#hourly rates of developers

[skillbabu]

How Much Does A Shopify Developer Cost In 2025? Country-Wise Breakdown

If you're looking to hire a Shopify developer in 2025, one of the first questions that comes up is: how much will it cost? The answer depends on where your developer is located and what level of expertise you need.

In this article, we’ll break down Shopify developer hourly rates by country, helping you understand what to expect whether you’re hiring locally in the USA or outsourcing to regions like India or Eastern Europe.

Why Location Affects Shopify Developer Costs

The cost of hiring a Shopify developer isn’t just about skill—it's also influenced by:

Local cost of living

Currency exchange rates

Market demand and supply

Talent availability

This is why developers in the USA often charge 3–5x more than equally skilled developers in countries like India or the Philippines.

Shopify Developer Rates by Region (2025 Update)

��United States

Hourly Rate: $75 – $150+

Typical Roles: Senior freelancers, Shopify Plus experts, US-based agencies

Best for: Complex, high-budget stores, brands targeting US audiences

Pros:

Easier collaboration due to time zone

High code quality & communication

Shopify Plus specialization available

Cons:

High cost, especially for startups

Many agencies require monthly retainers

India

Hourly Rate: $15 – $40

Typical Roles: Freelancers, mid-level Shopify developers, outsourcing firms

Best for: Startups, MVPs, simple to mid-level store builds

Pros:

Affordable rates

Large talent pool

Fast delivery timelines

Cons:

Time zone differences

Variable communication skills (depends on freelancer/agency)

Eastern Europe (Romania, Ukraine, Poland, etc.)

Hourly Rate: $30 – $70

Typical Roles: Highly skilled freelancers, boutique agencies

Best for: Quality development with mid-range pricing

Pros:

Strong technical skills

Good communication (many fluent in English)

More affordable than US-based talent

Cons:

Slightly higher cost than Asia

Political stability concerns in some areas (e.g., Ukraine)

What Affects the Final Cost Beyond Location ?

Even within the same country, the hourly rate for Shopify developers varies based on:

 Experience Level (Junior vs Senior)

 Type of Work (Frontend design, backend dev, app integration)

 Deadline Urgency

 Scope (Basic theme edit vs. Custom Shopify Plus store)

USA vs India: Real-World Example

Let’s say you're building a custom Shopify store with 10 product pages and integrated payment gateways.

USA Developer (100 hours @ $100/hr) → $10,000

India Developer (100 hours @ $25/hr) → $2,500

Same work, different budget. The key is knowing what level of quality and speed you’re getting for the price.

Conclusion: 

In 2025, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15 to $150 per hour for a Shopify developer depending on:

Where they’re located

What type of work you need

How complex your store is

If you're unsure, start with a small paid test project before committing to a long-term contract.

Looking for a trusted Shopify developer?

If you’re based in the USA and looking for reliable, affordable Shopify development, we offer flexible packages tailored to your business goals. 📩 Contact us for a free consultation.

[devstree]

Hiring a Laravel developer? This comprehensive guide explores the key factors influencing Laravel development costs, including experience level, location, project complexity, and engagement models (freelancers vs. agencies). Discover average hourly and fixed rates, cost-saving strategies, and how to find the best Laravel developer for your needs. Whether you're building a custom web application or maintaining an existing Laravel project, this guide provides the insights you need to budget effectively.

[createncodewebtechnologies]

Freelance UI UX Designer Hourly Rate

In the UI/UX design industry, freelancing has grown in popularity since it gives designers the freedom to choose their own hours and fees. However, there are a number of affecting elements that can make it difficult to determine an acceptable hourly wage.

Regional Differences in Rates

Freelance ui ux designer hourly rate vary by country as well. For instance, depending on experience and project demands, the typical salary in India is roughly INR 500 to 9,000 per day, or $10 to $100+ per hour. On the other hand, rates in European nations could differ depending on regional market circumstances.

Advice for Independent Contractors Determining Their Fees

When determining their hourly rates, freelancers should take the following factors into account:

Examine market rates: Recognize what other people in your area and experience level are asking. Average rates can be seen on websites such as Upwork.

Calculate Your Costs: Factor in overhead costs such as software subscriptions, taxes, and health insurance when determining your rate.

Consider Project Scope: Adjust your rates based on the complexity and duration of projects. For longer-term projects, consider offering a discounted rate.

Build a Portfolio: A strong portfolio can justify higher rates as it showcases your skills and past successes.

Average Prices

Here are some typical hourly prices for independent UI/UX designers based on current trends:

Starting Pay: $20 to $40 per hour In the middle: $40 to $75 per hour Senior Level: $75 to $150 or more per hour Some extremely skilled designers might bill even more, especially those who specialize in fields like interaction design or user research.

Advice for Customers Using Independent Contractors

When engaging independent UI/UX designers, clients should take into account a number of factors:

Establish Your Budget: To locate a designer who fits inside your budget, set a clear budget before you begin your search.

Evaluate Fit and Experience: Examine portfolios closely to make sure the designer's aesthetic fits the requirements of your project.

Be Clear in Your Communication: To prevent misunderstandings later on, clearly define the project's needs and expectations.

Negotiate Wisely: Be open to negotiation but understand that lower prices may not always equate to better quality work.

The Best Methods for Independent UI/UX Designers

Provide Clear Pricing

To prevent misconceptions, clearly explain your prices, services, and scope.

Whenever feasible, use value-based pricing

For higher profit margins, think about per-project pricing as an alternative to simply hourly rates.

Create Strong Contracts

Give a clear description of the deliverables, due dates, and modifications.

Invest in Continuous Learning

Keep abreast of UI/UX developments to support premium pricing.

Build a Strong Portfolio

Better-paying clients will be drawn to your website and a high-quality portfolio on sites like Dribbble and Behance.

Advantages of Employing Independent UI/UX Designers

Flexibility: When it comes to project scope and working hours, freelancers provide flexibility. Without the limitations of regular employment, they can adjust to the particular requirements of a project.

Diverse Skill Sets: Businesses can gain from a range of design ideas and approaches thanks to the diverse experiences and abilities that many freelancers bring to the table.

Cost-Effectiveness: Although hiring a freelancer may appear expensive up front, it's frequently less expensive than engaging a full-time designer, particularly for temporary work.

Access to Global Talent: Businesses can locate the ideal designer for their unique requirements regardless of where they are in the world thanks to the freelancing market, which gives them access to a global talent pool.

[buildoffshore1]

Time is critical in today’s fast-paced business environment, and expert full-stack developers can help you speed up project delivery without compromising quality. Pre-vetted professionals come equipped with the knowledge and tools to streamline processes, reduce errors, and ensure timely execution. Choosing to hire offshore full-stack developers provides access to skilled talent worldwide, enabling you to meet deadlines while staying within budget. Accelerate your timeline and achieve exceptional outcomes with dedicated full-stack experts.

[gwebpro]

Factors to Consider When Hiring Machine Learning Developers

Hiring machine learning (ML) developers involves assessing various factors to ensure their suitability for the role. Candidates must be proficient in both technical and soft skills; otherwise, they may not be a good addition to your team. For instance, miscommunication is possible if they lack effective communication skills, which can hinder teamwork.

To hire a competent machine learning developer with all the skills you require, let’s look at the qualities you need to look for. 

What to Look for When Hiring Machine Learning Developers

Let's look at the characteristics that set top machine learning developers apart. Doing so will make hiring them that much easier. 

Educational Qualifications

When looking for a skilled machine learning developer, take into consideration the applicant’s education. As machine learning is part of computer science, a background in computer programming, mathematics, and data science is mandatory. Candidates with a bachelor's degree with certifications in machine learning are accepted, whereas candidates with a PhD are preferred.

Candidates must also be experts in topics like machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, regression, and neural networks. They must also be fluent in computer programming languages. 

Technical Skills

Applicants for your machine learning developer role must have superior technical skills. They are expected to be acquainted with programming languages like Python, C++, JavaScript, Java, C#, Julia, Shell, R, TypeScript, and Scala. They must also be familiar with data engineering, data analysis, ML models, and deployments. In brief:

Data engineering is managing or transforming data for storage and processing.

Data analysis is the process of examining, purifying, converting, and modelling data in order to extract meaningful information.

Machine learning models are programs that identify patterns or draw conclusions from unknown data sets.

Model deployment is the process of incorporating an ML model into an already-existing production so that it can receive input and produce output.

Software Engineering Skills

Software engineering skills are a must-have for machine learning developers. Writing search queries, sorting, and optimizing algorithms are required, along with being familiar with data structures like stacks, queues, trees, graphs, and multidimensional arrays. 

AI and machine learning developers must also know about computer architecture elements like memory, clusters, bandwidth, deadlocks, and caches. These are some of the fundamentals of computer science.

Soft Skills

The recruiter must ensure that applicants have soft skills as well as technical ones. While machine learning is a technical domain, having soft skills like problem solving and clear communication makes a candidate more efficient in their work. This is because one of the most important aspects of the work is being able to explain the project's objectives, schedule, and expectations to stakeholders.

Also, the goal of machine learning is to solve problems in real-time. This means having the critical and creative thinking skills necessary to identify problems and come up with solutions.

Time Management and Teamwork

Time management skills are essential for making significant contributions to the team. Machine learning developers frequently have to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders while still finding time to conduct research, plan and manage projects, and create and thoroughly test software.

Teamwork is also crucial as machine learning developers often work closely with software engineers, marketers, product designers, managers, testers, and data scientists. They are frequently at the core of AI business initiatives. When recruiting an AI/ML developer, supervisors look for the ability to work well with others and contribute to a positive work environment.

A Desire to Learn New Things

An AI/ ML developer must have a passion for studying and learning. Artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning, and data science are quickly developing topics. The most successful AI/ML developers are always updating their knowledge and willing to learn new abilities. Even machine learning developers with doctoral degrees find ways to stay up to date by attending boot camps and workshops and doing self-study. 

Developers must study cutting-edge methodologies and technologies, learn the newest programming languages, and become proficient with new applications and tools. An enthusiastic learner quickly learns about the newest industry developments. 

Cost and Value

Recruiters must know the market value of these positions in order to hire a developer. A typical AI/ML developer's hourly rate in Canada could differ depending on their position, degree of expertise, region, and demand within the market. In Canada, AI/ ML experts are hired with an hourly pay between $30 and $60 on average.

Entry-level jobs such as junior data analysts or AI assistants have a pay between $30 and $40 per hour. Professional-level AI/ML developer costs are typically between $40 and $60. These experts have the knowledge and expertise required to take on challenging AI projects and produce top-notch results. 

When hiring a machine learning developer, a good mix of technical and soft skills is needed. A solid educational base, command of important programming languages, and familiarity with data engineering are all desirable. Teamwork, effective communication, and problem-solving skills are also vital. You are sure to locate the perfect developer for your team by keeping these things in mind.

[randombusinessoflawthoughts]

The Hourly Rate is alive and well: there is no such thing as Alternative Fee Arrangements

If you are wondering what types of Alternative Fees Arrangements (AFAs) in-house General Counsel are asking their private practice suppliers to provide them with – or, to flip the coin, what AFAs private practice lawyers are charging their in-house GCs, then wonder no longer. The latest market report from the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) sets this out in a nice clear table: Some…

[evidence-based-activism]

taking care of your own house isn’t “unpaid labour” it’s called being an adult which y’all seem to understand just fine when you’re shaming men but not when you’re the ones doing the work. “most jobs” are not salary. And the only hourly jobs that pay overtime are agricultural positions. Which are male dominated. So if we are talking about unpaid labour that should be at the forefront of the discussion not household chores.

Unpaid labor refers to the massive amounts of work that is necessary for society to function but does not receive direct compensation and is therefore not registered in economic indicators like GDP.

The reason this is a feminist issue is because women are responsible for a disproportionate amount of unpaid work, which results in significant negative impacts both for individual women and women as a class.

Women around the world do three times as much unpaid care work as men [1-3]. A 2020 analysis [4] found that globally, all of women's unpaid work was worth almost 11 trillion dollars. A Pew Research analysis [5] found that when considering both paid and unpaid work, American women spend 2 to 3 times as much time on unpaid work as men, which corresponds to a proportional decrease in paid work and leisure time.

This work is absolutely vital for the continual functioning of society. As mentioned in [4], in "1975, 90 percent of Icelandic women refused to cook, clean, or look after children for a day. It brought the whole nation to a standstill," which is reiterated in [3].

And why does the gender gap matter? Because women's disproportionate burden limits their personal economic stability and advancement [3, 5]. It also has substantial, negative effects on their mental health [1].

With that context, here is my answer to your ask:

---

"taking care of your own house isn’t “unpaid labour” it’s called being an adult"

Something can be both necessary and unjustly allocated. Yes, a functioning society requires people cook and clean and take care of children and elders. If it were equally divided across all sectors of society, then we may not have needed a specific term to describe the hidden – but vital – work that underlies our society.

However, in reality, women bear a disproportionate amount of this requirement. This results in gender-specific disadvantages which are most easily illustrated via the conceptualization of a specific term "unpaid work".

(Further, I'd point out that your statement here implies that men are failing to "be adults" by failing to perform their fair share of unpaid labor.)

"which y’all seem to understand just fine when you’re shaming men but not when you’re the ones doing the work"

See everything I wrote above. Further, note that women are doing the vast majority of this work. Men's failure to do their fair share is a reasonable basis for shame.

'“most jobs” are not salary.'

I mean, sure, in America about 56% of jobs are paid at an hourly rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [6]. This is not really relevant to the matter at hand.

"And the only hourly jobs that pay overtime are agricultural positions."

I assume you mean hourly jobs that don't pay overtime. Either way, this isn't true. Anyone who is considered an "exempt" employee is not paid overtime, which can include hourly workers in some industries (e.g., railway workers, seasonal employees, etc.). And, again, this really isn't relevant to the matter at hand. The 44% of American jobs that are salaried also don't pay overtime, along with all the other carved-out exemptions for hourly employees.

"Which are male dominated"

In America, sure. Notably, however, when looking worldwide, women are "responsible for half of the world’s food production" and "60 and 80 percent" in "most developing countries" [7].

"So if we are talking about unpaid labour that should be at the forefront of the discussion not household chores."

The issues with America's labor policies are an important class issue that you are completely free to focus on. The existence of this issue, however, does not negate the widespread problem with women's unpaid labor.

And importantly, the BLS also shows that a greater proportion of female agricultural workers are unpaid (3%) compared to male agricultural workers (<1%) [8].

---

In conclusion, women are burdened with a disproportionate amount of unpaid work, which causes significant negative impact on both individual women and women as a class.

References under the cut:

Seedat, S., & Rondon, M. (2021). Women’s wellbeing and the burden of unpaid work. BMJ, n1972. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1972

Hanna, T., Meisel, C., Moyer, J., Azcona, G., Bhatt, A., & Valero, S. D. (2020.) FORECASTING TIME SPENT IN UNPAID CARE AND DOMESTIC WORK. UN Women.

Not all gaps are created equal: The true value of care work. (2022, May 25). Oxfam International. https://www.oxfam.org/en/not-all-gaps-are-created-equal-true-value-care-work

Wezerek, G., & Ghodsee, K. R. (2020, March 5). Opinion | Women’s Unpaid Labor is Worth $10,900,000,000,000. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/04/opinion/women-unpaid-labor.html

Parker, K. (2013, March 14). Chapter 6: Time in work and leisure, patterns by gender and family structure. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/03/14/chapter-6-time-in-work-and-leisure-patterns-by-gender-and-family-structure/

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, April). Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2021 U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2021/pdf/home.pdf

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Fact Sheet: Food Security and Gender. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnadr706.pdf

Employed persons in agriculture and nonagricultural industries by age, sex, and class of worker. (2024, January 26). Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat15.htm

[lovemyromance]

Azriel laughs way more around Gwyn than he does around Elain. In one single bonus chapter with Gwyn, he's snorting, chuckling, laughing, and smiling. His interaction with her was much more lighthearted and playful. He doesn't feel insecure around her. Something restless settles in him when he's around her. And not only does he feel calmer but so do his shadows. He finds her irreverence charming and is amused by her. He actually admires her and is impressed by her growth. The ONLY person that has made something spark in his chest is Gwyn not Elain. He may lust for Elain now "he hadn't gotten that far with his planning certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to" but that doesn't mean he won't develop feelings for Gwyn. Especially since he followed rhys command and has been staying away from Elain after the bonus.

if you guys are going to send me useless things to read, then you have to pay my hourly bill rate - and with the amount of yapping that's going on here, I don't think you can afford it 😟😟

#staybillable

[bitchesgetriches]

Hello! I was recently offered a promotion at work, and I don't know how to navigate the negotiation. For context, I am currently considered a "temp" working in a customer service role, but I've been with the same staffing agency in the same role with the same client for over 4 years now. I am paid fairly at an hourly rate, but I have virtually zero benefits. I've been open about pursuing work in another field for about two years now, and the owner has mentioned more than once that he would like to try to convince me to stay.

My responsibilities and workload have evolved greatly since I started, and this year especially I covered a lot of new ground with the release of a new product line. The owner has suggested bringing me on for a long term commitment in an elevated role. I would be managing vendor accounts, enforcing price listings, onboarding new vendors and providing them product training, working with our factories overseas on product development and technical resources, in addition to continuing providing support for my current customer service role.

I have no idea how to approach this conversation or what to ask for. I recognize I'm in a great bargaining position; this role doesn't currently exist within this company, and the owner plainly said the ball is in my court and to let him know what he can do to convince me to stay.

Do you have any words of wisdom?

Three cheers and a tiger! This is fantastic! Fucking congratulations, my dear!

Your first step will be to research similar roles at other companies. How much do they pay? What sort of benefits do they offer? You can use Glassdoor.com for this. Make sure to filter by region, as the cost of living in an area will affect pay range. When you have an idea of a salary range for this type of position, pick a number within that range and present it to your boss.

Also, ask for a written job description. That way you're both clear on the scope of your new role and you won't fall victim to responsibility inflation.

Good luck, dear! Let us know how it goes. Here's more advice on negotiating:

When It Comes to Salary Negotiations, Are You Asking for Enough? 

If Your Employer Refuses To Negotiate Salary, Try These 11 Creative Counteroffers

Stop Undervaluing Your Freelance Work, You Darling Fool 

Did we just help you out? Say thanks on Patreon!

[edendawg]

hello! I am a 23 year old self-employed, disabled, transmasc creative living in the us faced with rent and bills I can't pay due to “unemployment” and refusal of disability payments by state and federal government. i need to raise money and get a job asap because I don't have enough to pay to survive.

rest of description and health update below the cut ↓

I need to raise/ make $250 USD before the end of January, and I'm hoping at least half of that can come from donations, as with recent developments, I'm in a near complete shutdown. it's hard to do anything because my brain is making my body go into survival mode, and I'm constantly bombarded with body pain and headaches and nausea. I'm scared for my friends. family, and myself, and want to give up

I make art and write poetry full time, but marketing with no way to pay for advertising online doesn't get me very far, so please share this if you can. I have some examples of my work available and more if you shoot me a message, but my creative skills are mainly in freewritten poetry, acrylic painting, mix media collage/ collage poetry, anthro character design and artwork, graphic design/ logo work, and minimal web design (not the coding side, but like wix and such). I'm also experienced in tech writing, blog/ article writing, customer service, sales, and more.

I am offering lowered rates on all custom work for a limited time, with traditional media pay rates dropping from $70/hr to $45/hr and digital media from sliding scale $30-50/hr to a flat $25/hr. I'll run discounts on any finished pieces that spark interest. I don't have an hourly rate for poetry, I'd do something like $5/15 lines or send a document with 5 premade poems for $5

if you have any leads for remote work, or you yourself could use some load lightened that you could pay me to do, please reach out. my state's minimum wage is $15/hr, but depending on the work, I'd be hoping to work closer to $20/hr based on experience and education. I really only need to make $150 a week to survive, so a part time gig or two would help me at least afford food, bills, meds, and doctors

thank you for sharing and supporting me at this time. donation links available on request, message here or DM floraternum on discord for more information

--

--

physical & mental health cw!!↓

as far as my health goes, I have a bug right now, my tummy is uncooperative, my head hurts all the time, my back and neck and hands hurt all the time. this on top of the aches I'm always dealing with, it's rough. and between my anxiety about the anti trans stuff going in in the us and tension and problems on this planet, the OCD, autism, ADHD, bipolar, etc are all aligning to make the most unbearable and just LOUD depression of my recent memory. brain is just a lot to deal with and I don't know how I'm supposed to support myself through much more than surviving rn.

[createncodewebtechnologies]

What is the web designer hourly rate ?

The usual web designer hourly rate ranges from $30 to $150, depending on a number of variables such project difficulty, location, and expertise. Because they don't have benefits or job stability, freelance web designers frequently charge more than in-house designers.

Pricing Structures: Fixed Fees vs. Hourly

There are two main ways to bill for web design services:

Hourly Rates: For ongoing projects or smaller jobs, this model provides flexibility. Depending on their level of experience and the complexity of the project, designers can bill anywhere from $50 to $200 per hour. Flat Fees: For larger projects with clearly defined scopes, this model offers a clear upfront cost for the entire undertaking. Depending on the features and specifications of the website, flat costs might vary from $500 to more than $10,000.

Comparison of Hourly Rates

Depending on their experience and the intricacy of the project, freelance web designers usually charge between $30 and $150 per hour, with averages of between $70 and $75 per hour12. On the other hand, when perks are taken into account, in-house web designers often make a wage that amounts to between $25 and $50 per hour56. This discrepancy results from freelancers having to pay for their own overhead, such as software licenses, health insurance, and other fees, which explains why their rates are higher.

Economicalness

On an hourly basis, freelancers could seem more costly, but for some projects, they might be more economical. Businesses only pay for the time spent on the project without incurring additional costs associated with full-time employees, such as benefits and long-term commitments56. For smaller tasks or projects with variable workloads, hiring a freelancer allows businesses to maintain flexibility without the overhead of a permanent staff member.

Freelance Web Designers:

Advantages: Adaptability in hiring according to project requirements. Possibly better work because of the competitive environment and dependence on recommendations.

No long-term financial obligations outside of the project's parameters.

Cons: Compared to internal teams, there is less dependability for continuous support. varying availability based on prior obligations.

In-House Web Designers:

Advantages: Fast updates and constant availability for active projects.

Improved comprehension of brand identity and integration with corporate culture. Usually more dependable for ongoing, long-term tasks that need regular upkeep. Cons: Increased fixed expenses as a result of benefits and salaries. less freedom to scale up or down in response to project requirements.

The particular requirements of a company, financial limitations, and project scope all play a significant role in the decision between hiring an in-house or freelance web designer. While in-house designers offer stability and integration into the business's workflow at a lower hourly rate, freelancers offer flexibility and maybe higher quality work at a premium fee. When choosing the best solution for their purposes, firms should consider both their short-term and long-term objectives.

[oxford-garments]

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Athletic Spirit of Rugby: Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. The SVNS,[1][2] known as the for sponsorship reasons, is an annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments run by World Rugby featuring national sevens teams. Organised for the first time in the 1999–2000 season as the IRB World Sevens Series,[3] the competition was formed to promote an elite-level of international rugby sevens and develop the game into a viable commercial product. A fly-half (number 10) is usually the first player to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, line-out or scrum. Therefore, they must be decisive with what actions to take. They must possess leadership and communicate effectively with the back line.[58] Good fly-halves are calm, clear thinking and have the vision to direct effective attacking plays.[59] Fly-halves need good passing and kicking skills. Often the fly-half is the best kicker in the team and needs to be able to execute attacking kicks such as up-and-unders, grubbers and chip kicks as well as being able to kick for territory.[58] Many fly-halves are also the team's goal kickers.

Clive Myr. Obasi

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Horsey

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 7, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 08, 2024

Two big stories today that together reveal a broader landscape.

The first is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics today released another blockbuster jobs report. The country added 272,000 jobs in May, far higher than the 180,000 jobs economists predicted. A widespread range of sectors added new jobs, including health care, government, leisure and hospitality, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Wages are also up. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have grown 4.1%, higher than the rate of inflation, which was 3.4% over the same period. 

The unemployment rate ticked up from 3.9% to 4%. This is not a significant change, but it does break the 27-month streak of unemployment below that number. 

The second big story is that Justice Clarence Thomas amended a financial filing from 2019, acknowledging that he should have reported two free vacations he accepted from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow. While in the past he said he did not need to disclose such gifts, in today’s filing he claimed he had “inadvertently omitted” the trips on earlier reports. ProPublica broke the story of these and other gifts from Crow, including several more trips than Thomas has so far acknowledged. 

Fix The Court, a nonprofit advocacy group that seeks to reform the federal courts, estimates that Thomas has accepted more than $4 million in gifts over the last 20 years. As economic analyst Steven Rattner pointed out, that’s 5.6 times more than the other 16 justices on the court in those years combined.

These two news items illustrate a larger story about the United States in this moment. 

The Biden administration has quite deliberately overturned the supply-side economics that came into ascendancy in 1981 when President Ronald Reagan took office and that remained dominant until 2021, when Biden entered the White House. Adherents of that ideology rejected the idea that the government should invest in the “demand side” of the economy—workers and other ordinary Americans—to develop the economy, as it had done since 1933. 

Instead, they maintained that the best way to nurture the economy was to support the “supply side”: those at the top. Cutting business regulations and slashing taxes would create prosperity, they said, by concentrating wealth in the hands of individuals who would invest in the economy more efficiently than they could if the government interfered in their choices. That smart investment would dramatically expand the economy, supporters argued, and everyone would do better. 

But supply-side economics never produced the results its supporters promised. What it did do was move money out of the hands of ordinary Americans into the hands of the very wealthy. Economists estimate that between 1981 and 2021, more than $50 trillion dollars moved from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%.

In order to keep that system in place, Republicans worked to make it extraordinarily difficult for Congress to pass laws making the government do anything, even when the vast majority of Americans wanted it to. With the rise of Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to the position of Senate majority leader in 2007, they weaponized the filibuster so any measure that went against their policies would need 60 votes in order to get through the Senate, and in 2010 they worked to take over state legislatures so that they could gerrymander state congressional districts so severely that Republicans would hold far more seats than they had earned from voters. 

With Congress increasingly neutered, the power to make law shifted to the courts, which Republicans since the Reagan administration had been packing with appointees who adhered to their small-government principles. 

Clarence Thomas was a key vote on the Supreme Court. But as ProPublica reported in December 2023, Thomas complained in 2000 to a Republican member of Congress about the low salaries of Supreme Court justices (equivalent to about $300,000 today) and suggested he might resign. The congressman and his friends were desperate to keep Thomas, with his staunchly Republican vote, on the court. In the years after 2000, friends and acquaintances provided Thomas with a steady stream of gifts that supplemented his income, and he stayed in his seat.

But what amounts to bribes has compromised the court. After the news broke that Thomas has now disclosed some of the trips Crow gave him, conservative lawyer George Conway wrote: “It’s long past time for there to be a comprehensive criminal investigation, and congressional investigation, of Justice Thomas and his finances and his taxes. What he has taken, and what he has failed to disclose, is beyond belief, and has been so for quite some time.” A bit less formally, over a chart of the monetary value of the gifts Thomas has accepted, Conway added: “I mean. This. Is. Just. Nuts.”

As the Republican system comes under increasing scrutiny, Biden’s renewal of traditional economic policies is showing those policies to be more successful than the Republicans’ system ever was. If Americans turn against the Republican formula of slashing taxes and deregulating business, those at the top of the economy stand to lose both wealth and control of the nation’s economic system. 

Trump has promised more tax cuts and deregulation if he is reelected, although the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently projected that his plan to extend the 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire in 2025 will add more than $3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. In April, at a meeting with 20 oil executives, Trump promised to cut regulations on the fossil fuel industry in exchange for $1 billion in donations, assuring them that the tax breaks he would give them once he was in office would pay for the donation many times over (indeed, an analysis quoted in The Guardian showed his proposed tax cuts would save them $110 billion). On May 23, he joined fossil fuel executives for a fundraiser in Houston.

In the same weeks, Biden’s policies have emphasized using the government to help ordinary people rather than to move wealth upward. 

On May 31 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it will make its experimental free electronic filing system permanent. It asked all 50 states and the District of Columbia to sign on to the program and to help taxpayers use it. The program’s pilot this year was wildly successful, with more than 140,000 people filing that way. Private tax preparers, whose industry makes billions of dollars a year, oppose the new system. 

The Inflation Reduction Act provided funding for this program and for beefing up the ability of the IRS to audit the wealthiest taxpayers. As Fatima Hussein wrote for the Associated Press, Republicans cut $1.4 billion from these funds last summer and will shift an additional $20 billion from the IRS to other programs over the next two years. 

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued five new reports showing that thanks in part to the administration's outreach efforts about the Affordable Care Act, the rate of Black Americans without health insurance dropped from 20.9% in 2010 to 10.8% in 2022. The same rate among Latinos dropped from 32.7% to 18%. For Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, the rate of uninsured dropped from 16.6% to 6.2%. And for American Indians and Alaska Natives, the rate dropped from 32.4% to 19.9%. More than 45 million people in total are enrolled in coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

President Biden noted the strength of today’s jobs report in a statement, adding: “I will keep fighting to lower costs for families like the ones I grew up with in Scranton.” Republicans “have a different vision,” he said, “one that puts billionaires and special interests first.” He promised: “I will never stop fighting for Scranton—not Park Avenue.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[beardedmrbean]

Prices for goods and services moved up less than expected in February, providing some relief as consumers and businesses worry about the looming impact tariffs might have on inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

The consumer price index, a wide-ranging measure of costs across the U.S. economy, ticked up a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.8%, according to the Labor Department agency. The all-item CPI had increased 0.5% in January.

Excluding food and energy prices, the core CPI also rose 0.2% on the month and was at 3.1% on a 12-month basis, the lowest reading since April 2021. The core CPI had climbed 0.4% in January.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for 0.3% increases on both headline and core, with respective annual rates of 2.9% and 3.2%, meaning that all of the rates were 0.1 percentage point less than expected.

Stock market indexes were mixed after the release after initially moving higher. reasury yields rose. Markets have been highly volatile as the Dow Jones Industrial Average has slipped 6% over the past month.

“A lot of this inflation data does not incorporate what is to come and what already has happened for tariffs,” said Kevin Gordon, senor investment strategist at Charles Schwab. “The vagaries and uncertainties associated with policy are still a much stronger force in the market than anything CPI-related or in terms of one data point.”

Shelter costs moved up 0.3%, less than in January but still responsible for about half the monthly increase in the CPI, the BLS said. The annual increase of 4.2% was the smallest since December 2021. The category makes up more than one-third of the total weighting in the CPI, with particular focus on a measure in what homeowners estimate they could get in rent for their properties, which also increased 0.3%.

Food and energy indexes both increased 0.2%. Used vehicle prices jumped 0.9% and apparel rose 0.6%. Within food, egg prices soared another 10.4%, taking the 12-month increase to 58.8% and pushing a broader measure that also includes meat, poultry and fish up 7.7% on the year. Beef prices also climbed 2.4% in February.

Motor vehicle insurance posted a 0.3% increase on the month and was up 11.1% annually. However, airline fares slipped 4% in February and were down 0.7% from a year ago.

Inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings increased 0.1% for the month and were up 1.2% from a year ago, the BLS said in a separate release.

“The market’s interpretation is appropriate. We still don’t know anything about how inflation is going to work with the new tariff regime,” said Thomas Simons, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies. “At least for now, the momentum is moving in the Fed’s favor.”

The report comes at a potentially critical juncture for the U.S. economy and financial markets, which have been shaken lately as President Donald Trump escalates a trade war and concerns rise of a growth scare.

In the latest developments, Trump’s 25% duties on steel and aluminum took effect Wednesday, prompting retaliatory measures from the European Union. Trump also has slapped 20% levies on goods from China.

“Today’s CPI report shows inflation is declining and the economy is moving in the right direction under President Trump,” Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said in a statement. “This inflation report, much like last week’s jobs report, is far better than the media predicted and the so-called ‘experts’ expected.”

Federal Reserve officials also are watching the developments closely. Central bank policymakers generally consider tariffs to have modest impacts on inflation and often are viewed as one-off measures that don’t have lasting impact on longer-term gauges.

However, a broader trade war could change that if the pace of increases becomes more ingrained in the economy. Markets currently expect the Fed to resume cutting interest rates in June, with a total of 0.75 percentage point in reductions by the end of 2025.

“The February CPI release showed further signs of progress on underlying inflation, with the pace of price increases moderating after January’s strong release,” said Kay Haigh, global co-head of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. “While the Fed is still likely to remain on hold at this month’s meeting, the combination of easing inflationary pressures and rising downside risks to growth suggest that the Fed is moving closer to continuing its easing cycle.”

The Fed meets next week and is widely expected to hold its key borrowing rate in a target range between 4.25%-4.5%.

Economic growth is trending negative in the first quarter, according to the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow tracker of incoming data. The measure has pegged Q1 growth at a 2.4% decline, which would be the first negative growth quarter in three years.

[emmatheyoshi]

The Russian Sleep Experiment (Reimagined)

Wanted to do some writing, so I decided to take a shot at doing a retake of one of my favorite Creepypastas: The Russian Sleep Experiment. Enjoy!

My name doesn’t matter. Just call me Selene. I’m the great-granddaughter of one of the scientists who worked on the infamous Russian sleep experiment. My great-grandfather passed recently and left me his notebooks from the study in his will. I’m here today for archival purposes and to tell you all the truth about this experiment.

Sometime in the 1940s, a group of Soviet scientists developed a gas meant to keep soldiers awake for long periods of time. They had already tested it on various small animals (mostly mice and rats), but had yet to test it on actual humans. Since WWII was happening, they brought in five political prisoners to be their test subjects.

The prisoners were told they needed to stay awake for as long as possible whilst under the influence of the gas. If they could make it for thirty days (a month), they would be freed and sent back to their home countries. This was a lie, but it didn’t matter, as none of these prisoners would return home anyway. The five prisoners were put in a large, hospital-like room. It had microphones on the walls and two large speakers on either side that connected to an intercom system. Due to this happening in the 1940s, the only way to visually monitor them was through 5-inch (12.7-centimeter) thick glass windows. They were given enough water and dehydrated food to last the aforementioned thirty days. They also had their vitals and oxygen levels monitored. Once everyone was situated, the scientists sealed up the room and turned on the gas before returning to the monitoring station.

Nothing notable was written in my Dedushka’s (great-grandfather’s) notebook about the first five days. However, from day six onward, there was important and interesting information written. Please note that Russian is my second language, so this translation may not be fully accurate.

Day 6 - Patients have begun talking about traumatic events and how they managed to wind up in this situation. Heart rates and oxygen levels are normal.

Day 7 - Patients have begun complaining about their situation and are beginning to show signs of paranoia. Heart rates and oxygen levels are normal.

Day 8 - Patients’ paranoia has gotten worse. They’ve been whispering into the microphones, ranting about their trauma and current situation. Some have begun bargaining with researchers, willing to sacrifice their fellow patients for their freedom. All patients heart rates went up. Oxygen levels remain normal.

Day 9 - Patient 5 began screaming at the top of his lungs at roughly 5:45 AM, waking me and my fellow scientists. He screamed for the next three hours before losing his voice. It’s entirely possible that he damaged his vocal cords. None of the other patients reacted to this event. An hour after Patient 5 lost his voice, Patient 3 began screaming. Patients 2 and 4 could be observed through the windows destroying the books and using their own feces as glue to paste the pages to the windows. All patients capable of speaking have continued to rant into the microphones. Patient 5’s heart rate went way up. All other patients’ heart rates remain the same as they were yesterday. Oxygen levels are normal.

Nothing notable happened on days 10 and 11.

Day 12 - Patients have stopped speaking entirely. We’ve begun checking the microphones hourly. No noises could be heard from inside the room. All patients heart rates and oxygen levels imply vigorous exercise.

Nothing notable happens on day 13.

Day 14 - 7:15 AM - We’ve decided to turn off the gas in order to get a reaction out of the patients.

Day 14 - 7:30 AM - After telling the patients, “We’re turning off the gas and entering the room to test the microphones. Step away from the door and lay flat on the floor or you will be shot. Compliance will reward one of you your immediate freedom,” we got a reaction out of the patients. Patient 3 spoke into one of the microphone and said, “We no longer want to be free.” After some discussion, we’ve decided to shut off the gas and open the doors at midnight tomorrow.

Day 14 - 11:30 PM - We’ve been unable to get any interactions out of the patients all day. Patients’ heart rates and oxygen levels remain the same as the past few days.

Day 15 is where all hell breaks loose.

Day 15 - 12:05 AM - We just shut off the gas. All the patients are screaming at the top of their lungs, begging us to turn the gas back on. We’re now going to retrieve them.

Day 15 - 12:30 AM - The sight inside the chamber is horrific. Patient 1 is dead and chunks of his flesh have been used to clog the drain on the floor, causing a small flood to happen in the room. All the other patients are still alive, but I wouldn’t stay they’re living. Chunks of their flesh have been ripped from their arms and legs. Patient 2 is in the best shape, with only their skin being ripped off, while Patient 3 is in the worst, with some of their bones showing. It’s unclear how they managed to do this, as we left no weapons in the room and human teeth are not sharp enough to rip flesh straight off the bone. Patients seem to have been eating their own flesh as well. All the books we left for them have been destroyed. We’re taking them into surgery now. I’m writing this entry as we enter the operating room.

Day 15 - 12:45 AM - Patients begged to be returned to the room and have the gas turned back on. Many soldiers and scientists have abandoned the project and gone home after seeing one on the soldiers get strangled to death by Patient 3. Seeing as I am writing this entry, I did not give up. Doctors are currently strapping the patients to hospital beds.

Day 15 - 1 AM - Doctors attempted to sedate Patient 4, only for him to pass away. They had to use a ridiculous amount of morphine to do so. One of the nurses theorized they had used enough morphine to sedate a large grizzly bear. They’ve decided to not sedate the three other patients.

Day 15 - 1:30 AM - Patients 2 and 3 have had a successful surgery. Patient 3 laughed maniacally and begged for the gas the entire time. When asked why he wanted the gas, he only replied, “I must remain awake.”

Day 15 - 1:45 AM - Patient 5’s surgery was successful. He stared at one of the female nurses the entire time. Towards the end, he began wheezing in an attempt to speak. One of the nurses gave him a pen and held up a pad of paper to write on. He wrote two words: “Keep cutting.”

Day 15 - 2 AM - Commander told us to put the patients back in the room. We were told to restrain them to hospital beds and hook them up to various medical machines. Patient 3 died the moment his head the pillow. His cause of death is unclear. Before we could all leave the room, the commander told someone to seal the room. A fellow scientist (and it’s unclear if he did this out of anger, instinct, or both) grabbed the commander’s pistol and shot him before shooting Patient 5. Both of them dropped dead instantly. Hyperventilating, he turned to Patient 2 and aimed the gun at him. He stared at him for a few moments before shooting him. Before dying, Patient 2 said three final words: “So…nearly…free….” This test was a complete failure and this testing facility will not be remembered. I am only keeping these notes for historical purposes.

Before finishing this post, allow me to debunk some things from the infamous Creepypasta/Urban Legend.

1. The patients did not rip out their organs below the ribs. This is biologically impossible. Even if they did survive the blood loss, their stomach acid would destroy their insides.

2. The image of a person sitting on a bed in a straight-jacket is not of one of the test subjects. That is a Halloween animatronic named Spazm. Here’s a fully colored picture of him.

3. All photos associated with the story are not actual photos from the experiment. It’s unknown whether or not actual photos were taken during this experiment. Because my Dedushka had dementia, I was unable to get a proper answer about whether any photos were taken or not.

If anyone else has any information on this experiment, please let me know. Thank you for your time.