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

There is a economic bad moon on the rise

Credence Clear Water ear worm for you. I see the bad moon arisingI see trouble on the wayI see earthquakes and lightnin’I see bad times today . . . Credit Credence Clearwater Unfortunately, it is true the nation overall is heading for bad economic times under the leadership of Tr_mp and his followers who are […]

August industrial production: overall neutral trend continues

– by New Deal democrat So much is imported that industrial production is much less central to the US economic picture than it was before the “China shock,” but it remains an important if diminished economic indicator. It has been trending generally sideways this year, and that trend continued in August. Headline industrial production (blue in […]

Medicaid and Hospital Healthcare

Tr__p is planning to cut Medicaid because he can do so with Republican support. Somehow, he has to find a way to pay for the tax breaks for the upper income followers. Doing so will have consequences for both the low-income citizens and also for the healthcare infrastructure. One Republican Senator is starting to take […]

Consumers say “hold my beer” to DOOOMing about Sales

– by New Deal democrat Retail sales is the first of two very important indicators we got this morning. Per yesterday, with employment growth “dead in the water” since April, consumer spending – which leads future employment – is the single most crucial element of a turning point.   It really is incredible how it takes a […]

Hold onto your wallet

St. Reagan famously said that the most terrifying words in the English language were “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Now that the Roberts SCOTUS has decided that Donald Trump *is* the government, Reagan’s quip takes on a new salience. “For more than half a century publicly-traded US corporations have reported earnings […]

Employment growth is dead in the water,

tomorrow we will find out about production and sales  – by New Deal democrat With no news today, let’s take a look at why two releases tomorrow are especially important. Let me begin with employment, which is “dead in the water.”  I’ve written before about how manufacturing and construction employment, and now the entire leading sector […]

China warns the Philippines

Bried Commentary: Mainland China warns the Philippines against any interference with their routine patrols. China’s State Council revealed it intends of establishing a nature reserve spanning 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres). The site is the disputed islet of Scarborough Shoal, a contested territory claimed by both China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. More than […]

New Deal democrat’s Weekly Indicators for September 8 – 12

– by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. While job growth has almost completely stalled, and inflation shows signs of picking up, both consumer spending and the stock market continue to plow forward at full speed. It’s an odd situation that may be powered almost exclusively by people at the top […]

Trump Tax Cuts Benefiting Healthcare Companies More than People

A partial of a much larger report. The complete report can be found here. As taken from: Americans for Tax Fairness “Sick Profits.” This portion of the article looks at the differences in profits and where those profits are going. The additional profits (mostly gained from tax breaks) are not going to reductions in healthcare […]

Vehicle sales in August looked pre-recessionary

– by New Deal democrat The QCEW for Q1 of this year will be released at 10 AM Eastern time this morning. It should also finalize the numbers for last year. Why is that important? Because it will also set the preliminary benchmark revisions for the monthly jobs numbers last year and into this year. […]