Tag Archives: Hot Topics

Weekly Indicators for August 7 – 11 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. For the moment we are in something of a holding pattern, in particular with the coincident indicators. Buoyed by the big downturn in commodity prices, and somnolence of consumer prices ex-fictitious shelter, the short leading indicators continue to be much more positive. As usual, clicking over and reading will...

Now that COVID seems to be surging again, some timely reminders are in order:• keep your vaccination status current. The vaccine won’t keep you from being infected, but it will most likely keep you out of the ED and the morgue;• the outcome of COVID infection isn’t binary: death or survival. A third outcome is long COVID. Among the consequences of long COVID are pathological changes in blood pressure and heart function.From the link: “For up to a...

Now that COVID seems to be surging again, some timely reminders are in order:• keep your vaccination status current. The vaccine won’t keep you from being infected, but it will most likely keep you out of the ED and the morgue;• the outcome of COVID infection isn’t binary: death or survival. A third outcome is long COVID. Among the consequences of long COVID are pathological changes in blood pressure and heart function.From the link: “For up to a...

July CPI: almost everything except fictitious shelter costs are getting close to the Fed’s comfort range  – by New Deal democrat Gasoline prices and fictitious shelter prices are once again moving in opposite directions, in a direct reversal of what the situation had been in the past 12 months. During late 2022 into this year, energy prices came down sharply, while owners’ equivalent rent was increasing. Now energy prices are beginning to...

July CPI: almost everything except fictitious shelter costs are getting close to the Fed’s comfort range  – by New Deal democrat Gasoline prices and fictitious shelter prices are once again moving in opposite directions, in a direct reversal of what the situation had been in the past 12 months. During late 2022 into this year, energy prices came down sharply, while owners’ equivalent rent was increasing. Now energy prices are beginning to...

Infidel753, Closed and open minds, Infidel753 Blog There is a certain type of person who never asks questions because he already knows all the answers.  He is usually, though not always, to be found among the ranks of the ideological far right or left, or among the devoutly religious.  He is good at preaching, but bad at listening.  He never deigns to look at any website or other source which deviates from his own belief system, for he knows he...

Infidel753, Closed and open minds, Infidel753 Blog There is a certain type of person who never asks questions because he already knows all the answers.  He is usually, though not always, to be found among the ranks of the ideological far right or left, or among the devoutly religious.  He is good at preaching, but bad at listening.  He never deigns to look at any website or other source which deviates from his own belief system, for he knows he...

Rethinking the RUC, Center for American Progress, Maura Calsyn and Madeline Twome The point being made in this commentary is the purposeful inaccuracy of the RUC. Much of the time determined for treatment too large which in turn drives the patient fees charged and the prices in Medicare Advantage to which CMS adds a percentage, and Fee for Service Medicare. (Special thanks to ltr for her suggestion). First, what is RUC. It is an acronym for the...

Rethinking the RUC, Center for American Progress, Maura Calsyn and Madeline Twome The point being made in this commentary is the purposeful inaccuracy of the RUC. Much of the time determined for treatment too large which in turn drives the patient fees charged and the prices in Medicare Advantage to which CMS adds a percentage, and Fee for Service Medicare. (Special thanks to ltr for her suggestion). First, what is RUC. It is an acronym for the...

Initial jobless claims: a little soft, but continued expansion signaled  – by New Deal democrat I’ll put up an analysis of this morning’s CPI later. In the meantime, initial jobless claims rose 21,000 last week to 248,000. The more important 4 week moving average rose 2,750 to 231,000. With a one week delay, continuing claims declined -8,000 to 1.684 million: On an absolute level, all of this remains very good. The YoY% changes are more...