“November ISM manufacturing report indicates deepening stagflationary contraction” – by New Deal democrat Normally we begin each month with reports on both construction spending and manufacturing. But even though th federal shutdown has been over for more than three weeks, data releases have been both very sparse and very stale. In particular, construction spending for August […]
In an earlier commentary (a partial take from TPM), we posted about how the arrests being made by the present administration’s masked avengers are not holding up in the courts. Prosecutors and Grand Juries are refusing to take action. How do you bring a case claiming a physical assault with no weapon, against a seventy-year-old […]
Looks like RFK Jr has pivoted from lying about the long-discredited Thimerosal-autism connection to blaming aluminum-containing adjuvants for autism. Since there’s no evidence for this, RFK Jr’s position is that studies have not definitively ruled out a link between vaccines and autism. Well, science doesn’t deal in proof, it deals in the weight of evidence. […]
Another brief read. This time as a partial take from TPM’s, “Chicago Protestors Reel After Fending Off Federal Charges,” TPM Josh Kovensky piece. Again, referencing my experience in 1971. 4th Bn 10th Marines trained for riot control in Washington D.C. No special loaded weapons. Just stock M-14s with no rounds passed out to us. Probable […]
An interesting column by The Washington Post‘s Alex Horton and Ellen Nakashima. “Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: “Kill them all.” The longer the U.S. surveillance aircraft followed the boat, the more confident intelligence analysts watching from command centers became that the 11 people on board were ferrying drugs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave […]
Abbreviated look at the impact of discontinuance of ACA subsidies in 2025 if Congress does not extend them. Keep in mind the discontinuance of these subsidies will help to balance out the tax breaks President Trump and Republicans have planned for upper income brackets. Much needed by Republicans and Tru_p.. “Health Insurance Premium Spikes Imminent […]
– by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. In the aggregate, consumer spending remains robust. On the other hand, as I pointed out yesterday with my aggregation of the various regional Fed reports on manufacturing and services, the largest sector of the US economy appears to be stagnant or even shrinking […]
Apparently, the National Guard shooter in DC was an Afghan refugee. Now the Trump Administration has got its panties in a twist, calling it an act of “terrorism” and blaming all Afghan refugees. “Afghan refugees in Massachusetts who fled the Taliban in recent years fear they won’t be able to stay in the country after […]
I would guess most people do not know what it takes to pay off a student loan. Many of them are quite large. And over time a newly hatched employee just out of college will be paying a lot more than in the past. I do not believe the payment is proportional to the past […]
“Regional Fed manufacturing and services indexes for November show manufacturing rebound, continued rampant price pressures, and stagnant employment” – by New Deal democrat Although the federal government has resumed reporting economic data, it is spotty and woefully stale, from August and September. As a result, the two big sources for current data remain the regional Feds […]