Good morning.
Friday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 49. Sunrise is 5:49 and sunset is 7:55 for 14 hours 6 minutes of daytime. The moon (a ‘Flower Moon‘) is full today.
On this day in 1971, Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) takes over operation of U.S. passenger rail service.
There are two main consequences of destructive economic policies: the loss to those who experience them, and the loss of credibility for those who advocated for candidates who adopted those destructive policies.
In Whitewater, the same special-interest men who claim they know what’s best for the city have for years advocated for policies that have done the worst to the city, state, and nation. They’re like film producers who repeatedly back movies that bomb, yet blame audiences for not appreciating their vision.
Of our national and state economies, one reads more disappointing news. Inflation is up and growth disappoints:
Consumers faced escalating prices in March as the Iran war sent oil soaring and created a new level of challenges for the Federal Reserve, according to a batch of reports Thursday that showed economic growth slower than expected and a generational low in layoffs.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which excludes food and energy, accelerated a seasonally adjusted 0.3% for the month, pushing the 12-month inflation rate to 3.2%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The readings matched the Dow Jones consensus estimates. Core inflation hit its highest level since November 2023.
Including the volatile gas and groceries components saw higher readings, with the monthly gain at 0.7% and the annual rate hitting 3.5%, also in line with forecasts.
In other economic news Thursday, the Commerce Department reported that gross domestic product grew at a 2% seasonally adjusted annualized pace in the first quarter, up from 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025 but lower than the 2.2% estimate.
See Jeff Cox, Core inflation rate hit 3.2% in March as first-quarter growth disappointed at 2%, CNBC, April 30, 2026.
Cox quotes economist Heather Long on conditions for ordinary Americans:
“This is a split-screen economy,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “Companies and investors involved in AI are on fire. Meanwhile, middle and moderate income households are struggling with high gas prices and inflation that’s back at the hottest level in three years.”
That’s Whitewater too, isn’t it? In our case, a few student-rental landlords rode a wave over the last generation, but the rest of the city was left behind.
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Upcoming posts (in no decided order): Claims of Legacy, a Particular Species of Democrat, a Whitewater Comparative Analysis, Whitewater’s Workforce, ‘What Ails, What Heals’ Reviewed, and Outcome Driven Argumentation.
What’s Up for May 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA:
0:00 Intro
0:09 Eta Aquarids
1:25 Moon and Venus conjunction
1:54 Blue Moon
2:35 May Moon phases