The Angry Bear

[unable to retrieve full-text content]by Bill McBride Calculated Risk From housing economist Tom Lawler: Based on publicly-available local realtor/MLS reports released across the country through today . . . I project that existing home sales as estimated by the National Association of Realtors ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.97 million in October, up 3.4% from September’s […] The post Lawler: Early Read on Existing Home Sales in October appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content] – by New Deal democrat Let me start with my usual reminder that real retail sales is one of my favorite economic indicators, because it tells us so much about the state of the consumer, and since consumption leads employment, it is a short leading indicator for that as well. In October retail sales rose 0.4% […] The post Real retail sales jump nicely, but we’re not out of the woods on consumption just yet appeared first on...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The commentary was initially written at EconoFact by Mark Shepard. I took liberties with this commentary to emphasize the many points the author presents and to make it an easier read. I also added an introduction and some history on the ACA. There is much here to absorb. I felt breaking the commentary out further […] The post Healthcare Insurance in the United States appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Trump and his minions may not believe in global warming, but people whose livelihoods depend on understanding climate change—bankers, insurance companies and the military—know it’s real. So do non-humans whose livelihoods are compromised by climate change: “Native fish populations will likely continue their decline off of Massachusetts’ coast, while species from further south will move […] The post Seafood says global...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]It has been a bit since I have said anything about the Opioid epidemic. Such was brought on by companies and distributors (more like PBMs) claiming it was harmless and non-addicting. I do want to catch up and see how the Sacklers made out. Whether the Gov finally put the screws to them or did […] The post The Opioid Epidemic from 1980 Onward in My Words appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]“Medicare Advantage: Questionable Use of Health Risk Assessments Continues to Drive Up Payments to Plans by Billions,” Office of Inspector General | Government Oversight | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Why OIG Did This Review Medicare Advantage (MA) companies receive higher risk-adjusted payments from CMS for enrollees who are sicker, which helps to […] The post Questionable Use of Health Risk Assessments Drives Costs...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]– by New Deal democrat Initial claims have now completely reverted to trend after their recent hurricane-induced blip. Initial claims rose 3,000 for the week to 217,000, while the four week moving average decreased -5,750 to 221,000. With the typical one week delay, continuing claims declined -11,000 to 1.873 million: On the more important YoY basis, […] The post Jobless claims complete their reversion to pre-hurricane-disruptions trend...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Anterevolution, France was pre-industrial, feudal, and broke.  Broke because its wealth (wealth that had been derived from the labor of serfs at home and slaves in her colonies, and the exploitation of indigenous peoples) had been wasted by its government and aristocracy on wars and extravagance.  By 1789, wars and lifestyle had bled the country […] The post A Tale of Two Economies appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The nation went through a period of high gasoline prices, even though the government released oil from the reserves. Now it appears the US has a glut of oil and may (and always has) lack refinery capacity. Prices appear to have stabilized in many places at about $3.50 per gallon (I may be paying more […] The post Subsidizing Fossil Fuels appeared first on Angry Bear.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]No, the 1% aren’t the job creators—that’s the middle class and working class. Tax cuts for the 1%, of course, don’t create jobs, they just create greater wealth disparity: “The authors set out to examine all instances of major tax reductions on the rich in 18 OECD countries between 1965 and 2015 and identify the […] The post Tax cuts for the rich only increase wealth disparity appeared first on Angry Bear.