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

Weekly Indicators for November 30 – December 4 at Seeking Alpha

by New Deal democrat Weekly Indicators for November 30 – December 4 at Seeking Alpha My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. There is more evidence of weakening of the coincident data, probably as the result of the completely out of control pandemic. Some of that is probably due to new restrictions, some to […]

November jobs report: the “least positive” report since April

November jobs report: the “least positive” report since April HEADLINES: Leading employment indicators of a slowdown or recession I am still highlighting these because of their leading nature for the economy overall.  These were generally positive: 

PRC busts the price cap, lawsuits sure to follow

Fact: Contrary to what President Trump claims, the Postal Service can’t solve its financial problems by raising “the price of a package by approximately four times.” Steve Hutkins at Save The Post Office discusses the financial issues facing the United States Postal Service and why the Postal Regulatory Commission  new plans to increase prices may […]

November data starts out strong with a very positive ISM manufacturing index

November data starts out strong with a very positive ISM manufacturing index The first November data point, the ISM manufacturing index, was reported this morning, and while it declined from last month, it remained very strongly positive. The overall index declined from 59.3 to 57.5, and the more forward-looking new orders index declined from 67.9 […]

Weekly Indicators for November 23 – 27 at Seeking Alpha

 by New Deal democrat Weekly Indicators for November 23 – 27 at Seeking Alpha A little later than usual, my Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. While there has been no big deterioration, there are further slight signs that the out of control pandemic is taking a toll on the recovery that has been […]

October personal income declines, but still well above pre-pandemic peak; increased likelihood of negative pandemic reversal in jobless claims

October personal income declines, but still well above pre-pandemic peak; increased likelihood of negative pandemic reversal in jobless claims Before I turn to this week’s report on jobless claims, a brief word first about October’s personal income and spending. Although personal income declined in October compared with September, more importantly depending on how you measure […]

Is Bitcoin A Bubble?

Is Bitcoin A Bubble?  We have all thought so, with no income and nothing backing it, and it went zooming from nearly nothing to over $19,000, only to fall back hard down to around $3000, where it more or less hung out for a couple of years with the occasional up to $6000 or so.  […]

Yemen: More Damage To World Peace And Security Due To Trump Wrecking Everything As He Exits

Yemen: More Damage To World Peace And Security Due To Trump Wrecking Everything As He Exits Michigan certified its vote results for Biden, and now crucially Emily Murphey at the GSA has agreed and now recognized officially that at least Joe Biden should be allowed to transition properly as has always happened in the past […]