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

Real aggregate nonsupervisory payrolls have continued to increase, negativing recession. Here’s why

– by New Deal democrat There’s no major economic news today, so let me take this opportunity in view of last week’s update to the CPI, to update one of my favorite labor market indicators: real aggregate nonsupervisory payrolls. As a brief refresher, over the past 60 years this has been a very good and reliable […]

Industrial production increases again in February, but ex-AI related utilities has made little progress since last July

 – by New Deal democrat Probably my biggest theme right now is that most of the economy is either recessionary or at least on the cusp of recessionary. But this has been counterbalanced by AI data center- related spending, and the stock market boom and wealth effect it gave rise to.  Last month I highlighted how […]

Important Take on the First Amendment

I see no reason to add to Joyce Vance’s piece; “Attacking the First Amendment on Repeat.” It is an excellent read. I subscribe to Joyce Vance’s Site: “Civil Discourse.”  Nothing like casual threats to free speech on a Saturday morning in America. Brendan Carr, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, saw Donald Trump’s Truth […]

“Gap between the boom Trump predicted and the volatile results He Produced”

If you are reading this, New Deal democrat predicted 2025 would be a wash in labor growth and the economy. No Boom to be experienced in any case for 2025. And 2026 may not be so great either. “Trump’s ‘roaring economy’ meets a rough start to 2026 with job losses, rising gas prices and uncertainty.” […]

January personal income and spending: treading water, leading metrics sinking

 – by New Deal democrat Before I get to the main event, a couple of quick comments on the other data released so far this morning:  1. Real GDP as revised only grew at 0.7% annualized in the 4th Quarter of last year. This is often, but by no means always, recessionary. And since there was […]

“divergence between higher-wealth, higher income consumers and their lower-wealth, lower-income counterparts”

Preliminary results from the February 2026 survey University of Michigan economics’ report does not see a dynamic economy for the overall nation. It portends gains for the upper income populace and not so much in store for the lower income brackets. Largest stockholders can look forward to a good year. Those further down, a not-so-great […]

Review of “McNamara at war”

I registered for the draft as a high school senior during the Vietnam war. At the time, you registered at 18, your lottery number was assigned at 19, and you were drafted at 20 if your number was low enough. In the event (a) my number was high enough that I wouldn’t get drafted and […]

“signs of both imminent recession and ‘green shoots’”

“Housing permits, starts, and construction: signs of both imminent recession and ‘green shoots’”  – by New Deal democrat This morning’s important data on housing construction contained two apparently contradictory trends: on the one hand, it continues to be – even more intensely – consistent with an imminent or ongoing recesssion. On the other hand, it suggests […]

What Has the World Received in Return for U.S. Efforts?

Summing it up as to what our current president is doing to make the United States and the rest of the world safer and economically better. Nothing, just worse, “Double Standard at the Top, When One Tremor Ripples Across the Globe, & The Quiet Crisis in America’s Living Rooms,” Kareem Takes on the News Summary:  […]