Saturday , November 16 2024
Home / The Angry Bear (page 21)

The Angry Bear

Did Costs Really Increase as Much as Prices Did?

Commenter Jane on the News Media Lying to the Public Commentary I know that things cost more now.  Much of that has nothing to do with what the federal government does or does not do.  The government did not force suppliers to raise their profit percentages when their costs went up, that was just greed seizing an opportunity.  Much of the supply chain problem started overseas, with Covid.  Not even Trump’s fault.   It certainly wasn’t the fault...

Read More »

Housing Shortage, Housing Bubble, Soft Landing, FED Brilliance or Lick?

I think the title makes it clear that this will be a rambling confused post. I am typing on with the thought that something is better than nothing and no one has to read this. The first topic – house prices, is in fact one that interests me a lot. I have a regression which suggests that a high ratio of house prices to the general price level is terrible news, because it indicates a housing bubble which will burst and be followed by a prolonged...

Read More »

The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act 

by Bill Gale EconoFact The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) was the most sweeping realignment of the U.S. tax code in over three decades. It lowered tax rates, simplified taxes, raised the government debt, and was regressive, benefitting people who are well off more than the middle-class and the poor. Many provisions of the TCJA expire in 2025 unless action is preserves them. What would the expiration, or the continuation, of these...

Read More »

Turning a corner on Medicare Advantage?

As I posted yesterday, Medicare Advantage, which now covers more than half of the Medicare-eligible population, is a rip-off for taxpayers and for policy holders. Apparently, this is finally sinking in for hospitals and health systems across the country:“In 2023, Becker’s began reporting on hospitals and health systems nationwide that dropped some or all of their Medicare Advantage contracts.“Data on this topic is limited. In January, the Healthcare...

Read More »

It’s time to make our tax code more equitable

An excellent take on taxing the Black poor and the poor in general. It and its attachments are a good read which is why it is here. Taken from an advertisement. Tell the House and Senate: It’s time to make our tax code more equitable. The racial wealth gap has become wider during the past couple of decades. Significant economic events such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic have drastically shifted wealth towards the well-off....

Read More »

Finally . . . the FTC Sues PBMs for Jacking Up Insulin Prices

Previouly . . . As Dr. Perry Wilson explains; “Different chronic diseases have different patterns of price increases. The biggest increase was seen in diabetes care (1993 – 2013) and driven largely by the rising prices of pharmaceuticals” of which the cost of manufacturing did not increase. Now Secretary of HHS, Alex Azar as the CEO of Eli Lilly raised the price of the century old drug Humalog used to treat diabetes by 345% taking it from...

Read More »

Relevance without the noise

by Merrill Goozner GoozNews The 2022 Washburn fire nearly reached Grizzly Giant, the giant sequoia thought to be somewhere between 2000 and 3000 years old. Only the heroic efforts of park rangers and firefighters saved the tree: But the fire’s aftermath could be seen throughout the southern portion of the park. Started by man, exacerbated by misguided fire suppression strategies (now abandoned), and fueled by a ten-year drought...

Read More »

News Media Lying to the Public

I follow Dean Baker because it is easy to do so. I do not end up pondering whether something written makes sense or not. Perhaps, my agreement is due to my seeing the same issues and understanding them. However let’s face it, bad news media does sell advertisements which pays for this. If I told you everything was rosy as documented at Angry Bear, would you read us? You would probably shrug your shoulders and yawn. If we give you something to...

Read More »

US for-profit healthcare system still ranks dead last

It should come as no surprise to regular AB readers that the US for-profit healthcare system is a disaster for everyone except the executives and stock-holders. Here’s yet another confirmation:“A report out Thursday shows that the United States’ for-profit healthcare system still ranks dead last among peer nations on key metrics, including access to care and health outcomes such as life expectancy at birth. “The new analysis from the...

Read More »

The hype for hybrid cars will not last

I am reading this short piece and wondering how many people will commit to full electric? I do not see this occurring for a while. The batteries just do not last long enough for many people to accept electric vehicles today. Hybrids are going to be around for a while till the technology catches up. I am thinking 5 years out before there is a battery which will handle a large load for a long period of time before needing recharge. How fast can you...

Read More »