Breaking Through The Noise: Econ Facts, May 2026
- US National Debt exceeds 100% of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for the 1st time since 1946. Scary stuff! Servicing our debt is expensive and keeps us from investing in anything to help citizens or infrastructure or anything. Why is the national debt so high?
- Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, steps aside as chair in May but will stay on the Fed board, as he can. It’s the 1st time since 1948 that a Fed chair has chosen to stay on. Powell is doing that to protect the independence of the Fed from T’s maneuvers.
- US Manufacturing Jobs have fallen by 100k since T’s inauguration
- ACA (Affordable Care Act) enrollment has dropped 20% this year as the subsidies ended. From 24M in 2025 to 19M now and as inflation continues, more will drop throughout the year People w/o insurance don’t get help and end up in the ER where they must be treated and we all pay eventually, including with closing weaker/rural hospitals that can’t eat that $.