@concernedobser5.bsky.social
Reposted
He campaigned on cutting the cost of living, but he has governed to raise it: regressive tariffs, immigration, fiddling with the Fed, cutting renewable energy, and firing the person whose job was to measure all of this.
November 11, 2025 at 5:46 PM
He campaigned on cutting the cost of living, but he has governed to raise it: regressive tariffs, immigration, fiddling with the Fed, cutting renewable energy, and firing the person whose job was to measure all of this.
Reposted
FOX: Can you explain why SNAP funds can't be released?
BROOKE ROLLINS: There is a contingency fund at USDA, but it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded
BROOKE ROLLINS: There is a contingency fund at USDA, but it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded
October 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM
FOX: Can you explain why SNAP funds can't be released?
BROOKE ROLLINS: There is a contingency fund at USDA, but it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded
BROOKE ROLLINS: There is a contingency fund at USDA, but it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded
Reposted
#MythBustingMonday
“Vaccines contain dangerous and toxic ingredients.”
This one never dies, so let’s tackle it properly. Yes, vaccines contain multiple components but context, chemistry, and dose matter. Vaccine ingredients have been studied for decades, across trials and billions of doses. A 🧵
“Vaccines contain dangerous and toxic ingredients.”
This one never dies, so let’s tackle it properly. Yes, vaccines contain multiple components but context, chemistry, and dose matter. Vaccine ingredients have been studied for decades, across trials and billions of doses. A 🧵
October 13, 2025 at 6:59 PM
#MythBustingMonday
“Vaccines contain dangerous and toxic ingredients.”
This one never dies, so let’s tackle it properly. Yes, vaccines contain multiple components but context, chemistry, and dose matter. Vaccine ingredients have been studied for decades, across trials and billions of doses. A 🧵
“Vaccines contain dangerous and toxic ingredients.”
This one never dies, so let’s tackle it properly. Yes, vaccines contain multiple components but context, chemistry, and dose matter. Vaccine ingredients have been studied for decades, across trials and billions of doses. A 🧵
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If you tax trucks 🚛, trucking in your inputs gets pricier.
That means flying ✈️ or shipping 🚢 looks better.
Where do planes and boats come from?
Yes, this just made transporting inputs from abroad *more* competitive.
It's like taxing bikes to reduce road congestion.
That means flying ✈️ or shipping 🚢 looks better.
Where do planes and boats come from?
Yes, this just made transporting inputs from abroad *more* competitive.
It's like taxing bikes to reduce road congestion.
October 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM
If you tax trucks 🚛, trucking in your inputs gets pricier.
That means flying ✈️ or shipping 🚢 looks better.
Where do planes and boats come from?
Yes, this just made transporting inputs from abroad *more* competitive.
It's like taxing bikes to reduce road congestion.
That means flying ✈️ or shipping 🚢 looks better.
Where do planes and boats come from?
Yes, this just made transporting inputs from abroad *more* competitive.
It's like taxing bikes to reduce road congestion.
Reposted
Trump's CEA is circulating its estimate of the economic cost of the government shutdown.
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
October 2, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Trump's CEA is circulating its estimate of the economic cost of the government shutdown.
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
Reposted
Hey, folks at the White House and the Council of Economic Advisers! You guys ready to issue a correction yet?
This isn't controversial: It's arithmetic. Indeed, it's your arithmetic, but I fixed your errors.
This isn't controversial: It's arithmetic. Indeed, it's your arithmetic, but I fixed your errors.
Trump's CEA is circulating its estimate of the economic cost of the government shutdown.
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
But, BREAKING: It's wrong. It makes a simple arithmetic error. And it's dishonest.
Surprising, I know. 🧵
October 3, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Hey, folks at the White House and the Council of Economic Advisers! You guys ready to issue a correction yet?
This isn't controversial: It's arithmetic. Indeed, it's your arithmetic, but I fixed your errors.
This isn't controversial: It's arithmetic. Indeed, it's your arithmetic, but I fixed your errors.
Reposted
The Administration’s theory: Foreign drug companies will cut prices if Americans can buy elsewhere.
The flaw: For patented drugs, there's no competition and demand is inelastic. That’s the textbook case where buyers—American patients and insurers—eat the cost.
The flaw: For patented drugs, there's no competition and demand is inelastic. That’s the textbook case where buyers—American patients and insurers—eat the cost.
September 28, 2025 at 4:47 PM
The Administration’s theory: Foreign drug companies will cut prices if Americans can buy elsewhere.
The flaw: For patented drugs, there's no competition and demand is inelastic. That’s the textbook case where buyers—American patients and insurers—eat the cost.
The flaw: For patented drugs, there's no competition and demand is inelastic. That’s the textbook case where buyers—American patients and insurers—eat the cost.
Reposted
The relentless dishonesty is revealing. This was a meeting of the *academic advisory council* of the Chicago Fed.
Think: Nerds around a conference table.
No, academics don't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed doesn't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed President didn't even vote on rates that year.
Think: Nerds around a conference table.
No, academics don't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed doesn't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed President didn't even vote on rates that year.
September 6, 2025 at 10:31 PM
The relentless dishonesty is revealing. This was a meeting of the *academic advisory council* of the Chicago Fed.
Think: Nerds around a conference table.
No, academics don't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed doesn't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed President didn't even vote on rates that year.
Think: Nerds around a conference table.
No, academics don't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed doesn't set rates.
No, the Chicago Fed President didn't even vote on rates that year.
Reposted
Clip n’ save. 🤡
September 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Clip n’ save. 🤡
Reposted
There's going to be a lot of dumb political noise following this decision, so it's worth being clear about the key finding. It does not ban tariffs. It simply says that you have to convince Congress.
BOOM. The federal appeals court rules Trump's tariffs illegal, because they are.
There's no national emergency, and so the power to tariff a country rests with Congress.
Trump admin has lost at every stage of the process, but stay tuned for the Supremes to chime in.
There's no national emergency, and so the power to tariff a country rests with Congress.
Trump admin has lost at every stage of the process, but stay tuned for the Supremes to chime in.
August 29, 2025 at 10:09 PM
There's going to be a lot of dumb political noise following this decision, so it's worth being clear about the key finding. It does not ban tariffs. It simply says that you have to convince Congress.
Reposted
Case study: Erdogan replaced technocrats with loyalists and kept rates low when they needed to rise. Inflation soared to 86%, and is still painfully high. That’s the playbook Trump's floating.
Keep the Fed independent if you want low inflation without the drama.
Keep the Fed independent if you want low inflation without the drama.
August 28, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Case study: Erdogan replaced technocrats with loyalists and kept rates low when they needed to rise. Inflation soared to 86%, and is still painfully high. That’s the playbook Trump's floating.
Keep the Fed independent if you want low inflation without the drama.
Keep the Fed independent if you want low inflation without the drama.
Reposted
Undermining the Fed to get lower rates now is like ripping the batteries out of your smoke alarm because it’s beeping. It’s quiet for a bit. Then your house burns down. Credibility anchors expectations; expectations anchor inflation.
August 27, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Undermining the Fed to get lower rates now is like ripping the batteries out of your smoke alarm because it’s beeping. It’s quiet for a bit. Then your house burns down. Credibility anchors expectations; expectations anchor inflation.
Reposted
If a president can fire a Fed governor on accusation, not cause, monetary policy shifts from the Fed to the White House. Goodbye independent Fed; hello maga Fed, and watch decades of hard-won credibility turns to dust.
Posting the entire interview on youtube as an experiment.
youtu.be/DpSqbqQde3Y
Posting the entire interview on youtube as an experiment.
youtu.be/DpSqbqQde3Y
Justin Wolfers on the Threat to Fed Independence, as Trump tries to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook
What happens when the independence of the Federal Reserve comes under threat? In this interview, University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers breaks down the president’s unprecedented attempt to…
youtu.be
August 27, 2025 at 2:13 AM
If a president can fire a Fed governor on accusation, not cause, monetary policy shifts from the Fed to the White House. Goodbye independent Fed; hello maga Fed, and watch decades of hard-won credibility turns to dust.
Posting the entire interview on youtube as an experiment.
youtu.be/DpSqbqQde3Y
Posting the entire interview on youtube as an experiment.
youtu.be/DpSqbqQde3Y
Reposted
Jay Powell has been attacked by the president — in terms no economist alive would support. Yet he’s kept the Fed independent, and steered us to a soft landing. That’s a legacy to be proud of.
August 26, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Jay Powell has been attacked by the president — in terms no economist alive would support. Yet he’s kept the Fed independent, and steered us to a soft landing. That’s a legacy to be proud of.
Reposted
Statement from Abbe David Lowell, attorney for Fed Gov Lisa Cook:
“President Trump has taken to social media to once again “fire by tweet” and once again his reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority...
“President Trump has taken to social media to once again “fire by tweet” and once again his reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority...
August 26, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Statement from Abbe David Lowell, attorney for Fed Gov Lisa Cook:
“President Trump has taken to social media to once again “fire by tweet” and once again his reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority...
“President Trump has taken to social media to once again “fire by tweet” and once again his reflex to bully is flawed and his demands lack any proper process, basis or legal authority...
Reposted
No-one knows how this ends. And so the narrative shifts from pointless tariff uncertainty to pointless monetary uncertainty, and none of this helps the American people.
Just received this statement from Lisa Cook:
"President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."
"President Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."
President Trump said he is firing Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve governor, "effective immediately." It's his most direct assault yet on Fed independence -- and a step that it is far from clear he can legally take.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/u... #EconSky
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/u... #EconSky
August 26, 2025 at 3:32 AM
No-one knows how this ends. And so the narrative shifts from pointless tariff uncertainty to pointless monetary uncertainty, and none of this helps the American people.
Reposted
Of course, Lutnick fails to mention here that CHIPS Act funds were structured based on milestones — as companies built out their projects. Intel has recognized about $2.2B in grants to date.
August 25, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Of course, Lutnick fails to mention here that CHIPS Act funds were structured based on milestones — as companies built out their projects. Intel has recognized about $2.2B in grants to date.
Reposted
"if you bring across a semiconductor inside a computer, it'll get no tariff. But if you pluck it out of the computer, it'll get 300%." That’s not policy; that’s a loophole factory. You’ll get creative packaging, not new fabs.
August 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
"if you bring across a semiconductor inside a computer, it'll get no tariff. But if you pluck it out of the computer, it'll get 300%." That’s not policy; that’s a loophole factory. You’ll get creative packaging, not new fabs.
Reposted
Why aren't powerful executive speaking out? Because the new game is crony capitalism: you need the president’s say-so. When the referee also keeps score, you don’t heckle the ref—you play along.
August 18, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Why aren't powerful executive speaking out? Because the new game is crony capitalism: you need the president’s say-so. When the referee also keeps score, you don’t heckle the ref—you play along.
Reposted
My latest "Professor Is In" explainer with @anacabrera.bsky.social was designed almost too perfectly for the present moment: Who uses economic data? Why does the government collect it, why must it be imperfect, and how does political interference undermine it?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbn...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbn...
Economic data. Where does it come from, what do we do with it, and why must politics stay out of it?
YouTube video by Justin Wolfers
www.youtube.com
August 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
My latest "Professor Is In" explainer with @anacabrera.bsky.social was designed almost too perfectly for the present moment: Who uses economic data? Why does the government collect it, why must it be imperfect, and how does political interference undermine it?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbn...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbn...
Reposted
The latest jobs report is…very bad.
July: 73,000
June: 14,000
May: 19,000
This is the worst economic jobs report since mass layoffs during COVID.
July: 73,000
June: 14,000
May: 19,000
This is the worst economic jobs report since mass layoffs during COVID.
Stunning revisions show US added 258K fewer jobs than first reported
The U.S. added 258,000 fewer jobs in May and June than the Labor Department first reported, according to federal data released Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) issued stunning revisions…
thehill.com
August 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The latest jobs report is…very bad.
July: 73,000
June: 14,000
May: 19,000
This is the worst economic jobs report since mass layoffs during COVID.
July: 73,000
June: 14,000
May: 19,000
This is the worst economic jobs report since mass layoffs during COVID.
Reposted
Trump says the -818k 2024 benchmark payroll revisions show BLS commissioner McEntarfer was political and incompetent. Let’s look at the facts.
1. The revisions were released in Aug 2024, not Nov 15 as the president said. So the BLS release showing far less job growth came 3 mos. BEFORE the election
1. The revisions were released in Aug 2024, not Nov 15 as the president said. So the BLS release showing far less job growth came 3 mos. BEFORE the election
August 3, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Trump says the -818k 2024 benchmark payroll revisions show BLS commissioner McEntarfer was political and incompetent. Let’s look at the facts.
1. The revisions were released in Aug 2024, not Nov 15 as the president said. So the BLS release showing far less job growth came 3 mos. BEFORE the election
1. The revisions were released in Aug 2024, not Nov 15 as the president said. So the BLS release showing far less job growth came 3 mos. BEFORE the election
Reposted
Reposted
Chair Powell said Wednesday that Waller and Bowman would release statements on their dissents. They're out.
Waller -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Bowman -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Waller -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Bowman -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
August 1, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Chair Powell said Wednesday that Waller and Bowman would release statements on their dissents. They're out.
Waller -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Bowman -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Waller -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Bowman -> www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Reposted
Korea just got slapped with a 25% tariff—because of trade barriers that don’t exist. They already have a free trade deal with the U.S. Zero tariffs. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. A kimchi donut.
July 9, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Korea just got slapped with a 25% tariff—because of trade barriers that don’t exist. They already have a free trade deal with the U.S. Zero tariffs. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. A kimchi donut.