2026-03-17 01:46:46
For the New York Times, Ben Casselman reports on a previously undisclosed change in data source by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which led to an inflation estimate that was lower than expected.
Data on legal services usually comes from the consumer index. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has struggled with budget cuts and staff attrition, hasn’t been able to collect enough data in recent years to publish the legal services index consistently. It has continued to provide the data to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, but the monthly readings have been volatile.
In January, the C.P.I. for legal services jumped more than 11 percent, according to analyses of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted by private-sector forecasters.
As a result, the Bureau of Economic Analysis decided to base its estimate of legal prices in January on the producer price data, which has been less volatile. Mr. Davis said that the jump in legal services prices in the C.P.I. data — and the absence of a clear reason for such a big increase — made that the right decision.
The challenge with comparing data over time is that methodology needs to stay the same or at least get a footnote so that analysts can adjust. The BEA responded that this was not a methodology change and just a substitute for volatile data, which seems convenient given the current state of government data.
Tags: Bureau of Economic Analysis, economy, inflation, New York Times
2026-03-16 15:32:17
xkcd continues to answer the important questions.
2026-03-14 00:41:54
Iran is starting to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. For the New York Times, Samuel Granados, John Ismay, and Agnes Chang illustrate how four types of naval mines work to damage tankers.
The geography of the strait and the surrounding waters works to Iran’s advantage. A long southern coastline affords ample opportunity for small boats to dart out with mines.
Tight shipping lanes leave little room to navigate. And the water at the strait’s narrowest point is only about 200 feet deep — shallow enough to lay minefields.
As one might expect, clearing mines with potential attacks from above is not as straightforward as clicking on a Minesweeper game grid.
Tags: Iran, mines, New York Times, Strait of Hormuz
2026-03-13 15:40:06
You’re probably familiar with the song “Africa” by Toto. This version, by There I Ruined It, uses all the country names in Africa instead of the actual lyrics. There’s a useful geography lesson somewhere in here.
2026-03-12 21:10:01
There was a total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026. From Michala Garrison mapping for NASA Earth Observatory, shows the shades before, after, and during.
When the satellite passed over western Alaska and the Bering Strait, at 13:00 Universal Time (4:00 a.m. Alaska Standard Time), the eclipse was in the partial phase. The scene is noticeably brighter than the earlier one, and light from the partially shaded Moon illuminates snow-covered topography and offshore clouds. The brightest swaths on the far right and left sides were acquired before and after the eclipse, respectively, with light from the full Moon.
2026-03-12 21:06:58
Hi everyone. This is No. 379 of the Process, where we navigate towards data and charts beyond defaults. I’m Nathan Yau. This week is about fake charts and keeping ourselves in the feedback loop.
Become a member for access to this — plus tutorials, courses, and guides.
