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

SNAP Program in Arizona is Decreasing Due to Republican Politics

The mean part of this is the politics in the decrease of SNAP to people who obviously need it and who go through a qualification program. For example, in AZ this is the start of the Qualification Process: As you can see to the right, the initial page of the registration is detailed in asking […]

Economically weighted ISM services + manufacturing indexes strongly stagflationary

– by New Deal democrat We got a bunch of data this morning. I’ll discuss the JOLTS employment data from last month, and the ISM services report today. Since new home sales are a long leading indicator, I think I can safely wait to discuss that report tomorrow. Let me start with the ISM services report […]

Retaliation is Not a Strategy,

Trump Threatening Europe . . . Kareem Takes on the News, Substack Retaliation is Not a Strategy A Summary:  The Pentagon announced on May 1, 2026, it would withdraw approximately 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany within the next six to twelve months> this beginning a move that followed a public dispute between President Donald Trump […]

Who Signed the Most?

Executive orders by president: Who has signed the most? USAFacts When a president takes office, they often sign executive orders soon after inauguration, sometimes on Inauguration Day itself. An executive order is a presidential action that directs federal agencies on how to operate. It carries the effect of law provided it aligns with constitutional powers. […]

Tennessee, evolution and Cinco de Mayo

From a PBS post on Facebook yesterday: “On May 5, 1925, Dayton, Tennessee high school teacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution. “It all began when the state of Tennessee passed a law making it a crime to teach evolution in public schools. The newly-organized American Civil Liberties Union responded immediately, placing an ad […]

Affordability continues to be the main financial challenge for U.S. households

I get weary of listening to the constant blame game of Biden did this or that and we were paying for it in this presidency, A convenient way for Trump to hide and Republicans to blame the past presidency. It is B.S. “The post-pandemic recovery is an economic policy success story: Policymakers took the best […]

Population Decline

This decrease has been a long time coming. In 2006. population growth was at breakeven. I documented this in “population is growing at the rate of almost 1 percent per year, Angry Bear. Joel Garreau wrote the article in Smithsonian “300 Million and Counting” and It was in 2006 when the United States was at […]

Let Them Eat Cake Moment

Coming from a man who is overweight? It appears as if they are doctoring Trump’s appearance also. Maybe, I am the last to notice this> “‘Disgusting’: Republicans Applaud as Trump Brags About Taking Food Aid from Millions,” Common Dreams US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from Republican lawmakers and administration officials Tuesday night when he […]

Long leading indicators in Q1 GDP point in absolutely opposite directions

– by New Deal democrat The advance report for Q1 GDP was a study in contrasts, both in terms of the leading indicators and also the sources of strength. Let me start with the general information: on a nominal basis, GDP in Q1 increased a mediocre 1.4% at an annual rate (blue). After adjusting for inflation, […]

The key to longevity

As I told a guy today up at Slater Park, I plan to live to 100 because very few people die after that age. I didn’t tell him that I plagiarized that George Burns line. I could also have quoted Woody Allen: I plan to achieve immortality by not dying. There are certainly things one […]