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

Academic Ideas to Working Policies Differences in the Public Sector

I do read Dan Zetland’s site the One-Handed Economist from time to time. He does post interesting commentaries which Angry Bear reposts. This happens to be one of the ones I find to be interesting. Soft money versus hard money? What are the differences between either and especially when it comes to physical labor? From […]

June employment report: weakly positive headlines, and important negatives in hours and payrolls

 – by New Deal democrat My Big Theme for the past few months has been that the AI Boom (or possibly bubble) is counterbalancing a stagnant or even shallowly recessionary rest of the economy. After three good reports in a row, the June employment report was very weak, and in some respects even negative. Below […]

Starting off the second half of 2026 (mainly) positive

– by New Deal democrat [Special programming note: Today we begin the second half of the year. On Friday there will be no data due to the federal holiday. Since I haven’t updated my overall nowcast and forecast for the economy, as well as how average Americans are doing economically, I plan to do so then. […]

The Late Rise of Electric Cars

Some introduction and then explanation. A rather brief take on what is going on with the Electric Car in the United States and why it did not succeed. Think Trump . . . President Trump has ordered the elimination of the EV mandate and termination of federal support for EVs. “Quantifying Trump’s impacts on EV […]

Latest TACO?

Trump refused to sign a housing bill passed by bipartisan veto-proof majorities. But if he refuses to sign it and refuses to veto it, it becomes law. “Speaker Mike Johnson says the landmark housing affordability package Congress passed earlier this month will become law — and that Republicans won’t have to take an uncomfortable vote […]

Repeat home sales continue to show almost no shelter inflation at all

 – by New Deal democrat Besides affordability being of great importance for potential homebuyers, housing also forms about 1/3rd of the entire CPI. House prices are not a component of the CPI, but historically their trend has led the official component, “Owners’ Equivalent Rent,” by about 12 to 18 months. And for about the last […]

Re-examining the long leading indicators: the effects of fiscal and commodity price shocks

– by New Deal democrat Several weeks ago, I wrote that “after 20 years, I think it’s time to examine whether the broad range of long leading indicators hold up.” This was primarily because, while when they have been positive the economy has followed suit 12 to 24 months later, several times they have been […]

Do You Need a SS Number to get ACA Healthcare Insurance?

Tweedle-di and Tweedle-Dum (Oz and Kennedy) believe you do and of course they will say illegals were applying for ACA healthcare insurance in the past. (All lies and jest, but a man is what he wants to be and disregards the rest.) Oops. slipped back to the past in my Wayback Machine mind. Trump believes […]