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

Goods production sector of the economy remained in expansion in May

– by New Deal democrat Late last year I noticed that the regional Fed manufacturing indicators were improving – despite the “Liberation Day” tariffs and the general chaos coming out of Washington. It appeared that manufacturers had found a modus vivendi and had adapted to the new environment. That subsequently showed up in a number of […]

Downturn in Gold Pricing could last until end of the year

When in Thailand, I most certainly did not pay that much for several ounces of 22k gold there. From the looks of it things have changed. But then that was a few years back. Read on as this will be a part of the economy . Gold dips amid renewed Mideast conflict Bangkok Post 12 […]

Automotive Manufacturing Investments

People wonder if the big three will stay in the United States. They will be around for another ten years doing the assembly part and buying components and assemblies (wire harnesses, etc.) from overseas. And yes there is cost to doing it this way. Once on the dock, they own it. Six weeks on the […]

Eliminating the USMCA with Mexico and Canada

I worked between Mexico and the US for an automotive company that made wire harness and other components for automotive companies. The assemblies would be done in one plant and then shuffled off to another plant in Mexico and then cross over into the United States for final production, packaging, and shipment to one of […]

Some of New Deal Democrat’s Weekly Indicators for June 8 – 12

 – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. “Consumers Back Off – Slightly” There was little change this week, but restaurant reservations – the first expense I would expect stretched consumers to cut back on – did slacken a little bit. And withholding tax payments over the past four weeks barely […]

Checking up on Trump’s chosen people

“So far, 206 Afrikaners have resettled in Ohio, a state that has struggled with population decline for decades. The Trump administration recently announced it plans to increase by 10,000 the number of refugee resettlement places for South Africans this year. “But since arriving in the US, Afrikaners – largely the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of Dutch settlers […]

Status of the Global Oil Issues caused by a US President

Report on Oil coming out of the middle east as Trump and Iran try to find common ground. This is way out of the ordinary and pretty much did not have to occur except for an oversized ego in the western hemisphere trying to make his mark globally. I am sure people will remember this […]

The entire US economy is downstream of the AI buildout dam, and that dam is almost certain to fail

– by New Deal democrat I’ve been ambivalent about whether the mania for AI is a Boom or a Bubble. That’s because whether its use is transformative or, like Steve Jobs’ claims that the Segway would revolutionize transportation, not so much.  But what has become increasingly clear is that virtually the entire economy has been […]