'Um, not so fast': Trump admin accused of fudging figures on faltering economy

President Donald Trump and his helpers are cheering prematurely over some good economic numbers that came out this month, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Michael Hiltzik.

On Dec. 18, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that inflation had fallen to an annual rate of 2.7 percent in November, down from 3 percent in September. Then, on Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that real gross domestic product had gone up by a surprising 4.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2025.