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

Unintended consequences

The Trump Administration’s war on underrepresented minorities is targeting his base—young white men. “For years universities and colleges have been trying to keep the number of men and women on campuses evened out at a time when growing numbers of men have been choosing not to go to college. Some schools have tried to attract […]

Heritage Foundation’s Influence

An interesting piece by Paul Krugman. Never really looked closely at the Foundation. Too busy with other issues I have worked with over the years. Things such as supply chain, transportation, manufacturing, throughput analysis, etc. Not sure I would call the Foundation a fraud; but then, I do not have the bandwidth to make such […]

While capital spending increased sharply, yet more evidence of consumer weakness

– by New Deal democrat On Friday I noted that real personal spending on goods, especially durable goods, had declined in September. If we have reached a tipping point on that metric, a recession in the near future looks much more likely, even as spending on services continues. Late last week we also got further evidence […]

Three Charts on US Tariffs

Erica York – Tax Foundation For those keeping track at home, the President has said he is using tariffs to offset the cost of a long list of programs, including but not limited to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aid to farmers hurt by tariffs, income tax elimination, and $2,000 dividend payments. And now, […]

Rate of Global Heating in the Arab World

“Rate of Global Heating in the Arab World is Twice the Global Average,” Informed Comment The World Meteorological Organization has issued its annual report on the 22 countries of the Arab world, covering last year, and presents alarming conclusions about human-driven climate change in that region. 2024 was the hottest year on record in the Middle East, […]

Rural healthcare pay-to-play

The Trump Administration is holding a gun to the heads of rural citizens in blue states. To get taxpayer dollars to care for chronic illnesses and addiction and mitigate hours-long drives for basic services, states will need to change their laws: “When the Trump administration begins distributing the money at the end of the year, […]

GOP to Cover Fancy Saunas but Not Insurance Premiums

Health Savings Accounts Backed by GOP Cover Fancy Saunas but Not Insurance Premiums, MedPage Today With the tax-free money in a health savings account (HSA), a person can pay for eyeglasses or medical exams, as well as a $1,700 baby bassinet or a $300 online parenting workshop. Those same dollars can’t be used, though, to pay for most […]

Don’t Immigrate Without It . . .

A New Way to Come to America. Buy your way in . . . The Gold Card is not a new visa category in name, but rather a new immigration pathway proposed through an executive order signed on September 19, 2025. The program would allow eligible foreign nationals to receive an immigrant visa (commonly known […]

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators December 1-5

 – by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha There are some minor changes, but no big turns in trends. But the recent change in trend that has been further reinforced is the sharp deceleration in growth in withholding tax payments that began in October. The bulk of the evidence suggests that […]

Review: “The Dictators Handbook”

Book Review of “The Dictators Handbook by The One Handed Economist David Zetland. How can you resist a book with a title like this?!  — and a subtitle of Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics?! Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith (B&S) published this book in 2011, but I only got around to it recently. The […]