Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“Donald Trump’s decision to fire Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), brought his administration to a new level of crazy. Firing the head of a statistical agency because he didn’t like the data is extreme even by Trumpian standards. But Trump’s statements on the firing and the response of his top aides also tell us a lot about the people he has surrounding himself with. … If Trump decides something about the state of the economy, no one on his team is going to ever correct him, no matter how crazy it is. If his tariffs, budget cuts, and arbitrary and ad hoc regulatory changes give us 20 percent unemployment and 20 percent inflation, and Trump says we have a perfect economy, none of his aides is going tell him otherwise.” (08/07/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/07/trumps-team-of-cowards/

Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff

“Mexico is reportedly on the cusp of signing a new security agreement with the United States. This comes in the wake of a near stop in illegal border crossings and a temporary reprieve on higher trade tariffs. According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the pact would address intelligence sharing, the outflow of fentanyl from Mexico, and the inflow of smuggled guns from the U.S. The tariff pause and security deal highlight Mexico’s measurable, if incremental, progress in tackling organized crime and violence. These efforts don’t just placate the country’s largest trading partner; they respond to citizen demands. Mexicans want the economic progress fostered by safety and rule of law. Last month, Mexico announced a new strategy to combat extortion, which cost the economy an estimated $1.3 billion a year in 2023. The plan includes a reporting hotline and better investigations of suspicious cash flows.” (08/06/25)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0806/Mexico-s-smart-moves-for-safety

Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter Jacobsen

“One of America’s long-standing cultural institutions is in decline. The Survey Center on American Life is reporting that only 38 percent of Gen Z Americans who are now adults report eating regularly with family at the dinner table. This is in contrast with 74 percent of Americans ages 50 and older who report having regular family dinners. … Eating family meals together correlates with all sorts of positive trends. For example, the 2025 World Happiness Report finds that meal-sharing is linked with social connectedness and subjective well-being. Furthermore, children of families who eat together tend to have fewer behavioral problems and higher literacy rates.” (08/07/25)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/come-back-to-the-dinner-table/

Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman

“On Tuesday Donald Trump went on CNBC to explain why the European Union is facing a tariff of ‘only’ 15 percent. But what he said was simply delusional — and the delusion should be even more concerning than the tariffs. The Europeans, Trump asserted, had agreed to cough up $600 billion, which he described as a ‘gift,’ not a loan. And he emphasized that this is ‘$600 billion to invest in anything I want. Anything. I can do anything I want with it.’ … European nations aren’t command economies in which government can tell the private sector where to invest, and in any case the European Commission, which negotiated with Trump, can’t tell the governments of member states what to do. So think of it as the emperor’s new trade deal: Trump is strutting around, feeling very impressed with himself, but in substantive terms he’s stark naked.” (08/07/25)

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-emperors-new-trade-deal