Brian Klein
@brianklein.bsky.social
https://brianpklein.substack.com - Quick takes on geopolitics, international affairs, economics, trade, environment, climate, and a personal writing project -- A Spiritual Instinct.
Pinned
Which way is up?
Conflicting signals muddy picture of U.S. economy
open.substack.com
Is the U.S. economy on a tear or about to fall off a cliff? Every day seems to brings a new wave of conflicting numbers. Check out the latest quick take from A Closer Look.
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
In what world does this make sense and who benefits?
The EPA is eliminating a Clean Air Act finding from 2009 that is the basis for much of the federal government's actions to rein in climate change.
Trump's EPA will stop regulating greenhouse gases, setting up a legal fight
The Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating a Clean Air Act finding from 2009 that is the basis for much of the federal government's actions to rein in climate change.
n.pr
February 11, 2026 at 10:08 PM
In what world does this make sense and who benefits?
Remember a week or so ago when news reports touted strong consumer sales through December. Turns out gov’t numbers were delayed and they just dropped.
Consumer spending was actually flat. Go figure.
Not a surprise to readers of “A Closer Look” on Substack. www.pbs.org/newshour/eco...
Consumer spending was actually flat. Go figure.
Not a surprise to readers of “A Closer Look” on Substack. www.pbs.org/newshour/eco...
Retail sales flat in December from November, closing out year on a lackluster tone
The report, issued by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, surprised economists who were looking for growth despite mounting concerns about a slowing job growth, uncertainty about President Donald Trum...
www.pbs.org
February 10, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Remember a week or so ago when news reports touted strong consumer sales through December. Turns out gov’t numbers were delayed and they just dropped.
Consumer spending was actually flat. Go figure.
Not a surprise to readers of “A Closer Look” on Substack. www.pbs.org/newshour/eco...
Consumer spending was actually flat. Go figure.
Not a surprise to readers of “A Closer Look” on Substack. www.pbs.org/newshour/eco...
Jobs? What jobs? ADP new job numbers fail to impress coming in below expectations. www.cnbc.com/2026/02/04/a...
Private payrolls rose by just 22,000 in January, far short of expectations, ADP says
The U.S. labor market barely budged in January, with hiring below even muted expectations.
www.cnbc.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Jobs? What jobs? ADP new job numbers fail to impress coming in below expectations. www.cnbc.com/2026/02/04/a...
Is the U.S. economy on a tear or about to fall off a cliff? Every day seems to brings a new wave of conflicting numbers. Check out the latest quick take from A Closer Look.
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Which way is up?
Conflicting signals muddy picture of U.S. economy
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Is the U.S. economy on a tear or about to fall off a cliff? Every day seems to brings a new wave of conflicting numbers. Check out the latest quick take from A Closer Look.
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Can the body be a roadmap to the sublime? Latest musing on a spiritual instinct here. open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
A Spiritual Anatomy
Sublime aspects of the physical body
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Can the body be a roadmap to the sublime? Latest musing on a spiritual instinct here. open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Greenland crisis is a sign of the times. The old world order is out and U.S. allies will have to build their own defenses in an increasingly fractious world. The full quick take is here: open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Greenland Crisis is a Sign of the Times
Europe realizes security is increasingly in their own hands
open.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Greenland crisis is a sign of the times. The old world order is out and U.S. allies will have to build their own defenses in an increasingly fractious world. The full quick take is here: open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Yes, it is getting hot out there. . . www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
2025 among world's three hottest years on record, WMO says
Last year was among the planet's three warmest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday, as EU scientists also confirmed average temperatures have now exceeded 1.5 degrees Ce...
www.reuters.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Yes, it is getting hot out there. . . www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Can the precision of science be applied to spiritual pursuits? A few thoughts . . . open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Science vs. Spirit - A False Dichotomy
Can the precision of the scientific method be applied to spiritual pursuits?
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Can the precision of science be applied to spiritual pursuits? A few thoughts . . . open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Manufacturing index contracts, again, according to ISM. New orders, backlog, and employment contracting. Prices up. go.weareism.org/ism-manufact...
ISM Manufacturing PMI
Get the latest ISM Manufacturing PMI information.
go.weareism.org
January 5, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Manufacturing index contracts, again, according to ISM. New orders, backlog, and employment contracting. Prices up. go.weareism.org/ism-manufact...
Speculation has already begun on which country is next after Venezuela as the White House ramps up regime change policy. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Regime Change is Back as U.S. Foreign Policy
After Venezuela which country is next? Speculation has already begun.
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Speculation has already begun on which country is next after Venezuela as the White House ramps up regime change policy. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Reposted by Brian Klein
Americans give President Donald Trump his worst approval ratings ever for his handling of the economy, as they also express concerns about the cost of living, healthcare prices, and personal finances, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. https://to.pbs.org/49g3nwx
Americans are more dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy than ever, poll shows
Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll.
to.pbs.org
December 31, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Americans give President Donald Trump his worst approval ratings ever for his handling of the economy, as they also express concerns about the cost of living, healthcare prices, and personal finances, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. https://to.pbs.org/49g3nwx
Reposted by Brian Klein
A survey found that almost half of shoppers expect to give fewer presents this year as a result of the president's trade policies.
Americans Giving Fewer Gifts This Christmas as Trump Tariffs Bite
www.newsweek.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
A survey found that almost half of shoppers expect to give fewer presents this year as a result of the president's trade policies.
Reposted by Brian Klein
It's not too late to turn the page on old habits and start reading again in 2026.
Want to read more in 2026? Here's how to revive your love of books
It's not too late to turn the page on old habits and start reading again in 2026. People often stop reading in adulthood because they're fatigued from school book assignments or just don't have the time.
bit.ly
December 23, 2025 at 10:01 PM
It's not too late to turn the page on old habits and start reading again in 2026.
Some thoughts on the benefits of solo time at year's end. open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Hibernating Through the Holidays
Why spending time alone can be a great tradition.
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Some thoughts on the benefits of solo time at year's end. open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Another 2025 wrap-up. This quick take is on geopolitics and trade. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
2025 Wrap-up: Geopolitics & Trade
Out with the old and in with. . . the old.
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Another 2025 wrap-up. This quick take is on geopolitics and trade. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Where are the preliminary Nielsen viewer data on last night's address to the nation?
December 18, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Where are the preliminary Nielsen viewer data on last night's address to the nation?
Another study, another sign that the economy is in serious trouble. www.cnbc.com/2025/12/15/i...
High cost of goods is causing consumers to spend less for the holidays, CNBC survey finds
The latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey found the high cost of goods has emerged as a major factor affecting how much shoppers spend and where they spend.
www.cnbc.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Another study, another sign that the economy is in serious trouble. www.cnbc.com/2025/12/15/i...
The U.S. holiday shopping pullback has arrived, as predicted. Tariffs raised prices, which are being passed on to consumers. Buyers are now spending less.
For many retailers most of their annual sales come from holiday shoppers. Expect ripple effects into 2026. news.gallup.com/poll/699311/...
For many retailers most of their annual sales come from holiday shoppers. Expect ripple effects into 2026. news.gallup.com/poll/699311/...
Economic Confidence Slips; Holiday Spending Plans Plummet
Americans' economic confidence has fallen to its lowest level in over a year, accompanied by a historic drop in planned holiday spending.
news.gallup.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The U.S. holiday shopping pullback has arrived, as predicted. Tariffs raised prices, which are being passed on to consumers. Buyers are now spending less.
For many retailers most of their annual sales come from holiday shoppers. Expect ripple effects into 2026. news.gallup.com/poll/699311/...
For many retailers most of their annual sales come from holiday shoppers. Expect ripple effects into 2026. news.gallup.com/poll/699311/...
There’s always something playing on our inner streaming service. Latest thoughts here on what’s really worth paying attention to in the theater of the mind. spiritualinstinct.substack.com/p/now-playin...
Now Playing - Your Inner Streaming Service
There's always something on in the mental theater of the mind.
spiritualinstinct.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:08 PM
There’s always something playing on our inner streaming service. Latest thoughts here on what’s really worth paying attention to in the theater of the mind. spiritualinstinct.substack.com/p/now-playin...
Wrapping up 2025 - how you did this year may depend on where you started. Economy is looking generally weak. Stock markets much better, for now. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Wrapping up 2025 - an Economic Review
How you did this year may depend on where you started.
open.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Wrapping up 2025 - how you did this year may depend on where you started. Economy is looking generally weak. Stock markets much better, for now. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Something to ponder as the days grow short and the weather turns cold . . . Is consciousness in the brain or beyond it? open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
The Consciousness Paradox
Is experience just brain chemistry and electrical pulses or something more profound?
open.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Something to ponder as the days grow short and the weather turns cold . . . Is consciousness in the brain or beyond it? open.substack.com/pub/spiritua...
Writers beware. There’s a new threat to making a living. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
Writers Beware
As if it wasn't hard enough to make a creative living
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Writers beware. There’s a new threat to making a living. open.substack.com/pub/brianpkl...
A sober look at the US economy and signs of recession. www.businessinsider.com/recession-si...
The 7 ugly trends that show America is closer to a recession than you think
From homebuilding to trucking, major parts of the US economy are in deep trouble. The weakness could drag the whole country into a recession.
www.businessinsider.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A sober look at the US economy and signs of recession. www.businessinsider.com/recession-si...
My latest op-ed in the SCMP on whether AI will kill the middle class. Guest link below. www.scmp.com/opinion/worl...
Opinion | Will AI kill the middle class?
When the creators of a new technology warn that it could destroy the primary engine of global growth of the past half a century, it’s worth paying attention.
www.scmp.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:19 AM
My latest op-ed in the SCMP on whether AI will kill the middle class. Guest link below. www.scmp.com/opinion/worl...
Here we go again. . . the federal government downplaying the risks of a virus that could cause another pandemic. www.propublica.org/article/bird...
What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic
Egg producers suspect bird flu is traveling through the air. After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed. Vacci...
www.propublica.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Here we go again. . . the federal government downplaying the risks of a virus that could cause another pandemic. www.propublica.org/article/bird...