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

Weighing Regional Fed Services Surveys, the sketch emerges of an economy on the cusp of stagflationary recession

 – by New Deal democrat As I’ve reiterated several times this month, the two items of information I am paying the most attention to in the absence of official federal economic data are the Regional Fed Banks and the ISM, for both of their manufacturing and services reports. I should add that earlier this week […]

October Regional Feds’ summary of the goods producing economy: growth, but with strong inflation and almost nonexistent job growth

 – by New Deal democrat With the shutdown of almost all economic statistics from the federal government, one of the most important remaining sources is the Fed and its regional banks. All 5 of them that publish manufacturing and services reports have now done so. Which means that we have a decent placeholder proxy for […]

In the Last Three Years, Americans Feel Worse Off

Keep in mind much of the issue during the last four years pre-Tru_p was the result of Covid and the stimulus packages put in place to help Americans. Many companies took advantage of government loans which were later forgiven. Others took advantage of a Covid economy by increasing prices in various manner such as packaging. […]

Rising Prices and Costs from Tariffs are Impacting Inflation

Most of us have read about tariffs and rising prices. Coupled together a piece from The Economist and Robert Reich’s latest. “Trump’s impact on the economy and the nation? The damage from the tariffs that are in place is starting to be felt. The collapse in migration is an enormous and underappreciated shock to the economy. […]

Maybe Crime is Not as Serious in the US Now?

The perception being, citizens are viewing it as not as serious for a second year. “Crime in U.S. Seen as Less Serious for Second Straight Year,” GALLUP WASHINGTON, D.C. — Building on last year’s less-negative assessments of crime in the U.S., Americans’ perceptions have again improved in 2025. Less than half, 49%, now say crime is an […]

An Insecure Supply and Supply Chain Made Even More Insecure

Tariffs do not make the United States secure. Many countries like to sell and supply to the US because it is a large market. The people are more secure and can afford many things. The US relies on foreign countries to supply many different things to it. Some of the hazards of such a reliance […]

Libertarianism is feudalism

I’ve long said that libertarianism is the political philosophy of middle school boys and arrested development, the apotheosis of solipsism. Libertarianism holds that property rights are the only rights that matter, and that in any conflict the marketplace, not the state, must and can resolve conflicts between interests. That, my friends, is feudalism. And feudalism, […]

GM Backing Away from EV – Electric Vehicles

GM backs away a bit from it Electric Vehicle (EV) strategy. Manufacturing capacity was there. Sales was not there yet. If anything, this foray into EV manufacture will give them a chance to regroup. It takes time to recast their manufacturing capabilities for each year’s model change and what manufacturing facility will produce it. Usually, […]

Home ec

The high school my wife and I attended in East Tennessee back in the early 70s offered both home ec and shop. She took home ec, but I didn’t take shop. Shop was power tools and home ec was domestic skills like cooking and sewing. The Boston Globe just published an article that reminded me […]

Open Enrollment for Medicare Traditional or Advantage. Why you should Pick Traditional

I broke this comment by Deb Schultz (comments section “Traditional Medicare Open Enrollment is Now”) into three different segments to emphasize each part. Deb and I talked once before. I agree with her comments. It is worth reading so you understand the issues. Please read. ~~~~~~~ “Is this open season for Traditional Medicare available only […]