There are encouraging signs that Canada’s economy and labour market are improving after a period of stagnation brought about by the Bank of Canada’s aggressive interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023. Newly released data for the third quarter of 2024 (July-September) shows the economy has continued to grow, albeit slowly. Consumer spending was the brightest light in the third quarter data: growing at an annualized rate of 3.5% (in real, inflation-adjusted terms), and constituting the...

The Brazilian real depreciated last week (full meltdown might be a bit of a hyperbole), and in many quarters there has been a suggestion that it is now undervalued, and that would somehow be connected to the dangers associated with the fiscal position, and the willingness of the Lula government to push the spending cuts, and the tax changes, with cuts for those at the bottom of the income distribution and hikes at the other end (more on the fiscal story in a bit).The obvious reason for this...

Publications Reducing interest rates for clean energy investments How the Bank of England can better protect against inflation and contribute to lower energy bills By Theo Harris 02 December 2024 Download the report...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Timothy Snyder invites us to read; “Decapitation Strike (December)“ (Note to readers: I wrote this two weeks ago, on 15 November. This update accounts for things I have learned since, and for Trump’s further appointments, who confirm the thesis.) Each of Trump’s proposed appointments is a surprise. It is comforting to think that he is […] The post “some of them did vote to burn it all down. But if it all burns down, we...

from Dean Baker New York Times columnist Christopher Caldwell devoted his Thanksgiving piece to describing the German sociologist Wolfgang Streeck’s views on capitalism and democracy.  I have not read much of Streeck’s work, but as recounted by Caldwell, he gets many of the basic facts about the U.S. economy badly wrong. According to Caldwell’s account, capitalists were willing to sacrifice profits in the decades after World War II for stability. This meant less dynamism but allowed...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Vera Institutes report on Jails and Prisons is accurate. I am basing this comment on what I know about them in the past. Obviously, things have changed over time. It is good to see a decrease. Perhaps they have found better ways to handle minor issues other than the county jail or state prisons. […] The post Jail and Prison Populations Decreased Since 2019 appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]So many flaws, so many mistakes made; does America even deserve to exist? Does any country that would elect such a person president? Now twelve score and eight, this nation so boldly brought forth on this continent has, in the main, gotten better and better; until it didn’t.  That nation so many have loved so […] The post The Fall appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Medicare Advantage Plans are notorious for denying healthcare treatments to plan subscribers. CMS is intervening by making a much-needed change to how Medicare Advantage plans decides on treatments needed by plan subscribers. Just a couple of pointers showing how MA has been serving it customers . . . the public. In the existing MA bidding […] The post It will be up to the incoming Trump administration to decide appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content] – by New Deal democrat Let me finish catching up this week with a quick look at personal income and spending, which were reported on Wednesday. The “big” takeaway I’ve seen elsewhere is that inflation picked up, and maybe will complicate the Fed’s task. But I don’t see where it’s such a big deal. The […] The post Real personal income and spending for October were all good; no special cause for concern...

Top 100 Economics Blogs Mainstream economics has sadly made economics increasingly irrelevant to the understanding of the real world. Trying to contribute to making economics a more realist and relevant science, yours truly launched this blog in March 2011. Now, thirteen years later and with millions of page views, yours truly’s blog is ranked on Top 100 Economics Blogs. I am — of course — truly awed, honoured and delighted.