12/1/22 I recently finished listening to a new podcast, “Ultra,” presented by Rachel Maddow. I recommend it. It’s a history lesson focusing on pro-Nazi sentiment that extended into the halls of Congress both preceding and even into World War II. It’s a history that was new to me. A subplot…

11/23/22 The demise of FTX, the Bahama-based cryptocurrency exchange, has ignited the call for expanding federal oversight of this often-unregulated market activity. What can and should be done, and by whom? Suffice it to say that virtually all commercial activity is subject to some degree of regulation. Business entities can’t…

11/18/22 One of the biggest stories this week in finance has been the implosion of the cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, registered in the Bahamas by Sam Bankman-Fried. I haven’t paid all that much attention to crypto markets since bitcoin began retreating from its high at the end of last year. From…

11/12/22 Although the broadest measure of inflation remained unchanged at 0.4% in October, when price changes are measured annually (i.e., year-over-year), the rate of inflation edged down from 8.1 percent to 7.7 percent. Perhaps more telling, however, is the performance of core inflation, which reflects price changes for all items…

11/4/22 Given the coincidence of still-uncomfortably high gas prices at the pump and record profits posted for oil companies, it’s not surprising that charges of price gouging have started to circulate. It appears that these accusations may have motivated Congresswomen Katie Porter (D-CA) and Kim Schrier (D-WA) to sponsor the…

10/28/22 With less than two weeks until the midterm elections, it’s galling to me to see Republicans making headway in their effort to present themselves as better stewards of our economy than the Democrats. It’s a lie. Of course, when we talk about the economy in this context, we’re really…

10/20/22 I’m all for due process, but Donald Trump has abused that principle so egregiously that, at least up to now, he’s managed to position himself above the law. …

10/13/22 With the midterm elections just weeks away, I’m frustrated by the way economic problems have been politicized. Most notably, I’m thinking about inflation. Of course, inflation and economic growth are two sides of the same economic coin. From an economic perspective, addressing one comes at the expense of the…

10/7/22 Let me not mince words. I’m disgusted by the fact that the Republican party nominated Herschel Walker for a seat in the US senate — and that he actually has a chance of winning. I’m disgusted, but I understand it. It’s simply a cynical tactic. Walker’s limitations are so…