Category: Economy

Last July 4th, a new type of savings account was launched. Called Trump Accounts, they are part of the President’s Big Beautiful Bill, and they have three parts. (1) The government will put money into an account for new babies; (2) employers can contribute to these accounts; and (3), parents can contribute to their child’s […]

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Gasoline prices are rising again, adding to voter concerns about the cost of living. Yet in the Philadelphia region, a new company, Freedom Fuel, is suddenly selling gasoline substantially below its competitors at more than two dozen stations. President Trump has personally promoted Freedom Fuel, and the White House has presented it as evidence that […]

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On April 2, 2025, so-called “Liberation Day”, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and put high tariffs on US imports. His base tariff was 10%, but most countries faced higher rates, including 20% for the European Union, and over 40% for Cambodia and Vietnam. Trump has claimed repeatedly that he loves […]

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The Department of Agriculture estimates that in 1960 it cost middle-income families $259,711 (in 2025 dollars) to raise a child. In 2015, it cost $414,000 (again, in 2025 dollars), an increase of over 50 percent—substantially more than median household income increased over this time period. As a result, women are having fewer children. During the […]

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Affordability is Donald Trump’s Achilles Heel. Running for President in 2024 he vowed to reduce prices. This dumb promise lacks even the most basic understanding of the US economy. Average prices rarely fall. Over the past century, inflation went negative only during the Great Depression. Another depression would be needed to bring prices down to […]

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