Economy

Independent authors cover news and developments related to the economic health of the country, states and individual citizens. Here we cover the stock market, business regulations, international trade, budgets, and other issues affecting American businesses.

San Francisco Democrats Just Said No to Taxing Billionaires

San Francisco's Democratic Party refused to endorse a one-time wealth tax on billionaires, creating a rare public split with the state party and exposing tensions between the party's moderate and DSA-aligned wings.

By Cara Brown McCormick

September 7, 2026

San Francisco Democrats Just Said No to Taxing Billionaires

America’s First Socialist President? His Name Is Donald Trump

The Trump administration is taking direct ownership stakes in major U.S. corporations like Intel, U.S. Steel, and Westinghouse Electric, marking an unprecedented expansion of federal control over American business.

By James K Glassman

August 17, 2026

America’s First Socialist President? His Name Is Donald Trump

Steve Hilton Blames Sam Altman and Dario Amodei for Making America Fear AI

California's Republican gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton says AI leaders like Sam Altman and Dario Amodei have damaged public trust in their industry and argues the state must ease opposition to data center construction to compete with Texas and Ohio.

By Cara Brown McCormick

August 12, 2026

Steve Hilton Blames Sam Altman and Dario Amodei for Making America Fear AI

We Can Tax Billionaires and Be Smart About It

A wealth tax isn't the best idea. Capital gains reform makes much more sense.

By Cara Brown McCormick

April 22, 2026

We Can Tax Billionaires and Be Smart About It

10 Reasons Why the Congressional Stock Trading Ban Will Never Pass

The overlap between committee assignments and stock ownership is not automatically illegal. Because the current legal framework permits this proximity as long as disclosure rules are followed, lawmakers are not operating under a system that forces change.

By Cara Brown McCormick

February 20, 2026

Image of a stock trader on Wall Street to represent this story on the congressional stock trading ban and why it isn't going anywhere.

Are You Wondering Who is to Blame For Nationwide Verizon Outage?

Verizon Wireless customers across the United States were hit by a major outage on January 14, leaving tens of thousands of phones in “SOS” mode and users unable to make calls, send texts, or access mobile data.

By Cara Brown McCormick

January 14, 2026

Are You Wondering Who is to Blame For Nationwide Verizon Outage?

The Corporate Takeover of California Homes Reaches 19%, and It's Accelerating

Should we be comfortable with the surge of hedge funds and real estate investment trusts buying up single-family homes and turning them into rentals? What happens to families who just want to buy one house and build a life there? The question is more than theoretical. It is reshaping the foundation

By Cara Brown McCormick

October 28, 2025

The Corporate Takeover of California Homes Reaches 19%, and It's Accelerating

How Californians Without Solar Got Stuck Paying for Those Who Do

Californians pay the second-highest electricity rates in the nation, more than double the U.S. average, and those rates are climbing faster than inflation and rising more quickly than

By Cara Brown McCormick

August 19, 2025

How Californians Without Solar Got Stuck Paying for Those Who Do

Lorena Gonzalez, California’s Top Labor Leader, Blasts ‘Anti-Labor Left’ Over Abundance Movement

Lorena Gonzalez, one of California’s most influential labor leaders, entered the fray this week in a growing Democratic debate over the so-called “abundance” movement.

By Cara Brown McCormick

July 9, 2025

Lorena Gonzalez, California’s Top Labor Leader, Blasts ‘Anti-Labor Left’ Over Abundance Movement

Moody's Credit Rating Downgrade: How Partisan Dysfunction Has Tanked America's Financial Credibility

The US House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by a single vote right before lawmakers left DC for Memorial Day weekend. As the bill continues to be dissected and scrutinized in the media, its advancement to the US Senate will no doubt cause another story to resurface.

By Shawn Griffiths

May 22, 2025

Moody's Credit Rating Downgrade: How Partisan Dysfunction Has Tanked America's Financial Credibility

Senator Jacky Rosen Bucks Party Politics to Champion No Tax on Tips

Americans woke up to the news Wednesday that the US Senate did the seemingly impossible in today’s hyper-polarized political environment: Its members unanimously approved a stand-alone bill that eliminates taxes on tips, which was one of President Donald Trump’s signature promises on the 2024 campai

By Shawn Griffiths

May 21, 2025

Senator Jacky Rosen Bucks Party Politics to Champion No Tax on Tips

The Silent Giant: How Surging Interest Payments Could Gut America’s Future

Members of Congress continue to debate the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), a budget reconciliation bill backed by President Donald Trump addressing federal spending on entitlement programs, defense, energy, as well as tax policy.

By Shawn Griffiths

May 20, 2025

The Silent Giant: How Surging Interest Payments Could Gut America’s Future