Dean Baker

6 days ago | cepr.net | Data Bytes |Dean Baker |Julie Yixia Cai |Emma Curchin

Since “abundance” is apparently the in-thing, I thought I should get in on the act. At the onset, I will admit I don’t have much new to offer to those familiar with my writings, but sometimes a repackaging is useful. I have my usual favorites:Patent and copyright monopolies,The bloated financial sector,The corrupt corporate governance structure,Protection for doctors and other highly paid professionals.

2 weeks ago | cepr.net | Data Bytes |Dean Baker

When he was elected last fall, Donald Trump was the darling of the business community. He promised to get rid of pesky regulations that protect consumers from fraudulent business practices. His sidekick, Elon Musk, even pledged to “delete” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Trump also promised to get rid of annoying environmental regulations. If companies want to put cancer-causing substances in people’s food, air, and water, his administration would not stand in their way.

3 weeks ago | cepr.net | Data Bytes |Dean Baker |Algernon Austin

No one ever accused Donald Trump of knowing much about the economy. That fact comes through loud and clear in his tax cut proposals. In addition to his big tax cuts for corporations and rich people, Trump also pushed his “populist” tax cuts. These were exempting tips, Social Security, and overtime pay from taxes, and also making the interest on auto loans tax deductible.

3 weeks ago | cepr.net | Data Bytes |Dean Baker |Algernon Austin |Hayley Brown

There has been much reporting this week on the harm that will be done to many low and moderate-income families from Republican plans to cut benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Republican plans seem to center largely on creating bureaucratic obstacles that will make it more difficult for many families to claim and keep benefits. These plans, if allowed to go into effect, will mean serious hardship for tens of millions of families over the next decade.

3 weeks ago | cepr.net | Data Bytes |Dean Baker

In March, the overall CPI fell by 0.1 percent, as a 6.3 percent plunge in gas prices was sufficient to make the CPI fall for the month. The core CPI rose just 0.1 percent, as a sharp fall in airfares, coupled with declines in prescription drug prices, auto insurance, and used car prices, held the index down. For the last 12 months the overall index was up 2.4 percent, while the core index was up 2.8 percent.