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

Strong September Industrial Production

September industrial production comes in very strong  – by New Deal democrat September’s industrial production report puts the final nail in the coffin in the notion that the US is already in recession. I call industrial production the King of Coincident Indicators because, more than any other single metric, it coincides with the peaks and […]

Ezra Klein on Biden leading from behind

I’m ambivalent about this Ezra Klein piece: Trump’s efforts to stay in the news, however, are matched by Biden’s efforts to stay out of it. Biden gives startlingly few interviews and news conferences. He doesn’t go for attention-grabbing stunts or high-engagement tweets. I am not always certain if this is strategy or necessity: It’s not obvious to […]

Applying for Student Loan Debt Relief

If you have not seen this application, you will now. I would urge you to quickly apply for loan relief. Apply for it at the link provided before politician asses find some way to block this. The sooner it gets approved, the quicker the relief. It is not much. Once they approve your application, I […]

Hospital Monopolies Driving Up the Costs of Healthcare

A good article on hospital increasing healthcare costs, due to consolidations, supplies, and the associated hospital operational management. The article also engages in a book review of Big Med by David Dranove and Lawton Robert Burns (“Megaproviders and the High Cost of Health Care in America“). I will have to check the book out and […]

The “Consumer nowcast” recession warning is triggered

The “Consumer nowcast” recession warning is triggered, as real wages decline, real aggregate payrolls near stall, plus record mortgage payments  – by New Deal democrat No economic news today. So, now that we have the September inflation read, let’s take a look at a couple of important consumer indicators: real average wages, and real aggregate […]

New USPS Sorting Center Unduly Taxes One Town’s Mail Carriers

This is part of a continuing commentary on new centralized mail sorting centers. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy is implementing to increase distribution efficiency. Local post office carriers would drive here to pick up mail and then to their routes to deliver mail. It sounds efficient for the post office, but not so efficient for mail […]

Letters from an American – October 15, 2022

“October 15, 2022,” Letters from an American, Prof. Heather Cox Richardson. (substack.com) At Thursday’s meeting of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, as Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) showed that former president Trump both recognized that he had lost the election and intended to leave the White House, […]

Announcement of a Looming White Minority Makes Demographers Nervous,

“Announcement of a Looming White Minority Makes Demographers Nervous,” Sabrina Tavernise,  The New York Times.” NYT’s article makes this announcement of White America becoming a minority in the 2040’s like it is new news?. It is not. In 2006, I exchanged emails with Joel Garreau about the same topic in his article “300 Million and Counting.” […]