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

Changes in Employment

I do not know if readers are keeping up with the news on employment or not. So, I decided to go back to December and grab one of Dean Baker’s commentaries on Manufacturing Jobs lost during Trump’s first year. Since the beginning of 2025, the economy has been losing jobs, This was not just in […]

Economic cycle indicators update: the Autumn Shutdown Stall

 – by New Deal democrat Now that we have the very important personal income and spending data through November, here is a look at the widely acknowledged monthly indicators that the NBER has highlighted in determining whether the economy is continuing to expand, or is contracting. The below link includes nonfarm payrolls (blue), industrial production (red), […]

No Meaningful Midterm Elections???

Not sure what Trump would mean by such. He alone can not stop elections. “Trump Keeps Saying We Won’t Have Meaningful Midterms” Bad Crow Review Plus “missionary lizards” and JD Vance, plus homicidally stupid press tricks, plus music. Not in those exact words, of course; even our self-mutilated institutional press would have to report that. But he […]

Shutting Down Minnesota

A piece by Robert Reich is posted earlier today. Robert reports on Minnesota’s reaction to ICE’s efforts in Minneapolis to take control. ICE aggression and harassment of the citizenry is not going over well. People are angry and are pushing back. The citizenry are calling for a shutdown of the state. Given the nature and […]

No mini-recession during the government shutdown, as consumers raided their piggy banks to spend

 – by New Deal democrat The news from this morning’s personal income and spending report for October and November was almost all good – with one major exception. To cut to the chase, real income rose slightly, but real spending rose substantially. Which, if you are following basic math, means that consumers dipped into their […]

Even with a Trump Deal, Drug Prices Increase

As reported by NPR and 46Brooklyn. Much of NPR and other site’s information are taken in part from 46Brooklyn. I have talked with 46Brooklyn before about posting some of their information. The only preventing me from doing so is the length and complexity of Antonio’s presentation. As a non-profit, we at 46Brooklyn have made it […]

No Benefit to Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan

There are no Benefits to Trump’s “Great Healthcare Plan” – Public Citizen Public Citizen Health Care Policy Advocate Eagan Kemp issued the following statement: “Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan is impressive only in the fact that it isn’t great, would not substantively improve healthcare. It is not even detailed enough to be considered a plan. “Trump and his […]

The cat rescue myth and vaccines

My dad, an MIT-trained chemical engineer, was a practical man. He was scornful of efforts to rescue cats out of trees. His response was: “Look around; how many cat skeletons do you see in trees.” Setting aside the merits of the cat rescue argument, the larger point is to use critical thinking to assess whether […]

More evidence of a positive “regime change” in jobless claims: is it tied to the immigration crackdown?

 – by New Deal democrat We will get the very important personal income and spending updates for the government shutdown months later this morning, which should finally tell us whether or not there was a mini-recession during that time. In the meantime, let’s take our regular weekly look at jobless claims, as to which, to reiterate, […]