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Ifo Institute: Price Pressure Eases Somewhat
MUNICH, Germany, May 29 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
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Price Pressure Eases Somewhat
Somewhat fewer companies are planning to raise their prices. The ifo price expectations dropped slightly in May to 30.3 points, down from 31.3 in April. "Although price pressure is easing somewhat, producer and consumer prices are nevertheless likely to rise significantly in the coming months.
More expensive energy and tighter supplies of intermediate products are driving up production costs, which companies are passing on to their customers," says ifo researcher Tiphaine Wibault.
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, May 29 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
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Price Pressure Eases Somewhat
Somewhat fewer companies are planning to raise their prices. The ifo price expectations dropped slightly in May to 30.3 points, down from 31.3 in April. "Although price pressure is easing somewhat, producer and consumer prices are nevertheless likely to rise significantly in the coming months.
More expensive energy and tighter supplies of intermediate products are driving up production costs, which companies are passing on to their customers," says ifo researcher Tiphaine Wibault.Following the sharp rises in price expectations in March and April, the level remains high.
Among service providers and in trade, price expectations declined slightly from 27.2 and 54.3 points, respectively, in April to 25.0 and 48.7 in May. The indicator also fell in the manufacturing sector, from 34.4 to 32.0 points.
Price pressure eased particularly for energy-intensive companies, with the indicator falling from 47.4 to 41.8 points.For non-energy-intensive companies, on the other hand, price expectations increased slightly, from 29.9 to 30.7 points.
The points for the ifo price expectations indicate the percentage of companies that intend to increase prices on balance. The balance is obtained by subtracting the percentage of companies that want to lower their prices from the percentage of those that want to raise their prices.
If all the companies surveyed intended to increase their prices, the balance would be +100 points. If they all wanted to lower their prices, it would be -100. The balance was seasonally adjusted. The ifo Institute does not ask about the amount of the planned price change.
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More Information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-05-29/price-pressure-eases-somewhat)
ifo Podcast: Inflation (https://www.ifo.de/en/podcast-inflation)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-05-29/price-pressure-eases-somewhat
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Institute: Business Expectations in Germany's Chemical Industry Plummet
MUNICH, Germany, May 29 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Business Expectations in Germany's Chemical Industry Plummet
The business climate in Germany's chemical industry clouded over further in May. The Business Climate Index fell to -30.2 points, down from -28.6* points in April. While companies assessed their current business situation at -17.5 points as better than in April, when it stood at -25.8* points, their expectations continued to decline, dropping from -31.3* to -42.0 points. "Companies view the current uptick in business as temporary," says
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MUNICH, Germany, May 29 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Business Expectations in Germany's Chemical Industry Plummet
The business climate in Germany's chemical industry clouded over further in May. The Business Climate Index fell to -30.2 points, down from -28.6* points in April. While companies assessed their current business situation at -17.5 points as better than in April, when it stood at -25.8* points, their expectations continued to decline, dropping from -31.3* to -42.0 points. "Companies view the current uptick in business as temporary," saysifo industry expert Anna Wolf.
The economic upturn that began in April is continuing in May: Parts of the industry are benefiting from higher demand for chemical products due to disruptions in global supply chains.
At the same time, the supply situation for intermediate products remains tense: 31.1 percent of companies reported material shortages.
In the first quarter, the figure was just 7.0 percent. Prices for chemical products rose sharply as a result. The indicator for month-on-month price development rose to 47.5 points, up from 32.5* points in April.
The majority of companies expect further prices increases. Despite the uptick in demand, companies are planning to lower production and make further job cuts. Export expectations also deteriorated significantly to -15.7 points, down from -2.0* points in April.
"Although this temporary economic upturn provides the industry with some short-term relief, the core structural problems remain unresolved," says Wolf.
*Seasonally adjusted
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More information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-05-28/business-expectations-germanys-chemical-industry-plummet)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-05-28/business-expectations-germanys-chemical-industry-plummet
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Habeas Insanity
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, May 29 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on May 28, 2026, by policy fellow Bill Glahn:
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Habeas insanity
Richard Rodriguez Soriano was deported back to his native Nicaragua three weeks ago (May 7). Yesterday, May 27, there was a court hearing lasting for more than an hour at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis over whether Mr. Rodriquez should be released from ICE custody.
Your correspondent was there for the absurd spectacle. The case
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MINNETONKA, Minnesota, May 29 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on May 28, 2026, by policy fellow Bill Glahn:
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Habeas insanity
Richard Rodriguez Soriano was deported back to his native Nicaragua three weeks ago (May 7). Yesterday, May 27, there was a court hearing lasting for more than an hour at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis over whether Mr. Rodriquez should be released from ICE custody.
Your correspondent was there for the absurd spectacle. The case(26-cv-2451) is captioned as Rodriguez Soriano v. Blanche et al, with Todd Blanche, the current U.S. Attorney General, serving as the respondent. It's a habeas corpus case, with the petition demanding the release from ICE custody of Mr. Rodriquez, who was released from ICE custody on May 7 in Managua, Nicaragua, as ordered by a U.S. Immigration Court.
The convoluted backstory: Rodriquez was arrested on April 12 by local police in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on an aggravated domestic assault charge. The Minnehaha County (SD) sheriff honored an ICE detainer on Mr. Rodriquez and turned him over to ICE on April 14, at the jail in Sioux Falls. He was transferred to Minnesota where he appeared in Immigration Court at Ft. Snelling on April 29, where he was ordered to be deported back to Nicaragua.
If I understand the timeline correctly, his attorney filed the habeas petition on May 1 in Minnesota, at which time Rodriquez was no longer within the jurisdiction, as he was en route to Louisiana for further processing in accordance with the Immigration Court's April 29 order.
Government lawyers responded in a timely fashion to the habeas petition on May 7. In carrying out the deportation, ICE does not appear to have violated any order issued by any court at any level. I don't recall any such allegation even being made during yesterday's hearing.
Instead, much of the hearing was spent rehashing the events of April 14, where Mr. Rodridquez's lawyer alleges that some sort of ICE paperwork violation took place.
Keep in mind that the attorney has not spoken to her client since before his deportation. She continues to pursue this litigation based on her undocumented beliefs regarding his wishes.
Reportedly, Mr. Rodriquez has not appealed his underlying deportation order, although he still has a day or two remaining on the appeal deadline. Reportedly, no one in the United States has heard from Mr. Rodriquez since his deplaning in Managua earlier this month. His current geographic preferences remain a matter of speculation. I should also mention that he reportedly speaks no English.
I forgot to mention that in both open court and in court filings, no party is allowed to say his last name, only his initials, R.S. Please recall that his full last name is in the caption to the case.
This no-last-name policy is districtwide and applies to all habeas corpus cases involving foreign citizens. They are to be treated as one would an abused child, whose identities must be hidden for protective reasons.
Regardless, his lawyer of record is demanding that ICE go to Nicaragua, find Mr. Rodriquez, bring him back to America, and set him free. It's not clear that the presiding judge, John Tunheim, has that power.
The lawyer argues that this extraordinary remedy is needed to reverse the alleged defect with Rodriquez's April 14 Sioux Falls custody transfer. I have read the underlying filings in the case, and I like to believe that I was listening carefully in court yesterday. However, I am unable to explain what, exactly, ICE is alleged to have done wrong in taking custody of Mr. Rodriquez.
As it stands today, Rodriquez has no more authorization to enter the United States than he has ever had. So, what would be the purpose of bringing him back to the U.S. with the April 29 deportation order still in effect? Why does a judge assigned to the Minnesota district have any role in this affair?
We await Judge Tunheim's ruling.
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Bill Glahn is a Policy Fellow with Center of the American Experiment.
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/habeas-insanity/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: For Smaller Businesses, Minnesota Has the Highest Effective Corporate Tax Rate in the U.S.
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, May 29 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on May 28, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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For smaller businesses, Minnesota has the highest effective corporate tax rate in the United States
Back in January, the Tax Foundation published their ranking of state corporate income taxes for 2026. As Figure 1 shows, with a corporate income tax rate of 9.8%, Minnesota ranked second after only New Jersey with its rate of 11.5%.
Figure 1
[View figure in the
... Show Full Article
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, May 29 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on May 28, 2026, by economist John Phelan:
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For smaller businesses, Minnesota has the highest effective corporate tax rate in the United States
Back in January, the Tax Foundation published their ranking of state corporate income taxes for 2026. As Figure 1 shows, with a corporate income tax rate of 9.8%, Minnesota ranked second after only New Jersey with its rate of 11.5%.
Figure 1
[View figure in thelink at bottom.]
But New Jersey only imposes that 11.5% rate on net taxable income above $10 million annually; below that, the business is taxed at lower rates ranging from 6.5% to 9.0%. Minnesota, by contrast, imposes that rate of 9.8% on the very first dollar of net taxable income. So, while a business with $10 million of net taxable income in New Jersey will face a top rate of corporate income tax of 9.0%, in Minnesota it will face a rate of $9.8%. Indeed, for this smaller business, the effective tax rate -- the actual percentage of net taxable income paid in tax -- is higher in Minnesota than in any other state, as Figure 2 shows.
Figure 2: Effective tax rate on a business with $10 million net taxable income, 2026
According to data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Minnesota has had a corporate income tax since 1933, and its rate has been 9.80% since 1990. But while our rate might have remained the same, other states have either raised or lowered their corporate tax rates. Indeed, as Figure 3 shows, the effective corporate tax rate on a business with net taxable income of $10 million in the median state has fallen from 7.3% in 2004 to 6.0% in 2026. This has happened in three steps; 2004 to 2006, 2013 to 2016, and 2023 to 2025. It means that Minnesota's effective corporate tax rate on such businesses has gone up relatively; our state's rate was 2.5 percentage points about the median in 2004 but that was up to 3.8% this year.
Figure 3: Effective tax rate on a business with $10 million net taxable income
A couple of years ago, I testified in St. Paul and explained why the state government shouldn't hike taxes to close its budget deficit. When I pointed out our state's subpar economic performance and high taxes, it was suggested that taxes were high back in the days when the state's economy was doing better so couldn't be a factor. Perhaps they were, but, as Figure 3 shows, so were everybody else's. It is not that Minnesota's economic slowdown follows a hike in the state's corporate tax rate but that it follows a relative hike as other states have cut theirs.
To what extent is the one phenomenon caused by the other? Watch this space.
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John Phelan is an Economist at the Center of the American Experiment.
john.phelan@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/for-smaller-businesses-minnesota-has-the-highest-effective-corporate-tax-rate-in-the-united-states/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: Union Households Hold Roughly Twice the Wealth of Nonunion Households, New Analysis Finds
WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Union Households Hold Roughly Twice the Wealth of Nonunion Households, New Analysis Finds
A new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/unions-build-wealth-for-all-americans/) from the Center for American Progress finds that households with a union member hold roughly two times the wealth of households without a union member, equivalent to an additional $241,100 in median household wealth. The analysis also finds that unions significantly narrow racial and education-based
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WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Union Households Hold Roughly Twice the Wealth of Nonunion Households, New Analysis Finds
A new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/unions-build-wealth-for-all-americans/) from the Center for American Progress finds that households with a union member hold roughly two times the wealth of households without a union member, equivalent to an additional $241,100 in median household wealth. The analysis also finds that unions significantly narrow racial and education-basedwealth gaps, with the largest gains concentrated among working-class families and families of color.
The Trump administration has taken steps to weaken collective bargaining protections and labor enforcement, even as economic security remains increasingly out of reach for many working families. The analysis finds union households consistently outperform nonunion households across key measures of economic security, including homeownership, retirement savings, and access to defined benefit pensions, highlighting the role unions continue to play in helping workers build wealth and long-term financial stability.
"Unions remain one of the most effective tools for helping families build wealth and achieve economic security," said David Madland, senior fellow at CAP and co-author of the report. "As Americans struggle to afford a home, save for retirement, and build financial stability, union membership is one of the clearest pathways to narrowing persistent wealth gaps in America."
CAP's analysis finds:
* Union households hold roughly twice the wealth of nonunion households. When accounting for defined benefit pension wealth, the median union household holds approximately 2.1 times the wealth of the median nonunion household, a wealth difference of about $241,100.
* Black and Hispanic union households see the largest gains. Hispanic union households hold 4.6 times the wealth of their nonunion counterparts, while Black union households hold 3.2 times the wealth of Black nonunion households.
* Working-class union households build substantially more wealth. Union households without a four-year college degree hold approximately 2.8 times the wealth of comparable nonunion households.
* Union households are more likely to achieve key markers of financial security. Union households report higher homeownership rates, greater access to retirement accounts, and nearly double the retirement savings of nonunion households.
Read the report: "Unions Build Wealth for All Americans" (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/unions-build-wealth-for-all-americans/) by Jazmine Amoako, David Madland, and Christian Weller.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Christian Unkenholz at cunkenholz@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-union-households-hold-roughly-twice-the-wealth-of-nonunion-households-new-analysis-finds/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: Trump Administration's Immigration Agenda Degrades the Rule of Law, Undermines American Democracy
WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Trump Administration's Immigration Agenda Degrades the Rule of Law, Undermines American Democracy
Despite repeated claims by the Trump administration that it is restoring the "rule of law," a new Center for American Progress report (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-assault-on-immigrants-degrades-the-rule-of-law/) details how the administration's actions on immigration treat legal constraints as optional and independent judicial oversight as
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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Trump Administration's Immigration Agenda Degrades the Rule of Law, Undermines American Democracy
Despite repeated claims by the Trump administration that it is restoring the "rule of law," a new Center for American Progress report (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-assault-on-immigrants-degrades-the-rule-of-law/) details how the administration's actions on immigration treat legal constraints as optional and independent judicial oversight asillegitimate. Drawing from exhaustive legal filings from 2025 and early 2026, the report highlights several critical abuses of power that undermine American democracy:
* Deportations without due process or any legal authority: From the deportations of Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act, to those of people who are not subject to a final order of removal, to those of people in violation of court order, the administration has removed hundreds of people in clear violation of the law.
* Systemic contempt of the federal judiciary: The administration has violated hundreds of federal court orders. This includes missing court deadlines, refusing to release detainees, and ignoring injunctions prohibiting the interstate transfer of detainees.
* "Chain refoulement" and foreign proxy imprisonment: The administration has used millions of taxpayer dollars to orchestrate agreements with foreign governments that accept and then imprison third-country nationals. In many cases, these foreign governments have also promptly returned third-country nationals to places where they face documented torture and persecution, essentially allowing the administration to execute an illegal end run around human rights treaties.
* Unlawful mandatory detention overreach: In 2025, the Trump administration adopted a radical interpretation of law to deny bond hearings to all noncitizens who entered the country without inspection, most of whom have lived here for more than a decade. Approximately 440 district court judges--as well as penal of judges on three U.S. Courts of Appeal--have so far ruled against the administration's mandatory detention policy in nearly 11,000 cases. The government has failed to comply with many of these rulings.
* Warrantless raids, lethal force, and executive cover-ups: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directives have authorized warrantless forced entries into private homes, bypassing Fourth Amendment protections, and increased warrantless arrests in public. Aggressive enforcement actions by ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol generated a culture of lawlessness that fueled the January 2026 killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minnesota. Political interference from the U.S. Department of Justice targeting the families of Good and Pretti sparked mass resignations among veteran, career prosecutors and lies about Sosa's shooting resulted in the filing of state charges against the immigration agent involved.
* Targeting legal parolees and refugees: In early 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security illegally weaponized expedited removal powers against immigration parolees. In January 2026, ICE also began to conduct mass arrests of legally admitted, working refugees who were simply waiting for the government to adjudicate their backlogged permanent residency applications.
"The rule of law depends on the idea that government power is constrained by legal rules, that those rules are applied consistently, and that no one is above the law," said Tom Jawetz, senior fellow for Immigration Policy at CAP and author of the report. "The choice is not between enforcement and lawlessness, but between enforcement that respects the rule of law and enforcement that corrodes it. We need to recommit to due process at every stage of enforcement; respect the legitimacy and role of courts; and build an immigration system that works and works as designed."
Read the report: "The Trump Administration's Assault on Immigrants Degrades the Rule of Law" (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-assault-on-immigrants-degrades-the-rule-of-law/) by Tom Jawetz
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Rafael Medina at rmedina@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-trump-administrations-immigration-agenda-degrades-the-rule-of-law-undermines-american-democracy/
[Category: ThinkTank]
CAP Proposal Targets Costly Rental Application Fees Burdening Renters
WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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New CAP Proposal Targets Costly Rental Application Fees Burdening Renters
As Congress advances critical bipartisan housing legislation focused on increasing housing supply, a new policy proposal (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/capping-rental-application-fees-at-5/) from the Center for American Progress argues policymakers should also pursue reforms that lower costs for renters right away. The report proposes capping rental application fees at $5, saving renters in
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 29 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on May 28, 2026:
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New CAP Proposal Targets Costly Rental Application Fees Burdening Renters
As Congress advances critical bipartisan housing legislation focused on increasing housing supply, a new policy proposal (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/capping-rental-application-fees-at-5/) from the Center for American Progress argues policymakers should also pursue reforms that lower costs for renters right away. The report proposes capping rental application fees at $5, saving renters incompetitive markets hundreds of dollars in nonrefundable fees just to apply for housing.
A Fannie Mae-commissioned survey found that nearly half of renters identified "affording the upfront costs" of moving--including application fees and security deposits--as a top challenge during the rental process. Among renters who identified up-front costs as a challenge, 40 percent specifically pointed to rental application fees in 2023, up from 35 percent two years earlier. Excessive application fees can also make it less likely that an individual or family attempts to move to a new neighborhood to be closer to work or children's school.
"Everyone can relate to the frustration of forking over hundreds of dollars just to be considered for a new place," said Chad Maisel, senior fellow on the Economic Policy team at CAP and author of the report. "Capping rental application fees would provide immediate, concrete relief for renters while making it easier for families to move to better jobs, neighborhoods, and schools."
The report finds that capping application fees at $5 per applicant would:
* Save renters hundreds of dollars during apartment searches. A couple applying to six apartments at $50 per person per application would pay $600 under the current system, compared with just $60 under CAP's proposed cap.
* Reduce barriers to economic mobility. Research cited in the report shows that up-front housing search costs can discourage families from moving to higher-paying jobs or higher-opportunity neighborhoods.
* Create a clear, enforceable federal standard. The proposal would replace inconsistent state-by-state systems with a bright-line rule that renters, landlords, and regulators can easily understand and enforce.
Read the analysis: "Capping Rental Application Fees at $5" (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/capping-rental-application-fees-at-5/) by Chad Maisel
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at cunkenholz@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-new-cap-proposal-targets-costly-rental-application-fees-burdening-renters/
[Category: ThinkTank]
