Tag Archives: US EConomics

More detail on California’s Single Payer Bill AB1690. 0223 CA Legal Fact Sheet AB1690 CalCare.pdf, nationalnursesunited.org. Summary Today’s U.S. health care system is a complex, fragmented multi-payer system that still leaves wide gaps of coverage and poses significant issues of affordability. Despite health care spending in the United States far exceeding other high-income, industrialized countries that offer a publicly financed...

Fed rate hikes in the face of declining commodity prices: an analysis of 4 precedents  – by New Deal democrat We live in interesting commodity times. Over the weekend, my latest piece at Seeking Alpha highlighted the strong contrary pulls of higher interest rates and lower commodity prices. While not unique, as we’ll see below, the disconnect is the most severe in 100 years. So let’s start with a comparison of the YoY change in interest...

I was asked by commenter Fred if I would give an update on the US Postal Service. It had been a month so it makes sense to do so. With the centralization of mail pickup by carriers it was said post offices would close as the sorting and bundling would be elsewhere. The Topeka Post Office is the first post office to close as its mail carriers will be picking up mail at the new Sorting & Delivery Center. It will be interesting to see how this...

August 26, 2023, Letters from an American, Professor Heather Cox-Richardson On this date in 1920, the U.S. Secretary of State received the official notification from the governor of Tennessee that his state had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the amendment, and the last one necessary to make the amendment the law of the land once the secretary of state certified it. He did that as soon...

This is brief commentary is pulled from several sources. It is meant to be an observation. In “Union Booms and Busts,” a new book by the authors Judith Stepan-Norris, Jasmine Kerrissey, a review is taken of the shifting fortunes of U.S. labor, their unions, and of employers and their organizations. This is not meant to be a review of the book; but, I am giving credit to where I am taking the information besides other sites mentioned. It is...

Weekly Indicators for August 21 – 25 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat While I was away on vacation, the high frequency data continued to pour in. And so my Weekly Indicators post for the week is up at Seeking Alpha. There continue to be some very negative signs associated with interest rates, including important things like both purchase and refinancing mortgage applications, both of which are at or near 30 year lows. Not a good sign...

Passing along information on Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, one year out, and the impact on the US. Update on CMS implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act on its 1st anniversary, ACA Signups, Charles Gaba via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (note: this press release actually came out on August 16th): The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law on August 16, 2022. The new law provides meaningful...

California Democrat State Senator Scott Wiener’s (SB770) wants to talk more about single payer which some dispute as even being single payer. Health Care 4 Us (Democrats) join with union nurses in California who champion AB 1690. SB 770, establishes a “working group” to advise the Governor in informal conversations with the federal government about waivers to capture federal funds for a unified financing health care system. The fear being the talking...

A bit of Political Activism Here . . . It appears SB770 is a way to slow the move to Single Payer healthcare in California. AB 1690 needs to be approved. HC4US joins union nurses in California who champion AB 1690, which sets in motion a single-payer health care coverage system for all residents in the state called CalCare. Another bill, SB 770, would establish a “working group” to advise the Governor in informal conversations with the federal...

Initial claims improve weekly, continue to suggest slow weaking  – by New Deal democrat [Reminder: I’m still traveling, so with no economic news, don’t expect a post tomorrow.] Initial jobless claims declined to 230,000 last week. The more important 4 week average increased to 236,750. Continuing claims, with a one week lag, declined slightly to 1.702 million: The YoY% change in the 4 week average, more important for forecasting purposes,...