I grew up in Tennessee, but since graduating from UT-Knoxpatch, I’ve only returned a few times for special occasions. A recent poll says that 61% rate the state’s economy as “very” or “fairly good,” and 53% feel things in Tennessee are going in the “right direction.” Which direction is the right direction? “According to the […]

Quick update on what is going on with healthcare for citizens. Republicans are still working hard to cut healthcare benefits to 1.5 to 2 million citizens. Let’s not forget the reasoning for doing so. Tru_p’s tax cuts to the upper 1 or so percent of the population not needing a tax cut need a balance. […]

 – by New Deal democrat The employment cost index, which was updated this morning through Q3, typically gets much less attention than the monthly payrolls report. But in this circumstance it is entitled to more notice, since the monthly data has only been posted through September as well. Additionally, one important advantange of the Employment Cost […]

“How much and why ACA Marketplace Premiums are going up in 2026?” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker Health insurers submit rate filings annually to state regulators detailing expectations and rate changes for Affordable Care Act (ACA)-regulated health plans for the coming year. A relatively small, but growing, share of the population is enrolled in these plans (compared […]

My parents were both college grads by the time I was born. They believed strongly in the importance of a college education. In the event, they had five kids, all of whom graduated four-year colleges within four years. By the time I finished college, though, only about 25% of American adults had graduated a 4-year […]

If we are going to chase or discuss undocumented residents, we should at least know the numbers of them. The word immigrants includes US citizens and undocumented residents. Some more data: “How many immigrants are coming to the US?” USAFacts. A report from 2023. “Statistics on unauthorized US immigration and US border crossings by year,” […]

– by New Deal democrat This morning’s JOLTS report for October is now the most current official monthly indicator for the jobs sector. And it was emphatically not good. In fact, it was red flag recessionary. In the past year, in contrast to much other data in the jobs sector, the JOLTS reports had been very […]

As taken from “Who Will Pay If ACA Tax Credits Lapse?” A commentary out of MedCity News which speaks to the issue of losing subsidies. The Republicans are the instigators in blocking healthcare subsidies for up to 700-800% FPL for citizens. They must have some serious IOUs tucked away to carry them above and beyond […]

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 […]

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 […]