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

Economically weighted ISM services + manufacturing indexes show expanding economy, stagnant employment, and rampant inflationary pressures

 – by New Deal democrat The economically weighted ISM manufacturing + services indexes have become one of my favorite datapoints. That’s in part because the former has a nearly 80 year history of being a solid leading indicator, although somewhat attenuated since the start of the Millennium. But the latter now also has a long […]

Trump’s deal with the Depart­ment of Justice raises a level of cor­rup­tion . . .

Simple Recital by two known experts on Law and potential corruption. Both are dismissing the excuses put forth by others of having no way to hinder Trump. He actually calls out what is occurring, ~~~~~~~ Trump’s deal with the DOJ marks new level of unprecedented corruption The Fresno Bee (Sunday) – by Burt Urt Neuborne […]

Down the Tesla memory hole

To follow up on a previous post about Tesla autonomous driving vehicles: “Tesla has retroactively modified “Full Self-Driving” purchase agreements to add “supervised” language that did not exist when owners originally bought the product. In some cases, the original documents have been made entirely inaccessible. “Electrek has confirmed the issue with multiple owners. The contracts […]

April JOLTS report confirms a low-hire, low-fire, and low-quits economy

– by New Deal democrat The JOLTS report is low on my list of useful tools, but it does break down the labor market further than the jobs report, and it does have several slightly leading components, so let’s take a look at the latest report, which is for April. Below are job openings (blue), […]

Monetizing Genesis

One of the larger ongoing non-Trump grifts in America is the “Ark Encounter” in Williamstown, Kentucky. It’s been open for nearly ten years. I don’t know whether or not it’s hit its evangelistic benchmarks, but it has never met the financial benchmarks promised to Kentucky taxpayers. “When Creationist Ken Ham and his team at Answers […]

Kareem Takes on the News

“The Velvet Rope in the Cell Block, The Bare Minimum Is a Dangerous Place, & Back to Reset,” Kareem Takes on the News “‘Disgusting’ Details Leak from Ghislaine Maxwell Emails,” (Daily Beast) Summary:  A former federal prison employee has publicly described what she calls “disgusting” preferential treatment given to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell at […]

May 31, 1889

Letters from an American – Lake Conemaugh – by Heather Cox Richardson May 30, 2026 Life was good in 1889 for the more than fifty wealthy industrialists who belonged to Pennsylvania’s South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Most of the men had made their fortunes in nearby Pittsburgh in the heady years after the Civil […]