Category: US

WHITE HOUSE WATCH: ABOUT A THIRD OF AMERICANS SAY VIRUS NOT MUCH OF A WORRY

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – A divided nation consumes the news in a divided way so for Republicans, a revered president answered questions completely and in detail Sunday night at the Fox News virtual Town Hall titled “America Together: Returning to Work.” For Democrats who expressed themselves on social media, the reaction was, as […]

DATA FLASH: US APRIL MANUFACTURING ISM CONTRACTS SHARPLY

–Regional Data, Markit Survey Also Soft as Full COVID Impact Hit–March Construction Spending Up on Home Remodeling By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The April ISM index Friday showed U.S. manufacturing sector activity contracted sharply, confirming the disappointing regional and Markit data that preceded it. Conditions are unlikely to improve until businesses are given the […]

WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: ‘OPERATION WARP SPEED’ AND THE CONTACT TRACERS

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) –  Like everything having to do with Covid-19, the U.S. will likely be way late in having enough contact tracers in place, ready to pounce on every new case of infection to isolate those who spent some time close to anyone tested positive. Listening Thursday to New York Gov. Andrew […]

DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS STILL ELEVATED AS BACKLOGS CONTINUE

–Initial Claims Fall By 603,000 to 3.839 Mln; Continuing Claims Not Peaked–Personal Income Down 2.0%; PCE Plunges 7.5%; Core PCE Prices -0.1%–Employ Costs Accelerated in 1Q; Chicago PMI 35.4 By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Initial claims fell by 603,000 to 3.839 million in the April 25 week, ahead of the 3.50 million level expected, […]

WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: STATES BLAST AHEAD TO ‘PHASE ZERO’

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – At last, just one more day of the infernal White House guidelines before they “fade out” and the new guidelines for reopening take over, the ones lots of states are already ignoring. Yes, 18 or 19 states are still sticking with strict stay-at-home orders but they’ll come along soon. […]

FOMC, CHAIR POWELL HOLDING ON TIGHT, ALL IN FOR DURATION

–‘Not Going To Run Out of Money’ –Time to Use the ‘Great Fiscal Power’ Of the Country By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee, echoed by Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, Wednesday signaled only firm determination to fight the damage from the economic shutdown, whatever it takes, reassuring the markets, Wall […]

DATA FLASH: US 1ST QTR GDP CONTRACTS BY 4.8%; PCE PLUNGES ON SOCIAL DISTANCING

–Business Investment Hit by COVID Impact, Residential Investment Soared –Imports -15.3%; Price Index +1.3% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, as growth in January and February was more than wiped out by business shutdowns late in March, a trend that will likely carry over into the second […]

WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: STRUCTURAL CHANGE NOT ALWAYS INTENTIONAL

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Huge disruptions, pandemics and wars, can cause fundamental changes down the line that were not anticipated and which were hard to recognize at the time. Which brings us to the Federal Reserve in this time of crisis. Wednesday afternoon Chairman Jerome Powell will be explaining to the world the […]

DATA FLASH: US APRIL CONFIDENCE FELL FURTHER, BUT EXPECTATIONS IMPROVE

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Conference Board’s U.S. consumer confidence index Tuesday fell to a reading of 86.9 in April from a downward revised 118.8 reading in March, as business and employment conditions deteriorated rapidly due to the COVID-19 shutdown. And while the assessment of current conditions posted their largest one-month decline in […]