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

Coronavirus dashboard for April 8: peak new infections *may* have occurred on April 4

Coronavirus dashboard for April 8: peak new infections *may* have occurred on April 4 – by New Deal democrat Here is the update through yesterday (April 7) I’ve changed the format, moving the “just the facts, ma’am” data to the top, and comments to the end. The four most important metrics are starred (***) below. Number […]

Where-oh-where would we be without Trump’s firm leadership in this crisis?

Kevin Drum reminds us that our fearless leader restricted air travel from China after the airlines had already done so. And today’s New York Times: New research indicates that the coronavirus began to circulate in the New York area by mid-February, weeks before the first confirmed case, and that travelers brought in the virus mainly […]

Meanwhile the Republican agenda is being pushed

(Dan here…Best to go there for the content.  And Trump is only one of many.  One could add pipelines as an issue.  Who is coordinating this onslaught while we are pre-occupied?) Via Tom Dispatch : …the latest piece by TomDispatch regular Karen Greenberg, author most recently of Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State, on the many ways […]

The Coming Debt Crisis

by Joseph Joyce          Joseph P. Joyce is a Professor of Economics at Wellesley College, where he holds the M. Margaret Ball Chair of International Relations. He served as the first Faculty Director of the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs. The Coming Debt Crisis After the 2008-09 global financial crisis, […]

Wisconsin Votes Today Regardless of COVID 19

Curbside Voting Information – Wisconsin – Election Day, Tuesday, April 7 – All Absentee Ballots must be postmarked TODAY or dropped off in-person. In this order, a  decision came hours after the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned Gov. Tony Evers’s (D) executive order to postpone Tuesday’s vote, sowing confusion in a critical election featuring a Democratic […]

Trump’s blame-avoidance is politically shrewd

Trump’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is predictably chaotic, vengeful, irresponsible, and impulsive.  His actions have worsened the epidemic, they have led to unnecessary deaths and to a very painful economic lockdown.  Coming in the year before he is up for re-election, this seems self-defeating:  if Trump could re-run history I have little doubt he […]