Metals Service Center Institute – Steel Shipments (05-16-26)
U.S. and Canadian Shipments Rise Across Steel and Aluminum – MSCI Metals Activity for April 2026 shows year-over-year increases in service center shipments across both steel and aluminum in the U.S. and Canada. U.S. steel shipments rose 2.6% from April 2025 on a seasonally adjusted basis, while aluminum shipments increased 6.7%. In Canada, steel shipments […]
New CEI report outlines the major reasons why tariffs don’t work
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released a new report by CEI Senior Economist Ryan Young entitled “Three Reasons Tariffs Don’t Work” that outlines the major problems with tariffs and provides effective policy solutions. Tariffs create financial havoc for industries and consumers, benefiting a few while hurting many. It is impossible for humans to reliably predict how […]
Senate advances public lands energy permitting bill
The Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Western Energy Alliance earlier this week applauded action by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 2 to pass a GOP-led bill that would support federal employees working on oil and natural gas approvals in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices across the West. The License to […]
DOE unveils coal expansion and reliability push
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on June 4 unveiled a broad effort to expand, modernize, and preserve America’s coal fleet, committing hundreds of millions of dollars to coal-fired power plants and export infrastructure as part of what the department describes as a strategy to strengthen energy security, grid reliability, and domestic supply chains. “To […]
US oil exports surge, draining domestic crude inventories toward rock bottom
At the prairie town that calls itself the pipeline crossroads of the world, some 400 oil storage tanks sprawled across Cushing, Oklahoma, are nearly empty, drained by refiners worldwide to plug a massive shortfall in global supplies caused by war in the Middle East. Cushing is among the largest oil storage hubs in the world. […]
From unfilled gas tanks to fewer frills, retailers see US consumers rethink spending
U.S. consumers haven’t stopped spending money since the Iran war drove up fuel prices, but many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where, according to company executives and retail analysts. The behavior changes observed so far are subtle, such as altered routines for buying gasoline and fewer visits to clothing and furniture stores. They also are […]
Colorado is losing millions from federal oil and gas giveaways
Colorado taxpayers are at risk of getting a worse deal from their own public lands. As a fiscal conservative, I believe the federal government has a responsibility to manage our nation’s public lands like any other valuable public asset: with transparency, efficiency, and a fair return to taxpayers. These lands are not only a source […]
The Employment Situation (06-05-26)
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, local government, and health care. Employment in financial activities declined. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey […]
Housing – New Home Sales (05-28-26)
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for April 2026: New Home Sales – Sales of new single-family houses in April 2026 were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 622,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau […]