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

Just Some BLS and CPI Report Numbers for April 2026

 President Donald Trump returned from the spectacle of a Chinese state visit to a less than welcoming U.S. economy . . . with the military band and garden tour in Beijing giving way to pressure over how to fix America’s escalating inflation rate. I would be curious as to what the Chinese thought of the […]

The bond market is sending a message

– by New Deal democrat The bond market is sending the T—-p Administration, and the US government as a whole, a message. It believes the US is in a secular inflationary trend.  This is not only because T—-p’s tariffs, and his boneheaded war with Iran, are inflationary, but also because last year’s Big Budget Bust-out […]

Inflation Negating Worker Wage Increases

Biden passed a strong economy over to Trump. A few things Biden passed on to Trump is due to a strong economy: – Inflation was tamed without a recession. – Workers benefited from a strong labor market in years – Households, especially those limited by prior barriers, saw substantial wealth gains. Americans faced significant price […]

Upping Our War Crimes Game, Plus

Continual progression of Going to War with the Latest (original title below). It is difficult to describe what this administration is doing. Just watching, they are dismantling many of the past programs and doctrine to provide a different view for domestic needs. The military is being given a significant boost in funding and power. And […]

A six-figure limit on Social Security benefits?

Sometime around 2033 or 2034, SS benefits will drop by ca. 23% if nothing is done. One frequent proposal is to remove the cap on payroll taxes. There are at least two problems with this: (1) the wealthiest Americans derive most of their income from non-salary sources, and (2) this just turns SS into welfare, […]

No More Driving Miss Daisy or Whoever . . .

It is too expensive and my vehicle does not guzzle gasoline. Gasoline Prices Just curious as to what Angry Bear readers are seeing for gasoline pricing. At a Shell Station (Riggs Road and Alma School, Sun Lakes, Arizona), the price was over $5 per gallon. I do not remember the change part of it exactly. […]

Remembering Milton Friedman

Mike Brock has a long piece up at his substack on Milton Friedman. For the tl;dr crowd, here’s the money quote: “The honest historical record is that Friedman made substantive contributions that the contemporary American left has absorbed without recognizing and that the contemporary American right has invoked without honoring. Both receptions are defective. The […]

Five Charts, Numerics, and some Explanation on Home Ownership in the United States

 Individual economic circumstances will influence political beliefs and behavior. Such can be said about homeowners and potential homeowners who desire to be homeowners. For example. higher mortgage interest rates will restrict those who have lower incomes. In the end, the inability to afford a home will have an influence in American politics. Home ownership and […]