John Restrepo
@jrestrepo.bsky.social
Principal of RCG Economics. RCG provides Independent Analysis/Research/Advice/Forecasts. Real estate/regional economics/hospitality/economic development. NV/Western U.S. Retweets don't = agreement.
In this final edition of 2025, we look at US housing costs, car ownership rates, states with the lowest average incomes, global energy use, and 2K experts' 2026 economic Bingo card. Happy holidays! buff.ly/scWkrgx
Fact Pack! 2025 Winddown + 2026 Prediction Bingo Card
<p>December’s year-ending RealtyHop Housing Affordability Index — which measures and compares home prices, mortgage payments, and wage data across the country’s 100 largest cities — concludes that in…
buff.ly
December 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
In this final edition of 2025, we look at US housing costs, car ownership rates, states with the lowest average incomes, global energy use, and 2K experts' 2026 economic Bingo card. Happy holidays! buff.ly/scWkrgx
Reposted by John Restrepo
BREAKING: WATCH the full 60 Minutes CECOT segment here. This was sent to me anonymously. It appears to be the segment CBS' Bari Weiss killed. www.muellershewrote.com/p/watch-the-...
WATCH: The 60 Minutes CECOT Segment
I was sent the CECOT segment anonymously in a group chat.
www.muellershewrote.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:46 PM
BREAKING: WATCH the full 60 Minutes CECOT segment here. This was sent to me anonymously. It appears to be the segment CBS' Bari Weiss killed. www.muellershewrote.com/p/watch-the-...
In this week’s Fact Pack, we highlight a slew of Nevada and national housing market data and indexes, mortgage interest rates, the lifetime cost of the American Dream, quality of life rankings and salaries across the globe, and more. buff.ly/SOwuLCp
Fact Pack!
<p>This week’s November Jobs Report — not yet available when this edition of Fact Pack went to print — and Thursday’s CPI Inflation Data will guide the Federal Reserve’s what’s-next interest rate…
hightowerlasvegas.com
December 17, 2025 at 10:53 PM
In this week’s Fact Pack, we highlight a slew of Nevada and national housing market data and indexes, mortgage interest rates, the lifetime cost of the American Dream, quality of life rankings and salaries across the globe, and more. buff.ly/SOwuLCp
Reposted by John Restrepo
Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago.
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
December 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Ahmed al Ahmed, the man who tackled one of the Bondi killers, became an Australian citizen 3 years ago.
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
His deed was "his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship."
He took 5 bullets, and fears he'll lose his left arm.
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
Nevada's value-for-dollar ranking, how many toymakers each state has, the future of AI & robot labor in NV, Census Bureau data on US families & households, foreign migration trends & more.
Fact Pack! Stretching Dollars Season
<p>Nevada falls roughly in the middle ($103) along with Mountain Westers Arizona and Colorado ($99) among states for a C-bill’s value in getting you what you want for Christmas: Source: Visual…
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December 10, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Nevada's value-for-dollar ranking, how many toymakers each state has, the future of AI & robot labor in NV, Census Bureau data on US families & households, foreign migration trends & more.
In this week’s edition of Fact Pack we highlight shutdown fallout, consumer sentiment, housing data in Nevada and the U.S., assorted job outlooks, tourism and F1 in Las Vegas, and two mentions of Nevada stadiums in a national feature story. buff.ly/0vLKc0J
Fact Pack! Shutdown Hangover
<p>As we grapple with the fact that it is already December, we begin this week’s Fact Pack with the defining national and Nevada economic story of the last two months: the record-breaking 43-day…
buff.ly
December 3, 2025 at 10:30 PM
In this week’s edition of Fact Pack we highlight shutdown fallout, consumer sentiment, housing data in Nevada and the U.S., assorted job outlooks, tourism and F1 in Las Vegas, and two mentions of Nevada stadiums in a national feature story. buff.ly/0vLKc0J
Reposted by John Restrepo
Must read: The People Holding Everyone Together Are Coming Apart www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Opinion | The People Holding Everyone Together Are Coming Apart
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Must read: The People Holding Everyone Together Are Coming Apart www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...
Reposted by John Restrepo
Cartoon by Michael de Adder
November 28, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Cartoon by Michael de Adder
Reposted by John Restrepo
20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day after volunteering to serve in DC so that others could enjoy Thanksgiving with their families. She deserves our gratitude, not political exploitation by a shameless president who scapegoats immigrants to swell his power.
November 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day after volunteering to serve in DC so that others could enjoy Thanksgiving with their families. She deserves our gratitude, not political exploitation by a shameless president who scapegoats immigrants to swell his power.
Reposted by John Restrepo
Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat the bacon
— Piggies, The Beatles
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat the bacon
— Piggies, The Beatles
November 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat the bacon
— Piggies, The Beatles
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat the bacon
— Piggies, The Beatles
Due to Thanksgiving, this is our last Fact Pack of the month. Growing hawkish views on cutting interest rates, expected So. Nevada corporate expansions, UNLV Center for Business & Economic Research's newest economic report, CEO exits & dropping marriage rates. buff.ly/woUA7mx
Fact Pack! Rate Hawks
<p>From a pervasive view on Nov. 4 that the Fed definitely probably should cut rates to well-maybe-not in 10 days: As of 11/14/25 Jeffrey Schmid, president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve…
buff.ly
November 19, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Due to Thanksgiving, this is our last Fact Pack of the month. Growing hawkish views on cutting interest rates, expected So. Nevada corporate expansions, UNLV Center for Business & Economic Research's newest economic report, CEO exits & dropping marriage rates. buff.ly/woUA7mx
The robot reality: How automation will reshape Nevada's & especially the Las Vegas region's hospitality industry & economy.
THE ROBOT REALITY: HOW AUTOMATION WILL RESHAPE NEVADA'S HOSPITALITY ECONOMY
Walk into a major Las Vegas casino-resort today, and you might check in without speaking to a human.
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The robot reality: How automation will reshape Nevada's & especially the Las Vegas region's hospitality industry & economy.
Reposted by John Restrepo
Again, the only possible explanation is that MTG was recently visited overnight by three ghosts.
BASH: We have seen these attacks from the president at other people. It's not new. And I haven't heard you speak out about it until it was directed at you.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I think that's fair criticism. And I would like to say, humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I think that's fair criticism. And I would like to say, humbly, I'm sorry for taking part in the toxic politics.
November 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Again, the only possible explanation is that MTG was recently visited overnight by three ghosts.
Reposted by John Restrepo
Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are welcoming members of the public back after weeks of closures because of the government shutdown. https://cnn.it/4peqop0
November 16, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are welcoming members of the public back after weeks of closures because of the government shutdown. https://cnn.it/4peqop0
In this week's Fact Pack: A 12-month inflation graphic for 36 products & services, a worldwide cost of living graphic, Nevada economic development news, a gas price comparison between Nevada & California, the IMF's latest global uncertainty data & more. buff.ly/cbNDQu8
Fact Pack!
<p>Inflation remains uneven across categories, with food items such as beef and essentials such as car maintenance and other services showing the strongest upward pressure. Helpful graphic from…
buff.ly
November 12, 2025 at 11:00 PM
In this week's Fact Pack: A 12-month inflation graphic for 36 products & services, a worldwide cost of living graphic, Nevada economic development news, a gas price comparison between Nevada & California, the IMF's latest global uncertainty data & more. buff.ly/cbNDQu8
Reposted by John Restrepo
Question for everyone getting excited about a “$2,000 tariff dividend check”: what did you spend that $5,000 stimulus check you were promised from DOGE on?
November 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Question for everyone getting excited about a “$2,000 tariff dividend check”: what did you spend that $5,000 stimulus check you were promised from DOGE on?
In this week's Fact Pack, we discuss the fastest-growing states and their anticipated electoral votes after the 2030 Census, historical election and campaign statistics readers will love, and the future of air travel. buff.ly/XTijzAr
Fact Pack! Election Edition
<p>Remember when Nevada was once the fastest-growing state, year in and year out? Good times. The following graphics show America’s fastest-growing states based on projections for the years between…
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
In this week's Fact Pack, we discuss the fastest-growing states and their anticipated electoral votes after the 2030 Census, historical election and campaign statistics readers will love, and the future of air travel. buff.ly/XTijzAr
Latest Fact Pack: 12-mo, & mo. inflation stats, state job openings, fast-shrinking job types, new housing price forecasts, # Boring Co. property buys in Vegas, new obesity #s in NV & US, & a surprising agricultural event in a neighboring state. buff.ly/NSHnbgQ
Fact Pack!
<p>As we like to say here at Fact Pack HQ, you can never be too wealthy or have too much inflation data so here is this week’s featured set of stats and graphs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics…
buff.ly
October 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Latest Fact Pack: 12-mo, & mo. inflation stats, state job openings, fast-shrinking job types, new housing price forecasts, # Boring Co. property buys in Vegas, new obesity #s in NV & US, & a surprising agricultural event in a neighboring state. buff.ly/NSHnbgQ
Reposted by John Restrepo
Bird flu has been a costly disease. The government has spent billions to manage it, including compensating egg and dairy producers for their losses, while consumers have spent an additional $14.5 billion on eggs in 2024 & 2025 alone, according to one estimate.
So will we ever get it under control?
So will we ever get it under control?
We may never get bird flu — or egg prices — under control
That déjà vu you’re feeling? Blame the chicken meat industry.
www.vox.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Bird flu has been a costly disease. The government has spent billions to manage it, including compensating egg and dairy producers for their losses, while consumers have spent an additional $14.5 billion on eggs in 2024 & 2025 alone, according to one estimate.
So will we ever get it under control?
So will we ever get it under control?
Reposted by John Restrepo
$170B for ICE and Border Patrol
$40B for Argentina
$1B to refurbish Trump's Qatar jet
$230M for Trump's DOJ "compensation"
$200M for Kristi Noem's jets
$98M for Trump's golf outings
But no money to lower your healthcare costs.
$40B for Argentina
$1B to refurbish Trump's Qatar jet
$230M for Trump's DOJ "compensation"
$200M for Kristi Noem's jets
$98M for Trump's golf outings
But no money to lower your healthcare costs.
October 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM
$170B for ICE and Border Patrol
$40B for Argentina
$1B to refurbish Trump's Qatar jet
$230M for Trump's DOJ "compensation"
$200M for Kristi Noem's jets
$98M for Trump's golf outings
But no money to lower your healthcare costs.
$40B for Argentina
$1B to refurbish Trump's Qatar jet
$230M for Trump's DOJ "compensation"
$200M for Kristi Noem's jets
$98M for Trump's golf outings
But no money to lower your healthcare costs.
Reposted by John Restrepo
“Authoritarians always target art first. They do so, because art and history are enemies of the myths a regime needs to survive." From my new TIME piece on Donald Trump’s campaign to defund the arts and rewrite our history. The stakes could not be higher.
Trump’s Campaign to Defund the Arts—and Rewrite History
"The campaign to defund the arts, capture our museums, and rewrite our history is a prelude to silencing dissent."
time.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
“Authoritarians always target art first. They do so, because art and history are enemies of the myths a regime needs to survive." From my new TIME piece on Donald Trump’s campaign to defund the arts and rewrite our history. The stakes could not be higher.
This week’s Fact PackL a notable Las Vegas travel ranking, the state of the S&P, new home sales profit data, the state of opioid use across the country & some causes for optimism from Bloomberg subject matter experts. buff.ly/DEByWs5
Fact Pack! LAS Rated Among Top 5 Mega Airports
<p>After a year of not-always-great-news for Nevada’s two major urban centers, we are choosing to kick off today’s Fact Pack on a positive note: J.D. Power’s most recent annual North American…
buff.ly
October 23, 2025 at 5:03 PM
This week’s Fact PackL a notable Las Vegas travel ranking, the state of the S&P, new home sales profit data, the state of opioid use across the country & some causes for optimism from Bloomberg subject matter experts. buff.ly/DEByWs5
Nevada's long & winding job market road continues. 2026 is likely to continue seeing turmoil.
buff.ly
October 21, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Nevada's long & winding job market road continues. 2026 is likely to continue seeing turmoil.
This week's Fact Pack covers a lot of ground: global ed stats, trends in living & "real" wages, consumer-to-biz pymnts & transactions, ranking of NV for check fraud, degrees that are paying off for 2023 grads, lucrative but not simple biz of recycling electronic waste +
buff.ly/Wg8cWPC
buff.ly/Wg8cWPC
Fact Pack! Nevada Fares Well in Check Fraud Metric
<p>A Citizens analysis of consumer-to-business and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions shows the trend toward real-time payments and all-digital transactions continues — but nearly half of…
buff.ly
October 15, 2025 at 10:01 PM
This week's Fact Pack covers a lot of ground: global ed stats, trends in living & "real" wages, consumer-to-biz pymnts & transactions, ranking of NV for check fraud, degrees that are paying off for 2023 grads, lucrative but not simple biz of recycling electronic waste +
buff.ly/Wg8cWPC
buff.ly/Wg8cWPC
Wells Fargo - Small Business Optimism Dips Ahead of Government Shutdown
October 15, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Wells Fargo - Small Business Optimism Dips Ahead of Government Shutdown