Topics / Economy, Spending & Housing
Prices, wages, deficits, taxes, health costs and homelessness.
11 bombs · 1 series · 6 live debates
Showing 11 of 11 bombs
That was peak inflation in 2021-22.
9.1%. That was peak inflation in 2021-22. And in 2026 it's rising again: 3.7% in September, mostly gasoline. Paychecks fell behind in 2021-22, caught up in 2023-25, and are falling behind again. Causes: global supply shocks, an oversized 2021 stimulus,…
What the federal government now pays in interest on its debt each year.
$1 trillion+. That's what the federal government now pays in interest on its debt each year. It borrows about $1.9 trillion a year, and debt will pass its World War II record by 2030. Both parties added to it: COVID…
Bad
What the US spends on health care, roughly double the OECD average, and Americans still live shorter lives.
17.6% of GDP. That's what the US spends on health care, roughly double the OECD average, and Americans still live shorter lives. The main driver is high prices. CMS estimated about $94B in improper Medicare and Medicaid payments in FY2025,…
Roughly how much richer South Korea is than North Korea.
25 times. That's roughly how much richer South Korea is than North Korea. Same people, different systems. Every country split between a planned economy and a market one shows the same result: the market side became richer, longer-lived, and freer.…
What California spent on homelessness from 2018 to 2023, and homelessness still rose 24% from 2019 to 2024.
$24 billion. That's what California spent on homelessness from 2018 to 2023, and homelessness still rose 24% from 2019 to 2024. A court-ordered audit found Los Angeles couldn't say how much it spent or what services were delivered. The county…
Bad value so far; fix is coordination, accountability and zoning reform
The top 1%'s share of federal income tax in 2022, on 22.4% of income.
40.4%. That's the top 1%'s share of federal income tax in 2022, on 22.4% of income. The bottom 50% paid 3.0%. But count unrealized gains as income and the 400 wealthiest families paid just 8.2% (2010–2018). Both claims are partly…
~$25 million: the reported security and cleanup spend when San Francisco hosted APEC and Xi Jinping in Nov 2023.
Downtown corridors were scrubbed, encampments were cleared and some temporary shelter was offered. Then conditions reverted. If a city can clean for an authoritarian guest in days, its year-round squalor is a choice. Residents deserve that capacity too. PRO: Diplomacy…
BAD Full analysis San Francisco APEC Cleanup: Temporary Homeless Removal for Xi Visit Temporary street cleaning and homeless displacement in San Francisco ahead of
32,882 American veterans were homeless in January 2024, and 13,851 of them were unsheltered (HUD/VA).
That is a 7.5% drop from 2023 and a record low since tracking began in 2009. It followed a 7.4% rise in 2023. GAO found case-manager vacancies and turnover delayed admissions to housing programs. There's progress, but it's still unacceptable…
MIXED Full analysis Veteran Homelessness: VA Capacity and Housing Shortfalls HUD-VASH and VA programs vs Point-in-Time counts — 32,882 veterans homeless in Jan 202
'Elderly man with a poor memory.' That's how Special Counsel Robert Hur's Feb 2024 report described the sitting President.
'Elderly man with a poor memory.' That's how Special Counsel Robert Hur's Feb 2024 report described the sitting President. The White House called capacity concerns partisan. WSJ reporting found aides shortened work windows, limited meetings and controlled access. Then the…
BAD — opacity about who governed is itself the scandal
EV charging ports open by April 2025 — at 68 stations in 16 states — from a $7.5 billion federal charging program (GAO).
384. EV charging ports open by April 2025 — at 68 stations in 16 states — from a $7.5 billion federal charging program (GAO). Bigger picture: of $580.6B in infrastructure-law grant money available through FY25, only $119.4B — 21% —…
MIXED — bridges got fixed; the 'transformative buildout' was oversold
Inflation in June 2022 — the highest since 1981.
9.1%. Inflation in June 2022 — the highest since 1981. Fifteen months earlier, the ~$1.9T American Rescue Plan passed on a party line: Senate 50–49 with a tie-break, House 220–211. Democratic economist Larry Summers warned in Feb 2021 it was…
BAD — temporary relief doesn't erase a 40-year price spike every household paid
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