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

Republicans Claim Immigration Fraud

Rather than build upon a program or programs, Trump and fellow Republicans decided to change, make more difficult, or destroy a number of initiatives as listed below. Think back to the expansion of ACA healthcare so many citizens were covered during Covid. Our brazen overweight president eliminated the subsidies for millions of citizens. In many […]

A Reflection on Memorial Day

This needs no introduction. Robert Reich takes on the issue correctly in his latest piece. Sunday thought: The problem ISN’T that we’re “divided and polarized” I keep hearing that one of America’s biggest problems is we’re “divided and polarized.” For example, New York Times columnist David French: “We’ve known for a long time that America is deeply polarized, […]

Will Cuba be Venezuela 2.0?

Like Lenin in Russia and Mao in China, Castro replaced a corrupt government when he came to power. Like Lenin and Mao, Castro replaced one form of totalitarianism with another. Unlike communism in the USSR and China, communism in Cuba has proven durable. Decades of US trade sanctions, subversion and assassination plots failed to dislodge […]

“Mr. Jefferson’s Lost Cause”: a book review

I just finished reading “Mr. Jefferson’s Lost Cause: Land, Farmers, Slavery, and the Louisiana Purchase” by Roger G. Kennedy. Most of the histories I’ve read have either taught me about events I hadn’t formed any prior impressions about or else confirmed and colored out my superficial understanding of those events. This book was different for […]

Surveys of Consumers, University of Michigan

An Explanation: The Index of Consumer Expectations focuses on three areas: how consumers view prospects for their own financial situation, how they view prospects for the general economy over the near term, and their view of prospects for the economy over the long term. Each monthly survey contains approximately 50 core questions, each of which […]

“Republicans in Congress did WHAT???”

You have to wonder whene does this stop. Republicans voted themselves in to receive funding for being in Congress session during the January 6 riots at the Capitol. Washington D.C. They have moxie to count themselves into this payback set forth by Trump. This comes after stealing healthcare benefits from millions of citizens. ~~~~~~~ Rep. […]

Preliminary regional Fed reports indicate inflationary pulse continuing in May

 – by New Deal democrat Although manufacturing is far less important to the US economy than it was in the decades after World War II, it is still about 25% of the total weighting; and further, it is more vulnerable to shocks than the services portion of the economy. Which means, for forecasting purposes, it […]