Originally published in the New York Times. Enough already about “transitory” inflation. Last Wednesday’s terrible Consumer Price Index news shifts our inflation prospects strongly into the “embedded” category: Prices are up 6.2 percent from a year ago, the largest increase in 30 years. … Continue reading →
Sometimes true costs are hidden by backloading them. Originally published in the New York Times. Americans of a certain age may remember J. Wellington Wimpy, a droll character from Popeye cartoons. “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” … Continue reading →
It’s not time yet to be raising interest rates. But let’s at least stop pouring $120 billion a month into the financial markets. Originally published in the New York Times. On Wednesday the Federal Reserve tiptoed ever so slightly toward reducing its … Continue reading →
The president wants to pour billions more into a service that only makes sense in a few areas. Originally published in the New York Times. Ah, the romantic suspense of train travel: Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint canoodling in … Continue reading →
The president should lean more heavily on the private sector to boost his infrastructure plan’s odds of success. Originally published in the New York Times. The Biden administration has put forward the biggest, boldest, most expensive expansion of government in … Continue reading →
Fears were overblown for years. But let’s not be blasé about how hard it could be to halt high prices if they haunt us again. Originally published in the New York Times. We are all, to one degree or another, shaped … Continue reading →
But his opening proposal should be more targeted to the most needy. Originally published in the New York Times President Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan contains many commendable provisions, from money for speeding the vaccine rollout to aid … Continue reading →
A tour of the major trends, from Covid-19 spread to political polarization, that affected Americans this year. Originally published in the New York Times. If 2019 was the Year of Trump, then 2020 was the Year of Covid-19 and Trump. … Continue reading →
Even though significant compromises will be required in Congress and not every progressive idea will be embraced. Originally published in the New York Times Here we are, just four weeks past Election Day, and renewed skirmishing has already broken out … Continue reading →
Biden needs to counter the president’s positive economic approval ratings with the facts. Originally published in the New York Times By most measures, President Trump’s poll ratings have long been loitering below the waterline, even more so since the pandemic … Continue reading →