STATUS CHECK: CULTURE WAR MORE COMPLICATED AT GROUND LEVEL

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Tuesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: The conflicted national mood was well represented Tuesday, with the stark warnings from the Republican National Convention speakers the night before of what was described as a choice between “church, work and school […]

DATA FLASH: US AUGUST CONFIDENCE FALLS FURTHER AS CONCERNS GROW

–Confidence in Both Current Conditions, Expectations Drop Sharply–July New Home Sales Jump by 13.9% To 901,000 SAAR, up 36.3% Yr/Yr  –Manufacturing Regional Data Mixed, But Further Services Improvement By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) -The Conference Board’s U.S. consumer confidence index fell to a reading of 84.8 in August from a downward revised 91.7 reading in […]

GERMAN BUSINESS SENTIMENT CONTINUED TO IMPROVE IN AUGUST

By Marco Babic ZURICH (MaceNews) – Business sentiment in Germany improved for the fourth consecutive month in August as both current conditions and expectations for the situation in the next six months rose. The Ifo Index of Business Sentiment rose to 92.6 in August, slightly above the median forecast of 92.4 in an Econoday survey […]

DATA PREVIEW: STIMULUS GRIDLOCK, COVID CUTS INTO CONFIDENCE

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The inability to pass new stimulus measures in the face of rising COVID-19 cases likely had a dampening effect on consumer confidence in August, even as interest rates have hit rock-bottom, gasoline prices are low and with the U.S. stock markets to a large extent having eclipsed their pre-COVID […]

DATA FLASH: EXISTING HOME SALES NOW IN ‘BOOMING PHASE’

-Existing Home Sales Surge by 24.7% to a 5.86 Mln Rate, High Since 2006-Supply Continues To Contract, Lifting Prices To Record High-Markit Flash Data Rise, Contradicting Regional Data to Date By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. existing home sales surged to a 14-year high in July on record low mortgage rates and an increased […]

STATUS CHECK: OF SIDESHOWS AND MAIN EVENTS

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: In the latter half of August, all kinds of news. Another former top aide to the president indicted. A 77-year-old white man accepts the nomination to be president. A coronal mass ejection – […]

EXCLUSIVE-DALLAS FED’S KAPLAN FOR ‘RESTRAINT’ IN DOING MORE MONETARY STIMULUS

–‘Quite A Ways’ From Considering Rate Hikes, But Cautions About More QE –Concerned About Dollar, Potential Longer Run Inflation, Financial Instability By Steven K. Beckner  (MaceNews) – Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan said the Fed is “quite a ways” from considering raising interest rates, but advocated “restraint” in doing more to stimulate the […]

THURSDAY WHITE HOUSE SCHEDULE

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s public White House schedule:   DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FORTHURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020   EDT 9:00AM                     In-House Pool Call Time 12:20PM                    Out-of-Town Pool Call Time   11:00AM                       THE PRESIDENT participates in the arrival of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq West Wing Lobby     Closed Press  11:05AM                       THE PRESIDENT participates in a […]

STATUS CHECK: IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING NICE … SPEAK AT THE DNC

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: The exposition of democratic ideals brought down to Earth or simply a political culture war, the insults flew, the arrows of invective were launched at the enemy, the Democrats railed against the man […]

FOMC MINUTES AS EXPECTED, WITH LESS INTENSITY THAN SUBSQUENT COMMENTS

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee minutes released Wednesday offered no insights into Fed thinking beyond what has been revealed in participant comments since the meeting, in some cases with considerably less emphasis, that uncertainty is high and that downside risks are prevalent. Recent comments by Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren and Dallas […]