Author: Alton Drew

I graduated from The Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in economics and political science (1984); a Master of Public Administration (1993); and a Juris Doctor (1999). I am a member of the Maryland Bar and practice political law. You can email me at altondrew@gmail.com.
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Narrative. Perception. Sentiment. And the dollar continues to strengthen against the yen.

Narrative. Perception. Sentiment. That is what I saw tonight in play after the Bank of Japan released its statement on monetary policy. The USD/JPY was trading today around 153.786 at 1:00 pm EST. At 2:00 pm EST, when the Federal Open Market Committee released its statement, the yen had fallen, reflected in a USD/JPY of … Continue reading Narrative. Perception. Sentiment. And the dollar continues to strengthen against the yen.

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DOGE, the Impoundment Control Act, and Trump’s opportunity for a little political warfare.

So, Elon Musk wants to cut the U.S. federal budget by $2 trillion or approximately 29.85%. If we transferred that percentage cut to annualized 2024 3Q federal government consumption expenditures and gross investment of $1893.4 billion, accounting for 6.5% of gross domestic product, government consumption expenditures and gross investment would fall to approximately $1,328.2 billion. … Continue reading DOGE, the Impoundment Control Act, and Trump’s opportunity for a little political warfare.

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Trump to the BRICS: “Don’t muscle in on my currency turf.”

The expansion of the BRICS alliance has been happening without any noticeable concern by the outgoing Biden-Harris administration. I heard no mention of BRICS by former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during her 2024 campaign. As potential de jure head of state, one would think that both her and the presumptive president-elect, Donald Trump, would … Continue reading Trump to the BRICS: “Don’t muscle in on my currency turf.”

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Does making bitcoin a reserve asset increase transactional activity in the U.S.?

Former U.S. president Donald Trump made the crypto industry a promise; that he would consider creating a fund that holds bitcoin as a reserve asset [1]. A number of states including Pennsylvania are reportedly considering similar proposals for incorporating state bitcoin ownership as a part of their state fiscal policies [2]. U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis, … Continue reading Does making bitcoin a reserve asset increase transactional activity in the U.S.?