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U.S. Business Continues to Boom as Factory Activity Surges

William Attardi on September 23, 2026

U.S. manufacturing activity strengthened sharply in September, with factories reporting their fastest growth in output in more than four years as new orders and hiring accelerated, according to a survey released Wednesday. The S&P Global flash manufacturing purchasing managers’ index jumped to 57.0 from 53.9 in August, far above the 53.6 reading economists had expected. A reading above 50 indicates an improvement in business conditions from the previous month. September’s reading was the highest since May 2022. Manufacturers reported their strongest growth in new orders since that month, while factory employment increased at its fastest pace since February 2021. U.S. Business Continues to Boom as Factory Activity Surges

August Jobs Report Shows US Added 162,000 Jobs, Blowing Past Forecasts by Mary Cunningham

William Attardi on September 5, 2026

U. S. employers added162,000 jobs in August, more than double economists’ forecasts and signaling a sharp acceleration from hiring in July. The unemployment rate was 4.1% in August, unchanged from the previous month. The August jobs report could strengthen the case for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike at the central bank’s upcoming meeting, with the rate decision set for Sept. 16, economists said on Friday. However, the Fed is likely to place more emphasis on the forthcoming Consumer Price Index report, which will be released on Sept. 11. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh affirmed that the labor market was on a steady course last week during the Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Warsh signaled that inflation, which is stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target, remains the central bank’s primary focus. August jobs report shows US added 162,000 jobs, blowing past forecasts

Faster Economic Growth, Weaker Hiring Seen by Harriet Torry and Anthony DeBarros

William Attardi on October 13, 2025

Prospects for U.S. economic growth are looking up, as investment in artificial intelligence booms and risks around tariffs diminish, according to economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. Even as the economists have raised estimates for economic growth, they have lowered prospects for jobs. Behind the strange dichotomy: Employers are reluctant to hire given political uncertainty and rising costs, even as their investment, especially in AI, is boosting productivity and economic growth.  That slower job growth, however, won’t translate into notably higher unemployment, because the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration is reducing the supply of workers. Economists expect the jobless rate to hover around 4.5% over the next year. It was 4.3% in August.  tCTlJoMg7sMgno0naAXk-WSJNewsPaper-10-13-2025.pdf

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names