PPI Confirms CPI: Energy Shock, Not a Trigger For a Rate Hike

PPI Confirms CPI: Energy Shock, Not a Trigger For a Rate Hike

Not all inflation is the same. The latest CPI and PPI reports point to an energy-driven price shock, not an overheated economy. While producer prices surged in May, energy costs—particularly gasoline—did most of the heavy lifting. The key question is whether those higher energy costs spread into broader inflation. History suggests the Federal Reserve should be careful not to respond to an oil shock with aggressive rate hikes that risk slowing growth and triggering recession.

Headline CPI Number Is Hot, While Core Inflation Is Not

A closer look at the May CPI report shows that higher gasoline and energy prices drove most of the increase in headline inflation, while core inflation remained subdued and came in below expectations. Policymakers should focus on underlying inflation trends rather than temporary energy-driven price spikes.

Trump’s Tariff-and-Tax Strategy Is Bringing Manufacturing Home

New manufacturing data points to a strengthening U.S. factory sector, with the ISM Manufacturing Index expanding for a fifth straight month and reaching its highest level since 2022. Rising new orders, production, and factory investment suggest growing industrial momentum, while increased spending on equipment and construction signals efforts to expand domestic manufacturing capacity. The analysis also argues that higher interest rates could slow this recovery by raising costs for manufacturers.

Parsing the Residential Construction Data Through Fed Eyes

A cautiously recovering housing market and resilient labor data are sending a clear signal: the economy does not need another interest rate hike. This episode breaks down why residential construction matters so deeply to growth, jobs, and consumer confidence — and why tightening monetary policy now could derail a fragile recovery before it gains momentum.

What Textiles Teach Us About Globalism — And Survival

A look at how America lost its textile industry—and why it matters. From COVID-era PPE shortages to decades of globalist trade policy, the case for rebuilding domestic manufacturing as a foundation of economic and national security.