Patricia Plonsker

@pplonsker.bsky.social

911 Followers 343 Following

Cincinnati • Omaha economics and global finance #TheArchers #DubNation #Reds #Bengals

A polite opposition is a requirement for any successful authoritarian movement.
Consumer prices rose 3.5% annually in June, let than expected S energy prices eased. See? The arsonist sprinkled some water on the fire he started. Why aren’t you grateful?
Warsh promises inflation will be a thing of the past
Warsh promises inflation will be a thing of the past
Libraries turning into drug infested sex dens. In your dreams, Mike Johnson.
“[T]he Court finds that this matter was brought for an improper purpose—to gain the imprimatur of judicial legitimacy for a ‘settlement’ that had no viable basis in law or fact,” U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams wrote. Williams, an Obama appointee, sanctioned Trump’s lawyers by referring Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar and ordering that Daniel Z. Epstein not be allowed to practice in the Southern District of Florida for one year; ordered monetary sanctions as well; ordered that Monday’s opinion be sent to the State Bar of New York and District of Columbia Bar, where Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward already face bar complaints; and prohibited any parties from holding out what they concocted as a settlement.
A young Yorkshire Terrier
Bronze of Marian A Spencer with children and the quotation
A couple of old timey cocktails - a dark cosmo and a vodka martini, shaken, with a twist… at soon-to-close Sardi’s. Schubert bought it and says it will reopen, but we all know - what is past is past. Let’s save our democracy, friends!
Ayatollah Names trump Employee of the Month Andy Borowitz
One person was arrested in Cincinnati in connection with what federal authorities described as a planned and targeted attack against the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House, according to authorities and news reports.
Bureau of Labor Statistics The latest U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes news release has been posted on the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ximpim.pdf and also archived at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ximpim_06162026.pdf Highlights are below: U.S. import prices up 1.9% in May on higher fuel prices; export prices rise 1.3% 06/16/2026 In May, U.S. import prices rose 1.9 percent following an increase of 2.0 percent in April. U.S. export prices advanced 1.3 percent in May, after rising 3.5 percent in April. Over the past 12 months, import prices increased 6.7 percent and export prices rose 11.2 percent.
Worker removing the “p” that was illegally defacing the Kennedy Center
Go to the BLS site for all the details
PG&E shutoffs begin as Northern California braces for heat and fire weather. That’s their solution. Shutting off the power. 😑
The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 1.1 percent in May. Prices for final demand goods increased 2.8 percent, and the index for final demand services moved up 0.3 percent. Prices for final demand advanced 6.5 percent for the 12 months ended in May.
trump says the US will strike Iran again Thursday threatening to take control of the country’s energy infrastructure “at some point.”
American Banker editor: “prediction markets could offer a new revenue opportunity for banks”
Patrick Dw Haan, head analyst at Gas Buddy: Canadian oil makes up ***62%*** of the amount of oil the U.S. imports and ***25%*** of every barrel that goes into U.S. refineries. how's that for "energy independence"? let that sink in.
Consumer prices up 4.2% in May, highest in 3 years.
Paul Vigna, American Banker By Paul Vigna Managing Editor Good morning, here are the top stories this morning on American Banker. The growth of and regulatory embrace of prediction markets could offer a new revenue opportunity for banks, but legal uncertainty and consumer protection concerns over the medium- and long-term remain significant hurdles
Breaking News - (Hahahahahhahahah! Really?) trump family got about $500mm from crypto venture but investors saw steep losses.
The Small Business Administration is once again reorganizing, and its latest revamp includes the creation of two specialty offices for small businesses. The agency on June 5 announced it is establishing the Faith Office and the Office of Rural Affairs as a way to "improve service delivery to faith-based communities, rural small businesses, and domestic manufacturers." The Business Journals
Mamdani He’s so cool, he’s a 7 letter spelling bee answer
A Northern Kentucky retail gas pump placing the blame for cost squarely on trump.
This is a Fiesta Hibiscus I bought on a whim. The colors are so dazzling, resistance was utterly futile.
Big Tent Opening Reception May 29, 6–8pm Free and open to the public Bringing together work by over fifty artists, Big Tent reflects upon the current state of American democracy while also considering the efficacy of photography to be a catalyst for meaningful change. The exhibition takes the concept of ‘big tent’—referring to a political party’s policy of permitting or encouraging a broad spectrum of views among its members—as a metaphor for the fraught yet aspirational nature of American civic life and its democratic ideals. Big Tent is the inaugural exhibition at the new FotoFocus Center, a 14,700 square foot, purpose-built structure to house photographic exhibitions and year-round programs. This exhibition will be on view through August 22, 2026.
Deep burgundy red Asiatic Lilies hiding under a hibiscus.
The proposed arch obscures the Lincoln Memorial, built to honor the president who steered the country safely through the Civil War, but perfectly frames Arlington House, the mansion built by enslaved Americans and once owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The arch does not frame the nation’s honored dead, but frames instead the home of the man who led the armies of the Confederacy that killed them.
Trump drops $10B lawsuit against IRS per CNBC
This is one beautiful hibiscus. Hey. I may not survive the winter either, so might as well live it up.
They are manufacturing new parts of the Constitution. They are ignoring parts that do exist. Especially in the last 10 to 15 years, they have more and more openly adopted this stance that you have a powerful presidency for Republicans and a weak one for Democrats. They won’t allow Democrats to enjoy the fruits of political power when they win it, and that’s just an untenable situation.
Produced prices jump 6% in April. May, June, and July reads are going to be rough.
Wholesale inflation jumps 6% in April, the biggest increase in four years. That’s producer prices, so you know what comes next.
Headline inflation (which includes fuel and food prices) rose 3.8% from a year earlier — the fastest rate since 2023. Much of this can be blamed on the war with Iran, and the resulting spike in energy prices at home and abroad. Keep in mind, energy prices — compared to pre-war projections — are expected to remain high for years to come. When prices rise, they contribute to inflation. When they stay high, you still feel it, but it no longer contributes to inflation, which measures the change in prices. Justin includes a graph showing that energy prices have spiked dramatically since the war on Iran which has been unilaterally perpetrated by the trump administration without the constitutionally-required approval of Congress.
Amanda Warren, actor Loved her in East New York
US companies could choose to report earnings semiannually instead of quarterly under a proposal released by the Securities and Exchange Commission, potentially reducing how much information publicly-traded firms must share with investors. “Today’s proposed amendments, if ultimately adopted, would provide companies with increased regulatory flexibility,” said SEC Chairman Paul Atkins in a statement. The SEC has mandated quarterly reports, known as 10-Qs, for more than half a century in a bid to provide more transparency. While this proposal would drop that requirement for publicly-traded companies, firms might chose to continue issuing earnings releases and performance outlooks every three months. Per Bloomberg News
Seriously, you don’t want me to tell you how high these gas prices are.
Gasoline at Chevron is $7.29 for Regular, $7.59 for Plus, and $7.89 for Supreme.
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combinèd locks to part, And each particular hair to stand an end, Like quills upon the fearful porpentine.
Wile E. Coyote with his umbrella defense against an anvil.
Yorkshire Terrier at peace with the world.
Photo of a 1yo Yorkshire Terrier puppy, sound asleep.
Consumer prices spiked in March as the Iran war sent energy costs soaring and took the Federal Reserve further from its inflation target, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Underlying inflation, however, was relatively tame. The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3%, pushed by a 10.9% surge in energy costs. Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones consensus. The annual rate was the highest since April 2024 and up from 2.4% in February.
Inflation held sticky at 3% as U.S. headed into war with Iran, key Fed gauge shows PUBLISHED THU, APR 9 2026 8:35 AM EDT UPDATED Jeff Cox @JEFF.COX.7528 @JEFFCOXCNBCCOM The core personal consumption expenditures price index rose a seasonally adjusted 3% in February, the Commerce Department reported. The all-items headline inflation measure increased 2.8%. In addition to the inflation readings, the report also showed consumer spending unexpectedly down 0.1% on the month, while personal income rose 0.4%.
US inflation rate in 1978 was 11.35% Inflation in 1979 and its effect on dollar value $1 in 1978 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.11 in 1979. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 11.35% per year between 1978 and 1979, producing a cumulative price increase of 11.35%. Purchasing power decreased by 11.35% in 1979 compared to 1978. On average, you would have to spend 11.35% more money in 1979 than in 1978 for the same item. This means that prices in 1979 are 1.11 times as high as average prices since 1978, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. The inflation rate in 1978 was 7.59%. The inflation rate in 1979 was 11.35%. The 1979 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 3.25% per year between 1979 and 2026. Inflation rate is calculated by change in the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI in 1979 was 72.60. It was 65.20 in the previous year, 1978. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to officially determine inflation.
Billy Crystal as Fernando. “You look Mahhhhvelous!”
By Paul Vigna Managing Editor Good morning, here's is your daily briefing from American Banker. American banks are taking greater security precautions internationally amid concerns about threatened terrorist attacks on their operations in Paris, our Catherine Leffert reports.
Donald Trump finally tried to sell the American public on his Iran war, but his primetime address, five weeks into the messy conflict, showed he’s grasping for an off-ramp. The president offered no clear timeline for ending the hostilities, while pledging more aggressive action over the next two to three weeks. Meanwhile, Iran and Israel continued to trade strikes and Trump renewed threats against Iranian electric plants. Goldman’s main office in Paris received bomb threats believed to be from an Iranian group. Follow the latest in our live blog.
Naughty Yorkshire Terrier stealing a bone that is way, way too big for her.
Senator Murphy cites media reports that the GOP is weighing health care cuts to pay for trump’s illegal war on Iran
A Yorkshire Terrier pup, sleeping as if she is a perfectly angel.
What we think is a salamander found in a garden in the Clifton Heights neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio today. Connie is a frog expert, so Hopi g she can tell us what this little guy is…