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

A strong dollar is good news for most of us — but not everybody wins

by Rafael Nam NPR The American dollar has been soaring this year relative to most currencies in the world. That’s providing a lot of benefits to Americans — but it’s also creating a lot of pain. The strong dollar brings a number of advantages. It reinforces America’s economic dominance and it helps reduce inflation by […]

Q2 Update: Delinquencies, Foreclosures and REO

by Bill McBride Calculated Risk Newsletter Intro: Former Angry Bear writer Bill McBribe taking up the issues of Mortgage Delinquency, Foreclosures, and Real Estate Owned (REO) foreclosed housing. The value of which decreased in the second quarter to (what Bill calls) a historically low total. Read on. We will NOT see a surge in foreclosures that would […]

Listeria Contamination with Processed Foods

Usually, listeria contamination comes from poor cleanup after a “lot-size” of a product is complete. It thrives in a moist, colder environment. Lunch meat, hot dog, sausage etc, manufacturing environment can be prone to having listeria contamination. After a lot or a shift is complete, the machines and the rooms have to be cleaned. The […]

U.S. Defense Spending in Historical and International Context

The U.S. economy has been growing faster than military spending, so defense spending as a share of GDP has been decreasing. While the $dollars spent are increasing, the percentage of GDP Defense Spending takes up has been decreasing since 1952. Perhaps a better question is do we really need to spend this much on Defense? […]

Immigrant Deportations During the Trump Administration as Compared to Previous Administrations

by Tara Watson Williams College EconoFact “Relative to the late Bush and early Obama eras, the Trump administration removed a modest number of immigrants from the nation’s interior.” One would not think such was true. Apparently and as in other instances, the numbers say differently. Keep in mind this report is from 2021. It does […]

Kroger Posts Massive Profits Amid Price Gouging Outcry and Merger Push

More on Kroger push to merge Albertsons into its array of stores. This comes after Appollo Funds and Cerberus Capital Management have milked it for $billions. The $24.6 billion deal [1], largely benefiting Albertson’s private equity owner Cerberus Capital Management, is seen by many as a maneuver to maximize investor returns rather than to provide […]

Under Each of the Last Three Presidents, oil and gas production was higher at the End of Their term than the Beginning

When you read this, pay attention to who is funding who for the presidency. It is surprising and it is not surprising. We have heard this person who longs to be a president again and people still support this person? The energy companies backing are profit and control mongers. They see an opportunity and they […]

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators for September 9-13

– by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. The imminent likelihood of a Fed rate cut has continued to drive rates down to new 12-month lows (which is good for things like mortgages in particular). Meanwhile consumer spending as measured weekly is also near 12 month highs, which is also […]