With the enactment of higher tariffs for steel and aluminum, President Trump has many economists speculating how far he is willing to push his populist agenda and what will the short and long-term ramifications lead to.

Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, the United States Secretary of Commerce and Director of the White House National Trade Council respectively, have stayed mostly out of the hectic news cycle that has been a mainstay throughout the first year of President Trump’s tenure, so far.

With the potential for an expanded trade war with China, the U.S. needs to consider some of the less obvious economic and national security risks that could come into play. China holds a secret weapon that could cripple us instantly. Let’s call it, Trade War Option “57 – 71”.

In a previous post, I wrote about the death of the American Mall and what that means for the economy. I’d like to delve more deeply into exactly what effects that will have on the economic outlook. When you drive past that shuttered mall it’s not just the retailers who are at risk, it’s the economic base they provide in the forms of jobs that has me really worried.

I listened to a Freakonomics Podcast episode that dealt with the proliferance of mattress stores in Schererville, Indiana and more recently a similar story in the Chicago Tribune Business section.

We live in a time when the Kardashians and Hollywood entertainers capture our attention and large amounts of capital for their entertainment.