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

Angry Bear’s New Deal democrat v. Al Jazeera’s Megha Bahree . . . U.S. Economy Recessionary?

Angry Bears New Deal democrat; July jobs report: Establishment survey weak (but still positive), Household survey (even more) recessionary. Last week: “In the past few months, my focus has been on whether jobs gains are most consistent with a “soft landing,” i.e., no further deterioration, or whether deceleration is ongoing. In the last several months I […]

Where do you start in your home to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions?

by Lloyd Alter Carbon Upfront! Over on Linkedin, UK Passivhaus developer Paul Richards complains, “There must be a clear step by step guide for Homeowners and occupiers, people are desperate to improve the efficiency and environment, but are lacking a guide as to what to do first, what are the small steps people can undertake without breaking an […]

Medicare reimbursement for 2025 is lowest since 1993

On 1 July, I retired from my 37-year faculty gig. Among other things, this meant shifting from private insurance to Medicare. I haven’t yet used my Medicare coverage, but my wife, who retired two years ago as a faculty at a different university, has had no difficulties with her transition to Medicare. So far. The […]

Why Did the US give away $52bn to corporations like Intel?

A counter argument by Robert Reich about Pres. Joe Bidens 2021 CHIPS Act. Why Did the US give away $52bn to corporations like Intel? by Robert Reich The Guardian Congress will soon put final touches on the Chips Act, which will provide more than $52bn to companies that design and make semiconductor chips. The subsidy is […]

Pharmacy Benefit Managers Overpay Their Own Pharmacies to the Detriment of Insurers and Taxpayers

More on Pharmacy Benefit Managers and their influence on costs In case you forgot who the PBMs are? The FTC said in its interim report, the “increasing vertical integration and concentration enables the six largest PBMs to manage nearly 95 percent of all prescriptions filled in the United States.” Those six are Caremark Rx, LLC; Express Scripts, Inc.; […]

Kyle Rittenhouse Changes his mind about not endorsing Trump after online pile-on

Not sure if he started to cry while the trump supporters were taking him to task. Must be the heat was to great and he was not armed. “Kyle Rittenhouse” reverses course on not endorsing Trump after online pile-on The Guardian Man who killed activists in 2020 questioned Trump’s gun rights bona fides before backing […]

Is NPR Prohibited from Talking About Profit Margins?

by Dean Baker Center for Economic and Policy Research I’m really wondering after the network ran the second piece in three days blaming a weak economy for the fact that restaurants can’t sustain their inflated pandemic profit margins. The basic story here is that many restaurant chains took advantage of the supply chain crisis to increase their […]

Boom in U.S. Construction of Manufacturing Facilities

This piece is a review on what is happening in increasing manufacturing capacity for computer, electronic, and electrical manufacturing. Where I am, there is increasing builds of facilities for each of those products. That being around the Phoenix area. One facility they have been working on for two years now and it appears to be […]

$3 Billion Shortfall in VA Benefits for Disability and Education

It figures. Just about the time they accept me in for full benefits due to my being at Camp Lejeune, the VA is starting to rund short on cash to pay for the Pact Act. What is said further down in this report, medical care is running short on funds too. That shortage is ~$9 […]