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

Vietnam and U.S. Tariffs

If you travel in Asia, you can find knock-off products which are very similar to the original product with minor differences . . . wear and tear could be one of the differences. Of course, the cost would be far less and the product may look a bit different. In China, one could visit the […]

Tariffs Make Up 1.6% of All Federal Revenue

In other words, it is not much to be chasing and probably cost us more in lost trade due to Trump’s tinkering with it to extract concessions from other countries. If you look at the chart, you can see Individual and Corporate taxes made up the bulk of the income tax receipts or federal revenue. […]

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Talks

Live coverage as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks with Dean William M. Treanor as a part of the 2025 Graduating Class at Georgetown Law. Certainly, worth listening too. I do not agree with some of the conclusions the majority has reached. The John Roberts court created cover for this President giving him they […]

Measures of median wage growth show why consumers have still been able to outpace tariff increases

 – by New Deal democrat We’re still in a new data drought. CPI is out tomorrow, and then a slew of data on Thursday. In the meantime there is one more data point that helps explain why consumers are still powering the economy forward. The Atlanta Fed maintains a “wage tracker” that measures wage growth, […]

Trump Caves on Tariffs

The good news is that Trump agreed to end the trade war he started with China reducing Tariffs to 30% for 90 days. China reduced tariffs on imports from the US to 10%, In exchange China agreed to discuss things. For 90 days Tariffs are the status quo before “American Independence day” plus 10%. Of […]

More fuel to help consumers deal with tariffs

“Every time inflation went up more than aggregate payrolls YoY, it marked the beginning of a recession +/- 2 months.“ More fuel to help consumers deal with tariffs: real aggregate nonsupervisory payrolls likely increased again in April  – by New Deal democrat One of my favorite indicators is both a significant update from last week’s jobs […]

Would you buy a blood testing device from this guy?

Remember Theranos, the phony blood testing company fronted by made-for-TV wuderkind Elizabeth Holmes? “Elizabeth Holmes’s romantic partner – the father of her children – reportedly has raised millions of dollars to start up a new blood-testing company that is strikingly similar to the one that landed the Theranos founder in federal prison. “The fundraising comes […]

Job Market for the Young, Educated Workers

“Something strange, and potentially alarming, is happening to the job market for young, educated workers,” The Atlantic According to the New York Federal Reserve, labor conditions for recent college graduates have “deteriorated noticeably” in the past few months, and the unemployment rate now stands at an unusually high 5.8 percent. Even newly minted M.B.A.s from elite programs […]

Oil

Middle East is cutting oil prices. My guess is their wanting to stymie US production which is more expensive. A runup to the late sixties oil embargo without the embargo. Oil prices tumble after OPEC+ says it will step up production | PBS News Stocks are opening lower on Wall Street and crude prices are […]

Trump’s flim-flam pharmaceuticals plan

Trump announced that he’ll sign an executive order today that will lower drug costs in the US. ““I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” the president posted Sunday on his social media […]