Thanks for checking out Coalscoop!
Coalscoop is founded and published by Brandon Salmen (under Firesteel Studios, LLC). Brandon is a career “data and analytics” guy who has worked in many industries, with a curious mind and a desire to share learnings. With this background, you can count on accurate data coupled with keen insight into the American economy.
Why does Coalscoop exist? And what’s with the name?
Well, most US economic news tells you what happened, but doesn’t explain why it happened, who benefited, or what it actually means for your household or business opportunities. Coalscoop exists to close that gap. The tagline is: “Digging into the cost of American living.” That’s not just a great pun… it’s our guiding light for delivering useful insights.
As for the name, “Coal” in this case is a play on the “Cost Of American Living” as an acronym. The “scoop” part refers to giving you the news, digging into sometimes hidden layers, and unearthing the value of the economy.
In short, Coalscoop breaks down the American economy the way it actually functions under the hood: across resources, industry, commerce, and power. Every story fits somewhere into a simple, four-layer framework, giving you the full picture instead of disconnected headlines. This lens helps demystify the economy and explain why it might feel different from the headlines, and helps you spot opportunities others miss.
The “Four Economic Layers” Framework
Layer 1: Natural Resources & Foundations
We begin with the physical base of everything: land, energy, water, minerals, food, and raw materials. If it comes out of the ground, grows from it, or powers what we build—this is where it lives.
Layer 2: Manufacturing, Industry & Construction
This layer takes raw inputs from Layer 1, and transforms them into usable things: homes, vehicles, machinery, infrastructure, durable and consumable goods.
Layer 3: Retail, Services & Distribution
Layer 3 is what most people directly experience daily: retail stores, healthcare, logistics, finance, subscriptions, apps, and other goods and services. When you make a purchase as a consumer, you’re interacting with this layer of the economy.
Layer 4: Management, Policy & Power
In this layer, the focus is not on producing goods or providing services, but directing outcomes. This includes executives, regulators, central banks, lawmakers, and institutional decision-makers. It’s where incentives are set, risk is redistributed, and narratives and policies are shaped.
As a hypothetical example: when the price of bread spikes at the grocery store, we don't just report the number.
The Coalscoop storyline would be: “Pesticide restrictions and their impact on bread’s price and production.” We then trace it from Layer 1 (wheat production decreased due to pesticide availability which lowers yields), through Layer 2 (flour production costs increasing due to labor pool shortages), to Layer 3 (your local bakery raising prices to balance demand with supply, and include rising transportation costs). Finally, this was all influenced by a change in policy at Layer 4 (such as reclassifying a common pesticide as restricted-use, which restricts who’s able to use it and how much it can be used).
What You Can Expect From Coalscoop
Data first, opinions second
Long memory when everyone else is typically short-term
Respect for America’s strengths and its constraints
Informative insight and relevant recommendations, not abstract doom
Welcome aboard. As a subscriber to Coalscoop, you're now part of a growing community of readers who refuse to accept surface-level economic news. I aim to publish every Sunday. To ensure this lands in your Inbox and not somewhere else, please add [email protected] to your contacts. Read the next newsletter, test the framework, and see if it changes how you understand the economy. If it resonates with you, I hope you'll share it.
** Disclaimer **
Coalscoop is published by Firesteel Studios, LLC for informational and educational purposes only. I'm not a licensed financial advisor, investment professional, or attorney, and nothing here constitutes financial, investment, legal, or professional advice. By reading Coalscoop, you acknowledge that you're solely responsible for your own decisions and will not hold Coalscoop or Firesteel Studios, LLC liable for any losses or consequences arising from the use of this information.