by Daniel Brouse May 16, 2025 The United States has just lost its last perfect credit rating, a significant downgrade that could have serious implications for financial markets and the broader economy. On Friday, Moody’s Ratings downgraded U.S. government debt, stripping the country of its long-held AAA rating. This move marks the end of more […]
Category Archives: Finance
China Quietly Retreats from U.S. Debt Market Amid Trade War Volatility
by Daniel Brouse May 14, 2025 Cash flows and foreign treasury holdings in and out of the United States have grown increasingly volatile under the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war. One of the most consequential—and largely underreported—developments is China’s quiet withdrawal from the U.S. Treasury market. Unlike an overt selloff that would signal immediate economic […]
Ignore the Noise: The Bond Market Is Sounding the Alarm
by Daniel Brouse May 13, 2025 A couple of months ago, I suggested that those concerned about the future of the economy should focus less on the stock market and more on the bond market. Since then, the divergence between financial market optimism and economic reality has only widened. The stock market, increasingly detached from […]
Curb the Enthusiasm: U.S.–China ‘Trade Deal’ Is Just a Temporary Pause in a Costly Tariff War
by Daniel Brouse May 12, 2025 A much-publicized “trade deal” between the United States and China was announced over the weekend, sparking an immediate rally in the futures markets. Investors initially interpreted the announcement as a sign of easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. However, a closer look reveals the agreement is far […]
Also posted in Business, freedom, Government, International, Politics, taxes
Tagged economy
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Misleading Claims on Gas Prices, Inflation, and the Economy: A Closer Look at the Facts
by Daniel Brouse May 10, 2025 “‘Too Late’ Jerome Powell is a FOOL, who doesn’t have a clue. Other than that, I like him very much! Oil and Energy way down, almost all costs (groceries and ‘eggs’) down, virtually NO INFLATION, Tariff Money Pouring Into the U.S. — THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF ‘TOO LATE!’ ENJOY!”— […]
Also posted in Agriculture, Business, Education, Energy, Environment, freedom, Global Warming, Government, International, liberty, Politics, Science, Society, taxes
Tagged climate change, economy
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Uncertainty Reigns: The Fed, Trade Policy, and a Clouded Economic Outlook
by Daniel Brouse May 6, 2025 The Federal Reserve continues to signal uncertainty about the economic outlook, refraining from lowering interest rates amid what it described as “extreme uncertainty.” The central bank appears caught between the two competing arms of its dual mandate—ensuring price stability and maximizing employment—both of which are increasingly in tension. Notably, […]
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Tagged economy
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Climate Denial and Disaster Capitalism: How $1.4 Billion in Hurricane Helene Aid Exposes the Cost of Ignoring Science
by Daniel Brouse May 6, 2025 The $1.4 billion in federal grants allocated to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene recovery is a textbook example of what’s wrong with President Trump’s economic and environmental legacy. These funds, distributed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, are […]
Also posted in Agriculture, Business, Education, Energy, Environment, freedom, Global Warming, Government, International, liberty, Politics, Science, taxes
Tagged climate change, extreme weather events
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Bozo the Rodeo Clown and the Accidental Hits: Music, Message, and the Madness of Our Times
By Daniel Brouse May 6, 2025 The music business remains one of the strangest combinations of art, science, and economics. It’s a world where emotional resonance trumps logic, and where market forces, social movements, and sheer randomness collide to define success. I should know—I put the first record company on the internet back in 1992. […]
Also posted in Business, Environment, freedom, Global Warming, Government, History, International, Internet, liberty, Media, music, Politics, Science
Tagged climate change, economy
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Economic Outlook: Short-Term Uncertainty and Long-Term Certainty
By Daniel Brouse May 3, 2025 The current economic outlook is defined by a climate of short-term uncertainty paired with an emerging long-term certainty—though not of the reassuring kind. Recent GDP data show the U.S. economy contracting in the first quarter of 2025, signaling the beginning of a potential recession. However, these numbers do not […]
Also posted in Business, Environment, freedom, Global Warming, Government, International, liberty, Politics, Science, taxes
Tagged climate change, economy
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The $8 Trillion Disappearing Act: How U.S. Multinationals Skew the Trade Deficit
by Daniel Brouse May 1, 2025 Donald Trump’s Trade Deficit Calculations Ignore the Real Structure of the Modern U.S. Economy Donald Trump’s trade deficit claims are fundamentally flawed, reflecting an outdated view of global commerce and overlooking several major components of the U.S. economy. Most notably, his figures exclude the substantial value of U.S. service […]