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

Agencies cut the most by Trump, new data reveals

I believe we are experiencing delays in assistance to citizens due to a lack of employees in the government agencies. The layoffs were only a small amount of the people who have left the Federal Government. Most of the departures were voluntary. Think about it. Two people who have to much influence and power are […]

Two cheers for congressional science funding

Things were looking grim for federally funded science earlier this year: • Trump proposed an overall cut in science funding from $198 to $154 billion, a reduction of 22% that would have been the largest reduction in federal science spending since World War II: • Trump proposed that the National Science Foundation budget be slashed […]

December jobs report: ringing the alarm bells for imminent recession* (*with caveats)

 – by New Deal democrat [Note: Housing permits, starts, and units under construction were also updated this morning for September and October. I will post my remarks on this report on Monday; but in summary I can say it remained recessionary, with some possible “green shoots” that may indicate a bottom.] This morning’s jobs report for […]

A pediatrician’s thoughts on the new vaccine schedule

The other day, I was getting my semi-annual cleaning at the dentist office. When the hygienist asked what I did before retirement, I told her I was a medical school professor. That touched off a 15-minute interrogation about childhood vaccination. She has an infant daughter. While she’s gotten all the recommended vaccines, she was plainly […]

Why Congressional Republicans are Responsible for the Government Chaos

Secondarily, J.P. McJefferson gives the specific reasons why Republicans are holding the bag on being responsible for governmental and political leadership. It is difficult to imagine why they fall in line with Trump and Miller’s demands. Comment extracted from an earlier post. “Republicans en mass are responsible for the complete chaos of the American government,” […]

Republicans en mass are responsible for the complete chaos of the American government

AB: J.P. McJefferson’s comment in reply to a commentary by Ken Melvin, “The Republicans.” Ken, you are so right that Republicans en masse are the responsible party for the complete chaos of the American government. This great experiment of government, with its brilliantly designed checks and balances, was prepared to handle the misguided course of […]

“We control our own destiny here, but we’re not controlling it right now”

“Southwest’s disappearing precipitation is also due to human-driven climate change,” University of Michigan News To end the Colorado River Basin’s megadrought, ‘we just need to stop climate change,’ a U-M expert says. ‘We know how to stop it and it’s not too late to stop it.’ Like much of the southwestern U.S., the Colorado River […]

citizens are not replacing themselves

Preliminary Information . . . During the Vietnan conflict or war, I served with other nationalities who were “not” citizens. Never gave it a thought as we all worked together in the Corps. The question was why would they serve in the military of a country where they were not citizens? Upon enlistment, they were […]

“Difficult issues await Ukraine peace talks team”

It may be such that the United States may abandon Ukraine to the Russians just to get out of the situation of providing it weaponry. Ukraine is in a tough position with having to work with a US president who more likely than not favors Russia over them. Once again, the United States may just […]