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

Giving to the Ultra-Rich Through Tax Breaks

Talking politics here and probably rightfully so. Tax relief for the wealthy and kicking people off of Medicaid to fund those breaks will not go over big. It appears there is plans to cut Medicare also. Both cuts will be for funding tax breaks for wealthy in income. The highest 10% will average an ~ […]

One European Country Adapting to U.S. Tariffs

Without a doubt, Pres. Tr__p has set up the United States for some type of retaliation in the future. Yes, Europe will adjust in some manner. Perhaps, Switzerland will move the final part of manufacturing to another country which is favored by the US. There are probably ways around this which need to be explored. […]

Buyers Regret?

There have been a number of stories about the ways Trump has hurt the people who supported him in November 2024 and his declining approval among two groups who moved toward him in the last election –Hispanics and young men. He does not seem to have suffered much erosion in rural populations generally despite his […]

Alas, Cybertruck, we hardly knew ye

A Cybertruck passed us this morning on the way back from the south shore of Rhode Island. My wife remarked that it looked like a rolling dumpster. I’ve certainly never understood the appeal. Apparently, my aesthetic is shared. “Once one of the world’s most-hyped vehicles, sales and production numbers for Tesla’s Cybertruck have fallen sharply. […]

The muddied historical picture of PPI vs. CPI

 – by New Deal democrat Forecasting has always been hard, and moreso since the supply chain issues of 2021-22 made reading the interest rate signals from the long leading indicators muddled. But at least the short leading indicators were intact. But now we have the additional wrench in the works in the form of a mafia-style […]

Market Share of Economics

“refining and focusing on what works and what doesn’t.” Sharing a commentary as taken from The one-handed economist. The market share of economics Some economists have called our discipline the “queen of the social sciences.” Although all the social sciences offer insights on human behavior, it seems that economics gets the most public attention and “market […]

Trump Has Illegally Impounded Funds for 4th Time in Recent Weeks

This is one of those situations which creates a “what are you going to do about it” scenario. Trump administration is violating a federal law that prevents the executive branch from holding back funds approved by Congress. In reality. what can Congress do? Any attempt by the executive branch to withhold appropriated funds outside the […]

The future of the American southwest

Years ago, I was invited to give a talk at Arizona State University in Tempe. My host told me to fly in early in the day, so he could take me walking in the desert. I’d never seen anything like it: mostly cactus and rocks. Seemed like Middle Earth. Since then, we’ve vacationed in Arizona […]

New DEal democrats Weekly Indicators for August 11-15

Weekly Indicators for August 11 – 15 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. This week I quantified the difference between commodity prices in the US$ vs. a basket of all other currencies. Perhaps unsurprisingly,  the upward pressure on commodity prices appears to be all, or almost […]