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

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 […]

Manufacturing Jobs: Unions Made Them Good, Not the Factories

by Dean Baker CEPR The effort to bring back manufacturing jobs has been a major theme in the 2024 election. Both parties say they consider this a high priority for the next administration. However, there is a notable difference in that the Biden-Harris administration has actively supported an increase in unionization, while the Republicans have […]

Covid and US Crime

IN 2020 the US homicide rate increased by 29% the largest percent increase on record. There are different theories of the cause. Some are related to Covid 19 with isolation (not lockdowns there were not lockdowns in the USA) causing increased stress and domestic disputes. The George Floyd associated conflict between police and those they […]

The FED Should Cut Rates in September

Labor market remains strong. Even so, the Fed should cut rates in September (EPI) Two things are true right now for the U.S. economy:  These might strike some as being in tension, normally we want the Fed to cut interest rates to stimulate a weak economy. Why then, if the labor market is quite strong, […]

UPDATE: Real median household income for <sigh> 2023

 – by New Deal democrat I’m a little late to this, since FRED took its time updating, but the annual report of median household income for the US was released on Tuesday for 2023.  This is an important statistic about the well-being of, well, the median American household, so one of my pet peeves is […]

Initial claims still positive, moving into very challenging YoY comparisons (plus a note about the PPI)

– by New Deal democrat If residual post-pandemic seasonality has been affecting jobless claims statistics, the real acid test is going to begin next week, as for the next 7+ months, any number higher than 220,000 is almost always going to be higher than one year ago. In the meantime, for this our last week of […]