Econ Blog

your daily dose of economic commentary

4221. Menger's Principles Is Obsolete

Robert Vienneau discusses the obsolescence of Carl Menger's consumer demand theory in light of modern economic theories like revealed preference and utility theory.

Emergent Ventures, 9th India cohort

4222. Emergent Ventures, 9th India cohort

Tyler Cowen discusses various entrepreneurs and projects in India supported by Emergent Ventures, focusing on innovation and social impact across multiple sectors.

Trump's cuts come for food banks

4223. Trump's cuts come for food banks

An argument that food banks are facing challenges due to recent cuts in funding, impacting their ability to serve communities effectively.

Kindness, repeated use, and longrun distortionary effects from ChatGPT

4224. Kindness, repeated use, and longrun distortionary effects from ChatGPT

An argument that repeated interactions with AI can lead to significant personality changes, drawing parallels to cult-like influences and examining anecdotal evidence of relationship impacts.

4225. My Weekly Reading for May 4, 2025

The post discusses the impact of tariffs on the economy, particularly how they affect labor and capital allocation, and examines the consequences of Chinese imports on manufacturing employment.

4226. FOMC Preview: No Change to Fed Funds Rate

Bill McBride discusses expectations for the FOMC meeting, indicating no change to the Fed Funds Rate and analyzing economic projections and conditions.

Alternative Estimates of Output

4227. Alternative Estimates of Output

An argument that alternative measures of output, such as GDO, provide insights into GDP discrepancies and the impact of inventory investment on economic forecasts.

Saturday links (closing tabs)

4228. Saturday links (closing tabs)

Scott Cunningham reflects on his experiences teaching AI, the impact of generative AI on creativity, and the evolving landscape of labor and economics in technology.

4229. Party Time: Lessons from the aviation investigative process on “fact checking”

Dennis Murphy discusses the aviation investigative process and the importance of accurate information gathering in the context of public discourse and media coverage following accidents.

Spoiled by Success

4230. Spoiled by Success

Scott Sumner discusses the inefficiencies and failures of California's high-speed rail project, highlighting the misallocation of resources despite the state's economic success.

Imports Arithmetic Doesn’t Explain GDP Drop

4231. Imports Arithmetic Doesn’t Explain GDP Drop

Pierre Lemieux argues that the treatment of imports in GDP calculations is misleading and does not reflect their actual impact on economic output.

Warren Buffett announces his retirement and warns the trade war will hurt America

4232. Warren Buffett announces his retirement and warns the trade war will hurt America

Maria Aspan discusses Warren Buffett's retirement announcement and his concerns about the impact of the trade war on America.

An Interview With Bobby Kogan

4233. An Interview With Bobby Kogan

Paul Krugman interviews Bobby Kogan about the Republican budget plan, focusing on tax cuts and significant cuts to social programs.

Why do econ journalists keep making this basic mistake?

4234. Why do econ journalists keep making this basic mistake?

Noah Smith critiques economics journalists for consistently misreporting that imports subtract from GDP, emphasizing the importance of accurate economic reporting for policymaking.

Schedule for Week of May 4, 2025

4235. Schedule for Week of May 4, 2025

Bill McBride discusses the key economic reports and events scheduled for the week of May 4, 2025, including the trade balance and FOMC meeting.

After paying people to leave, one federal agency is scrambling to fill positions

4236. After paying people to leave, one federal agency is scrambling to fill positions

A federal agency is struggling to fill positions after incentivizing employees to leave, highlighting challenges in workforce management and retention.

May 2nd COVID Update: COVID Deaths Continue to Decline

4237. May 2nd COVID Update: COVID Deaths Continue to Decline

Bill McBride discusses the decline in weekly COVID deaths and the decision to continue tracking metrics despite meeting initial goals.

Why it's so hard to find a public toilet

4238. Why it's so hard to find a public toilet

Erika Beras discusses the decline of public toilets in the U.S. and how economic and legal factors contribute to the current lack of accessible facilities.

US Holders of Foreign Assets, Foreign Holders of US Assets, and Exorbitant Privilege

4239. US Holders of Foreign Assets, Foreign Holders of US Assets, and Exorbitant Privilege

The post discusses the dynamics of US and foreign investments, highlighting the growing gap between US assets and liabilities and the concept of "exorbitant privilege" in investment returns.

A Closer Look at Employment

4240. A Closer Look at Employment

An analysis of recent employment trends highlights the impact of transportation and warehousing sectors, federal worker status, and implications for overall job growth rates.