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

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators August 21-25 2023

Weekly Indicators for August 21 – 25 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat While I was away on vacation, the high frequency data continued to pour in. And so my Weekly Indicators post for the week is up at Seeking Alpha. There continue to be some very negative signs associated with interest rates, including important […]

microplastics

These days, microplastics seem to have displaced methane and carbon dioxide as the environmental bogy man. And not that we shouldn’t worry about all pollution sources, but it turns out that, once again, driving is a big problem–not just for global warming but for microplastics as well: “Driving is not just an air pollution and […]

Update on CMS implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act on its 1st anniversary

Passing along information on Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, one year out, and the impact on the US. Update on CMS implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act on its 1st anniversary, ACA Signups, Charles Gaba via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (note: this press release actually came out on August 16th):

Limits on pickup truck and SUV size and weight

This is interesting stuff. Big, loud, and gas guzzlers. Licensing them according to such could go a long when in shutting down the purchase of them. Many of these trucks are platforms to conduct business out of them. No licenses for such. Neither do hey have the business name, phone number, and name. Technology for […]

Friendly Fire, Allies tangle over single-payer strategy

California Democrat State Senator Scott Wiener’s (SB770) wants to talk more about single payer which some dispute as even being single payer. Health Care 4 Us (Democrats) join with union nurses in California who champion AB 1690. SB 770, establishes a “working group” to advise the Governor in informal conversations with the federal government about waivers […]

Another win for semaglutide

While I don’t find this surprising, it underscores the power of modern pharmacology. Many drugs deliver only incremental improvement, but semaglutide–like anti-hypertensives and statins–looks transformative for many people. “The diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide significantly reduced symptoms and improved quality of life in people with obesity and the most common form of heart failure […]

Voting Yes on CalCare Means No on SB770

A bit of Political Activism Here . . . It appears SB770 is a way to slow the move to Single Payer healthcare in California. AB 1690 needs to be approved. HC4US joins union nurses in California who champion AB 1690, which sets in motion a single-payer health care coverage system for all residents in […]

Battle of the Cultures in Getting the Job Done

Two completely different cultures trying to understand one another. I have worked for Japanese, Korean, and German management. How the Japanese and Koreans addressed me was far different than how they address the workers of their descent. The Germans were far more open than the other two cultures. Overhead Costs; TSMC may not be burdened […]

Initial Jobless Claims, Continue to Suggest Slow Weaking

Initial claims improve weekly, continue to suggest slow weaking  – by New Deal democrat [Reminder: I’m still traveling, so with no economic news, don’t expect a post tomorrow.] Initial jobless claims declined to 230,000 last week. The more important 4 week average increased to 236,750. Continuing claims, with a one week lag, declined slightly to […]

Public funding for bringing transformative drugs to market

AB: It is a government policy to turn the fruits of its research over to private industry without any strings attached. The 1980 Bayh-Dole Act allows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and universities housing government-funded scientists to patent and transfer (for royalties, of course) their scientific discoveries, research tools, and drug candidates to private […]