It Hurts to Pay for Strained China-USA Relations
Since the Trump administration launched their trade war with China in 2018, “Trump tariffs” have continued to harm not only our international relationships but also the US economy and the pocketbooks of US consumers. Now as global relations with China
It’s Not Paranoid to Worry about a Central Bank Digital Currency
In a recent NYT column, economist Paul Krugman mocks Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who warned that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) would give the government too much power over Americans. Specifically, DeSantis argued that the feds could use a CBDC
What Is a Fee to the CFPB? And Should Prices Change?
Nicholas Anthony I previously explained how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) had effectively proposed restricting access to credit by calling for greater price controls on credit card late fees. Yet there are two questions I did not touch on that require
Rapid Economic Growth Is the Best Poverty Alleviator
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar India is no longer a poor country. With a per capita income of $2,600, it is now a lower middle income country. Even so, many readers will be astonished by an IMF working paper suggesting that less than one percent
The Trump Indictment Reminds Us That Campaign Finance Regulation Should Not Exist
Jeffrey Miron and Jacob Winter On April 4, 2023, the Manhattan District Attorney announced the indictment of former President Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. These are misdemeanor charges in New York State, but they upgrade to felonies when
Monday’s Misleading Headline: A short-term dip does not a trend make
Gallup reports: "Concern About Several Environmental Problems Dips in U.S." Here's the evidence. So, I downloaded the data, redrew the graphs, added trendlines, then deleted the original data to better suss out the underlying trends without all the confusing squiggly lines. Here
No, the Financial Crisis Is Not Over
The collapse of California-based Silicon Valley Bank (and Signature Bank in New York) on March 10, 2023, sent shock waves through the international financial system. It not only made bank stocks and bank bonds fall sharply but also finally brought
Endangering Washington’s Divine Right to Deceive
Do Americans have the right to know if the $100 billion in their tax dollars that the Biden administration is delivering to Ukraine is being wasted? No, according to the U.S. Congress - which recently voted against creating an Inspector
Things Are Going Down
Mark takes a look at the good news on price inflation and why it is better than reported, but probably short-lived. Other statistics are worsening and, amazingly, even landlords are starting to feel the pain! Be sure to follow Minor Issues at
Want to Be a Whistleblower? You Better Support the Current Thing
This week, with camera crews well positioned with the perfect shot to take it all in, federal agents arrested a man for allegedly leaking classified Pentagon documents mostly related to U.S. involvement in the ongoing proxy war in Ukraine. Massachusetts Air National