It is the middle of the month, so it is time for your seemingly boring economic monthly Producer Price Indexes information brought to you by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PRODUCER PRICE INDEXES - JANUARY 2025

The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.4 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices rose 0.5 percent in December 2024 and 0.2 percent in November. (See table A.) On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand moved up 3.5 percent for the 12 months ended January 2025.

Leading the broad-based January advance in the index for final demand, prices for final demand services rose 0.3 percent. The index for final demand goods moved up 0.6 percent. The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services rose 0.3 percent in January after moving up 0.4 percent in December. For the 12 months ended in January, prices for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services advanced 3.4 percent.

In other words, as the financial reporter at Bloomberg noted:

US Wholesale Inflation Tops Estimates on Food, Energy Prices

Oh.

But you knew that, perhaps even thought that inflation was higher as you muttered to yourself while paying for such staples as food (eggs), clothing (higher textile costs), and shelter (heating costs are up).

Now, to be fair, some costs are beyond the ability of an individual president of either party to control, as weather and other natural disasters (California fires, avian flu), events in other countries (conflict between Ukraine and Russia) etc. affect prices.

So maybe, just maybe (okay, definitely) it is time to embrace President (and isn't that good to say that again?) Trump's seemingly radical concept of Make America Great Again (MAGA) by reducing the scope of government. The many temporarily unemployed government workers can surely take their talents, their skills, and their energy to the newly free private sector in a first step at reducing inflation.

And in the rest of the world, it is definitely time for the European countries to step up and start paying their "fair share" (where have we heard that phrase before?) for NATO and their own defense as Trump has demanded. And it is way past time for the Muslim nations to care for their Muslim coreligionists in other areas, e.g., the hate pit that is Gaza (99.9 % Muslim) by offering them citizenship in their own Muslim-dominated, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish countries.

And Gaza will repay Trump -- and the U.S. -- by becoming a sun-soaked, fun-soaked, safe vacation spot where Americans can spend their newly freed dollars.

(Don't laugh -- Trump gets things done!)

And the entire world will benefit as inflation drops and satisfaction increases.

Oh yes -- it will take time. But under Trump, stranger -- and better -- results happen. And Trump has -- at the minimum -- four more years.

Til then, here are some healthy egg substitutes.

Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service