STATUS CHECK – FROM THE SEAT OF POWER, POWERLESSNESS AS VOTES TOTALED
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. The networks plodded on Wednesday night, with nothing much new to report, as talking heads artfully kept the ball rolling, even if it was in circles, waiting. President Trump was watching, likely clicking […]
STATUS CHECK – ‘WE’RE GOING TO WIN’ THEY BOTH SAID
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Tuesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. · The election is far from decided at this midnight hour but it’s clear the blue wave was a fantasy, that the race turned out to be very tight with most states that […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – COMING UP, CATHARSIS, HEALING?
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. · Saturday makes it three days. Three days until catharsis, healing and finally a truce in the culture wars. You could see it on Fox News, where Sean Hannity was mellowing, praising candidate […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – STOWING THE AMMO BEFORE ELECTION DAY
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. · Does anyone still care that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin exchanged letters, each listing the deficiencies in the other’s position on pandemic relief. Suffice to say they’re far […]
FOMC APT TO STAND PAT FOR NOW, BUT FUTURE FISSURES EMERGING
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve is about to hold its second Federal Open Market Committee meeting under its new monetary policy framework amid strange and rapidly changing circumstances. No policy change is likely on Nov. 5. In other words, the FOMC will almost certainly leave the federal funds rate in the […]
FED’S BEIGE BK: AS-EXPECTED ‘SLIGHT TO MODEST’ EXPANSION
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book survey of economic activity through the 12 regional bank districts Wednesday found little evidence of any V-shaped recovery, instead seeing “slight to modest” improvements in most regions. Assembled by the St. Louis Fed, the survey prepared for the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting Nov. 4-5 […]
VICE CHAIR CLARIDA KEEPS FED POINTED TOWARD LONG-TERM MONETARY EASE
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Top Federal Reserve policy-makers continue to strongly signal their long-range intention to maintain an ultra-easy monetary policy, even as they acknowledge that the economy is recovering faster than they expected from the Covid shutdown induced recession. The Fed’s commitment to a highly accommodative policy is not completely open-ended, but […]
FED’S ROSENGREN WARNS ON FINANCIAL STABILITY RISK WITH RATES LOWER FOR LONGER
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – The U.S. needs more steps to limit financial stability risk in a continuing low interest rate environment, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said Thursday. Rosengren, in remarks for delivery to Marquette University, warned that excessive leverage has magnified the current downturn and poses a threat of additional job losses. “The increased […]
FED’S EVANS Q&A: ONUS STAYS ON FISCAL POLICY TO SUPPORT RECOVERY
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Chicago Fed President Charles Evans suggested Wednesday he is in no rush to reassess the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and the burden remains on fiscal policy to support the recovery. Asked by reporters whether likely delay in federal fiscal support would prompt the Fed to consider new measures to bolster the […]
FED’S EVANS: FED SHOULD RESIST INCLINATION TO ‘BACK OFF THE OVERSHOOT’ TOO SOON
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Monetary policymakers must be wary of tightening policy too much and too soon if they are to execute the Federal Reserve’s new average inflation targeting strategy, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Wednesday. Evans, in remarks for delivery to the Metals Service Center Institute, repeated that the Fed is now obliged […]