T that we’re “divided and polarized” I keep hearing that one of America’s biggest problems is we’re “divided and polarized.” For example, New York Times columnist David French: “We’ve known for a long time that America is deeply polarized, […]

Will Cuba be Venezuela 2.0?

Like Lenin in Russia and Mao in China, Castro replaced a corrupt government when he came to power. Like Lenin and Mao, Castro replaced one form of totalitarianism with another. Unlike communism in the USSR and China, communism in Cuba has proven durable. Decades of US trade sanctions, subversion and assassination plots failed to dislodge […]

Surveys of Consumers, University of Michigan

An Explanation: The Index of Consumer Expectations focuses on three areas: how consumers view prospects for their own financial situation, how they view prospects for the general economy over the near term, and their view of prospects for the economy over the long term. Each monthly survey contains approximately 50 core questions, each of which […]

“Republicans in Congress did WHAT???”

You have to wonder whene does this stop. Republicans voted themselves in to receive funding for being in Congress session during the January 6 riots at the Capitol. Washington D.C. They have moxie to count themselves into this payback set forth by Trump. This comes after stealing healthcare benefits from millions of citizens. ~~~~~~~ Rep. […]

Refreshing Your Memory and What We are in the Process of Losing Today

Prof. Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American May 22, 2026 On May 22, 1964, in a graduation speech at the University of Michigan, President Lyndon Johnson put a name to a new vision for the United States. He called it “the Great Society” and laid out the vision of a country that did not […]

Preliminary regional Fed reports indicate inflationary pulse continuing in May

 – by New Deal democrat Although manufacturing is far less important to the US economy than it was in the decades after World War II, it is still about 25% of the total weighting; and further, it is more vulnerable to shocks than the services portion of the economy. Which means, for forecasting purposes, it […]

Trump’s approval woes

Take a look at Trump’s approval rating at fiftyplusone.  I have two observations that seem worth sharing. First, Trump’s approval has steadily declined throughout his term.  The decline is so steady that it is difficult to see the impact of particular events.  Perhaps the steady decline reflects the sheer number of unpopular decisions Trump is […]

Necessary Executive Order Reforms

J.P. McJefferson Thoughts J.P. McJefferson Despite Justice Black’s warning, our governmental system has evolved to the point where major national policy can change dramatically every four or eight years with the stroke of a pen. America was founded in opposition to concentrated executive power. The Revolution itself was, in many ways, a rejection of rule […]

Jobless claims continue to be the most positive leading indicator of all

 – by New Deal democrat I’ll get to housing permits and starts later this morning. But first, let me take my regular look at initial and continuing jobless claims. As a reminder, I look at jobless claims because historically they have been a very good short leading indicator for the economy. And they continue to […]