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☆ Fitch tells CNN why it downgraded America now
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Fitch Ratings is defending its controversial decision to downgrade the US credit rating by pointing to the nation’s mountain of debt. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Richard Francis, the lead analyst on US sovereign ratings at Fitch, told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. Within minutes of Fitch’s downgrade on Tuesday evening, the White House, Treasury Department and some leading economists slammed the move. Whether America slips into a mild recession or narrowly avoids one “just doesn’t move the needle,” Francis told CNN. ‘The center’s fallen apart’Beyond the fiscal mess, Fitch is growing increasingly worried about the political situation in the world’s largest economy.

Persons: New York CNN Business — Fitch, ” Richard Francis, Francis, “, ” Francis, Janet Yellen, Fitch, Obama, Jason Furman, Larry Summers, ”, Donald Trump, there’s, Biden Organizations: New York CNN Business, Fitch, CNN, Treasury Department, Social Security, Office, Democrats, Republicans, Trump Locations: America

☆ Fitch's US debt-rating downgrade is bad news for stocks. Here's everything you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The downgrade comes two months after Joe Biden and House Republicans reached an 11th-hour deal to stop a catastrophic default. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Here's everything you need to know about the ratings agency's shock move. Fitch said the last-minute debt-ceiling deal after months of shutdown had failed to convince it that Congress will be able to avert future calamities. As debt-ceiling negotiations dragged on earlier this year, the White House warned stocks could crash 45% if the government ever failed to repay its debts – so even a downgrade is bad news for the market.

Persons: Fitch, Joe Biden, Stocks, Joe Biden's, Biden, it's, AJ Bell's, Laith Khalaf, Fitch's, Janet Yellen, Larry Summers Organizations: House Republicans, Service, AAA, Social Security, House, Nasdaq, CME Group, Dow Jones, P Global, Biden Locations: Wall, Silicon, Europe, Asia

☆ U.S. debt downgrade sinks global markets — but economists are not concerned
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Global stock markets tumbled on Wednesday after ratings agency Fitch downgraded the United States' long-term credit rating — but top economists say there is nothing to worry about. U.S. stock futures were sharply lower after the downgrade, pointing to a fall of almost 300 points for the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the Wednesday open on Wall Street. Current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen described the downgrade as "outdated." Phillips said the downgrade "should have little direct impact on financial markets as it is unlikely there are major holders of Treasury securities who would be forced to sell based on the ratings change." Harvey noted that, ahead of the 2011 S&P downgrade, stocks were in correction territory, credit spreads were widening, rates were falling, and the global financial crisis "was still in the market's collective conscience" — whereas the conditions today are "almost the opposite."

Persons: Fitch, Larry Summers, Mohamed El, Erian, Summers, Janet Yellen, Goldman Sachs, Alec Phillips, Phillips, Wells, Chris Harvey, Harvey, Mark Mobius, they've, CNBC's Organizations: United, AAA, Dow Jones, U.S ., Allianz Chief, Treasury, Wells Fargo Securities Head, Equity, CNBC, ., Mobius Capital Partners Locations: United States, London, Asia, Pacific, Wells Fargo, U.S

☆ Fitch official confirms that January 6 Capitol riot was partially behind its controversial US downgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top official with Fitch Ratings said January 6 influenced its controversial downgrade of US credit. "I strongly disagree with Fitch Ratings' decision," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. "The change by Fitch Ratings announced today is arbitrary and based on outdated data." The juxtaposition of Fitch's decision and January 6 became inadvertently apparent as soon as their decision was announced. News of former President Donald Trump's indictment related to his efforts to overturn the election broke just as Fitch's downgrade became public.

Persons: Fitch's, Richard Francis, Francis, Fitch, Janet Yellen, Larry Summers, Biden's, Donald Trump's Organizations: Fitch, Reuters, The Treasury Department, Service, Treasury Department, Biden, Congressional Republicans, White, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, United States, States

☆ The last time US debt was downgraded markets plummeted. Will it happen again?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Fitch Ratings downgraded US long-term debt late on Tuesday from AAA to AA+, citing this spring’s debt ceiling standoff as a major reason. In the midst of the very tense debt ceiling standoff of 2011, Standard and Poor’s downgraded US debt for the first time in history. “My sense is that the Fitch downgrade of the US credit rating is an insignificant development and will not move financial markets or the economy,” said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US. “The majority of our clients’ investments in China are through index funds, and we are one of 16 asset managers currently offering US index funds investing in Chinese companies,” BlackRock said in a statement to CNN. “With all investments in China and markets around the world, BlackRock complies with all applicable US government laws.

Persons: New York CNN — Fitch, Fitch, ”, Joseph Brusuelas, ” Fitch, Larry Summers, Janet Yellen, “, Dow, BlackRock, Larry Fink, Henry Fernandez, MSCI, Mike Gallagher of, Raja Krishnamoorthi, ” BlackRock, ” MSCI Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, AAA, AA, RSM, Federal Reserve, Fitch, Treasury, US, Twitter, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Tech, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Congressional, Chinese Communist Party of, BlackRock, CNN, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Republican, “ Locations: New York, America, United States, States, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Illinois, MSCI, China

☆ Top officials, economists say Fitch's downgrade of the US economy is 'strange' and 'bizarre'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Top economists and administration officials bashed Fitch's downgrade, calling it bizarre. Even Nobel laureate and economist Paul Krugman was baffled about "that bizarre Fitch downgrade," as he posted on X. "I am very puzzled by many aspects of this announcement, as well as by the timing," wrote El-Erian, the chief economic adviser to German financial services giant Allianz. Former Treasury Larry Summers slammed Fitch's downgrade on X, posting that the decision is "bizarre and inept" given that the American economy looks "stronger than expected." Fitch flagged the risk of a US credit rating downgrade in May citing political "brinksmanship" in negotiations over raising the debt ceiling.

Persons: Fitch, there's, bashed, Janet Yellen, Paul Krugman, Mohamed El, Erian, Treasury Larry Summers, Biden Organizations: AAA, Service, Allianz, Treasury, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Fitch downgrades US long-term credit rating to AA+ from AAA
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“I strongly disagree with Fitch Ratings’ decision,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a statement on Tuesday. The last time the US debt was downgraded by another major credit rating agency, S&P, came in 2011. Until 2011, US debt had carried a perfect credit rating since Moody’s Investors Service first assigned the United States a AAA rating in 1917. The country’s new Fitch rating puts it on par with Austria and Finland but below Switzerland and Germany. S&P has maintained its AA+ rating on the US after the 2011 downgrade while Moody’s has kept its AAA rating.

Persons: CNN — Fitch, “, Fitch, ” Fitch, Biden, ”, Janet Yellen, Karine Jean, Pierre, —, Chuck Schumer, Spokespeople, Kevin McCarthy, Moody’s, Larry Summers Organizations: CNN, AAA, Biden, Fitch, AA, Republican, Republicans, Moody’s Investors Service, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Twitter Locations: United States, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Germany

☆ Bidenomics could make inflation worse, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Biden's economic agenda could make inflation worse, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said. But Summers said he disagrees with the principle behind those policies, warning that they could contribute to higher prices. The manufacturing policies also ignore the benefits of globalization and trade with other countries, which has lowered inflation, Summers said. Despite strong criticism from some commentators, other economists have defended Biden's economic plan. Bidenomics has largely been a success, Nobel economist Paul Krugman said, given the dramatic fall in inflation over the past year.

Persons: Larry Summers, Joe Biden's, Summers, Bidenomics, Paul Krugman Organizations: Service, Peterson Institute for International Economics, US, CNN Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Larry Summers slams Biden economic agenda as ‘increasingly dangerous’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Larry Summers, the former Obama and Clinton official, slammed parts of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda as “increasingly dangerous” this week, saying it could end up causing higher prices for Americans. Specifically, Summers took issue with the administration’s trade stance, efforts to prop up US manufacturing and its antitrust crackdown. “It is wrong to suppose that manufacturing-based economic nationalism is a route to higher incomes or better standards of living for the middle class,” Summers said. Manufacturing on the riseBiden has made reviving American manufacturing a central part of his economic agenda. The White House has hailed a surge in private investment in American manufacturing under Biden’s watch.

Persons: Larry Summers, Obama, Joe Biden’s, “, ” Summers, Summers, Biden, ” Biden, Morgan Stanley, ”, General Merrick Garland Organizations: New York CNN, Clinton, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Harvard, Harvard University, Treasury, ”, Justice Department Locations: America, Philadelphia, ”

☆ Jeffrey Epstein withdrew up to $80,000 in cash 'several times a month' while he paid girls for 'massages,' court filings say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

At the time, there were reports that he paid cash to girls for "massages" — a code word for sex. When asked about the large withdrawals, Epstein said he needed to pay for jet fuel. JPMorgan's private bank has a policy to "discourage" large cash deposits and spending. Bankers, according to an excerpt of the guidelines filed in court Tuesday morning, are responsible for getting clients to explain their large cash withdrawals. "Issue is he really never stopped the large cash withdrawals," a compliance officer wrote then.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Morgan, Jeffrey Epstein's, James, Emily Michot, Ghislaine Maxwell, sexualized massages, Glenn Dubin, Sergey Brin, Bill Gates, Leon Black, Larry Summers, Prince Andrew, Ehud Barak, Thomas Pritzker, Benjamin Netanyahu, JPMorgan, Alexander Acosta, Mr, John Duffy, Mary Erdoes, Erdoes, Duffy Organizations: JPMorgan, Morning, JPMorgan Chase, Private Bank, Banker, Islands, US Virgin Islands, U.S ., Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Getty, Virgin Islands, police, US, Office, Southern, of Locations: Little St, U.S, U.S . Virgin Islands, Palm Beach, Sultan, Dubai, Prince, Florida, of New York

☆ Washington is fueling a 'war on business' as it cracks down on mergers and acquisitions, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US government is waging a "war on business" with its new rules on mergers and acquisitions, Larry Summers said. The 13 new guidelines are a "substantial risk" and problematic, the former Treasury Secretary said. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission unveiled 13 fresh guidelines on mergers and acquisitions in a bid to block cases of monopoly power and promote competitive markets. "Right now, where I think where you're moving away from low consumer prices as a standard, you're mostly moving into problematic territory," Summers said.

Persons: Larry Summers, Biden, Summers, Jonathan Kanter, There's Organizations: The Justice Department, FTC, Service, Bloomberg, Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Antitrust, Activision Blizzard Locations: Wall, Silicon, Harvard

☆ Larry Summers warns US deficits have never looked as ominous as they do now and are on a 'completely unsustainable path'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said US deficits are on an unsustainable trajectory. Deficits are stoking inflation and forcing the Fed to raise rates more than it would otherwise, he told the Atlantic. "I don't think there's ever been a moment when the trajectory looks nearly as ominous as it does now." During the Great Financial Crisis, he was among the top voices in the Obama administration to support federal deficit spending to jump start the economy and avoid long-term stagnation. For Summers, there's no reason the government should continue to run massive deficits, noting that the economy is growing at a healthy pace.

Persons: Larry Summers, Summers, Obama, Trump, there's Organizations: Fed, Service, Republican, Social Security, Medicare, Federal Reserve Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Russia economy: Former CIA chief David Petraeus says US needs to 'tighten the screws'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

‘An economy that is hemorrhaging’Western sanctions have not delivered a deathblow to the Russian economy. Some, including economist Larry Summers, argue that economic penalties on Russia haven’t bitten as hard as anticipated because not enough countries have imposed sanctions. Others, like Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, say sanctions are “working tremendously” well against Russia. Petraeus praised the Treasury Department’s “very impressive” sanctions campaign, led by Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. But the former CIA chief noted the complexity involved in modern sanctions, where target countries often find ways to evade restrictions.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, David Petraeus, “ Putin, ” Petraeus, month’s Wagner, Petraeus, Putin, ”, “ They’ve, Larry Summers, Russia haven’t, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, Wally Adeyemo, “, Biden, Washington hasn’t, ’, you’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, KKR Global Institute, Reuters, US Central Command, CIA, Yale, KKR Locations: New York, Washington, Moscow, Russian, Europe, Russia, “ Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ JPMorgan Chase's drawn-out breakup with Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Kaja Whitehouse | Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Several months later, in October 2006, JPMorgan categorized Epstein as a "high-risk" client, according to a transcript of Dimon's deposition in May. Today, banks have entire departments dedicated to tracking client activity and flagging suspicious behavior. Lots of questions'The fuss JPMorgan compliance officers raised about Epstein in 2011 was extensive. A 'faithless servant'One person who might know much more about the tangled relationship between Epstein and JPMorgan is Jes Staley. Staley sent Epstein internal JPMorgan documents and relied on him for guidance on an array of business and personal dealings, the JPMorgan internal report shows.

Persons: —, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers —, Jamie Dimon, Jeffrey Epstein, Leon Black, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Epstein, Jes Staley, Staley, Jeffrey Epstein's, Michelle Licata, Courtney Wild, Stephanie Keith, Jane Doe, JP Morgan —, Epstein —, jes staley, Patricia Wexler, Wexler, Dimon, Barry Krischer, JPMorgan, Ghislaine Maxwell, Rod Stewart, Cipriani, Joe Schildhorn, Patrick McMullan, Frank Haberstroh, Haberstroh, Les Wexner, Wexner, Tom Williams, JP Morgan, Little, Little Saint James, Epstein's, Jim Spellman, Staley didn't, Morgan, James, Emily Michot, Bill Gates, Larry Summers, Woody Allen, Stephen Cutler, Cutler, Mary Erdoes, Erdoes, Youngbee Dale, Dale, JPMorgan Chase, Michael M, NYDFS, Bernie Madoff, Cecile de Jongh, Joe Shmoe, Jacob Shamsian Organizations: JPMorgan, Highbridge Capital Management, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, titans, Apollo, US, US Virgin Islands, Bloomberg TV, Financial, US Department of, Treasury, Getty, BSA, Polaris Market Research, United Nations University Centre, M2C Model, Palm, JPMorgan Chase, Washington D.C, Inc, Apollo Global Management, The New York Times, Little Saint, Virgin, U.S ., Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Microsoft, Columbia University, Mountain Capital, DOJ, New, Deutsche Bank, New York Department of Financial Services, Virgin Islands, Barclays, Authority, Wall Street Journal Locations: York, Manhattan, New York, US Virgin, dimon, Palm Beach , Florida, New York City, UN, Paris, Washington, Prague, thomas, Wexner, Little Saint, I'm, Little St, U.S, U.S . Virgin Islands, Staley, Dimon's, Virgin, British

☆ 'Lots of smoke. Lots of questions': Internal emails show JPMorgan Chase execs worried about the bank's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. So why did it take so long to cut him loose?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Kaja Whitehouse | Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

That, of course, is the billion-dollar question: What did JPMorgan, America's largest bank, know about Epstein's alleged sex trafficking? Today, banks have entire departments dedicated to tracking client activity and flagging suspicious behavior. Lots of questions'The fuss JPMorgan compliance officers raised about Epstein in 2011 was extensive. Lots of questions," declared a senior JPMorgan compliance officer reviewing Epstein's accounts as part of that 2011 compliance review, according to court papers filed by the US Virgin Islands. Staley sent Epstein internal JPMorgan documents and relied on him for guidance on an array of business and personal dealings, the JPMorgan internal report shows.

☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential run gets support from Wall Street veteran Omeed Malik
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist who's now running for president, has another wealthy backer in his corner: veteran Wall Street executive Omeed Malik. Representatives for Kennedy, Clinton, Pompeo, Summers and Lasry did not return requests for comment about the dinner. Kennedy is the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential run in 1968, and the nephew of late President John F. Kennedy, who was shot dead in 1963. Billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk hosted Kennedy in a recent Twitter Spaces. He later hosted a glitchy Twitter Spaces for the Florida Republican when he announced his run for president.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, who's, Omeed Malik, Malik, Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Gary Cohn, Mike Pompeo, Boris Johnson, Larry Summers, Marc Lasry, Cohn, Clinton, Pompeo, Summers, Lasry, Johnson, Joe Biden's, Biden, Donald Trump, John F, David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, Sacks, Elon Musk, Musk, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Wall, Bellagio, Business, UK, Democratic, Financial, Quinnipiac, Kennedy, Venture, Republicans, Billionaire Twitter, Florida Gov, Florida Republican Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Housing market inventory keeps declining and that's bad news for homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We're revisiting housing inventory today because it's one of the key sticking points that's keeping home prices elevated and buyers wary. Get this: The housing market today has 39% fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic. Mortgage rates are currently about double what they were in 2021, when ultra-low rates fueled a home-buying boom. That could help influence mortgage rates to go even higher this year. People who are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for mortgage rates to decline, should know that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future."

Persons: I'm Phil Rosen, Jerome Powell, Joe Raedle, There's, Powell, Redfin's Chen Zhao, Edward Seiler, Tweet, JIM WATSON, Morgan Stanley, Steve Eisman, Larry Summers, Richard Branson's, Phil Rosen, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, US, Getty, Fed, FedEx, Nvidia, Bloomberg, Treasury, Virgin Galactic Locations: homebuilding, New York, London

☆ The Fed just held interest rates and signaled future hikes at the same time – a move that baffled many. Here's how Larry Summers, Mohamed El-Erian, and others have reacted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Fed pressed pause on its interest-rate increases this month after boosting borrowing costs 10 times since early 2022. The move spurred a wave of commentary given the central bank at once held rates and signaled more hikes. "It seems like the unanimity of opinion that we need more rate hikes has been clear, but the path of rate hikes is all over the place," he added. "It was what I would call, an awkward but hawkish pause," he added. Peter Schiff, chief global strategist at Euro Pacific Capital"Don't believe the hype on the Fed's hawkish pause on rates.

Persons: Larry Summers, Mohamed El, David Rosenberg, Jeff Gundlach, —, Jerome Powell, Summers, Erian, Tom, Dick, Harry, " Rosenberg, Gundlach, Steve Forbes, Forbes, Don't, Richard Clarida, they've, they're, Clarida, Whitney Watson, Watson, Peter Schiff, Schiff Organizations: Fed, Service, Federal Reserve, Bloomberg, Erian, Allianz, CNBC, Federal, Global, Goldman Sachs, Euro

☆ Ex-Treasury chief Larry Summers finds the Fed's latest move 'confusing' and 'disturbing' - says the decision likely reflects the central bank's internal politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Fed's move this week appears inconsistent, and may have been influenced by its internal politics, Larry Summers said. The Ex-Treasury chief told Bloomberg that he found the central bank's late policy announcement confusing. The Fed left rates unchanged this week, but signaled it may raise them twice more before year-end. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. The US central bank decided to keep rates steady on Wednesday, taking a breather after 10 consecutive hikes over the past 15 months.

Persons: Larry Summers, —, Summers Organizations: Treasury, Bloomberg, Fed, Service

☆ Everyone is getting less productive, and that's a big problem for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Even though the economy feels largely fine right now, such a decline has been a leading indicator of past recessions. Labor productivity has fallen for five straight quarters on a year-over-year basis, the longest such streak on record. Productivity is important to the economy because it's the primary input for a population's standard of living. As Insider reported in March, major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger are locked in a labor-hoarding war over hourly employees that's pushed pay higher. In the meantime, the decline in productivity is setting off alarm bells for the economy.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, they're, Larry Summers, Summers, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Benioff, OpenAI's, there's, It's, Paul Tudor Jones, Ed Yardeni, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Service, Airlines, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor, Washington Post, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Stanford, MIT, Fortune, Brookings Institute

☆ The Fed may have succeeded in beating inflation without tanking the economy, Nobel economist Paul Krugman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Fed may have won its war against inflation without tanking the economy, Paul Krugman said. Krugman pointed to falling US unit labor costs and expectations of future inflation as evidence. The Nobel-Prize winning economist suggested the Fed should therefore stop hiking interest rates. Krugman was referring to chatter about rapidly rising unit labor costs as a "reason for pessimism about inflation." He also pointed to falling inflation expectations as a sign of "immaculate disinflation" in the US economy – when inflation cools without triggering a rise in unemployment.

Persons: Paul Krugman, Krugman, —, April's, Larry Summers Organizations: Service, Atlanta Fed

☆ We just got 2 alarming signals that an economic slowdown is upon us
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dollar General cut its profit estimate for 2023 on Thursday. The first of two jarring pieces of evidence comes in the form of first-quarter earnings from Dollar General. The fact that they're not immune to a broader pullback in consumer spending is a big red flag for the US economy. Speaking of which, a bit further up the affluence scale, Macy's turned in an earnings stinker of its own. The department-store giant offered disappointing second-quarter projections and — like Dollar General — slashed full-year projections.

Persons: It's, Macy's, —, Jeffery Owen, Kelly Dilts, it's, Jeff Gennette, Paul Tudor Jones, Larry Summers —, Target Organizations: Service, Dollar, Federal Reserve, Walmart, Target Locations: Wall, American

☆ Jeffrey Epstein was invited to editorial meetings with Scientific American's top editor, email records show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jeffrey Epstein was invited to editorial meetings with Scientific American's editor-in-chief. Jeffrey Epstein was invited to editorial meetings with Mariette DiChristina when she was the top editor of Scientific American magazine, according to scheduling emails obtained by Insider. Epstein had the opportunity to attend editorial meetings on September 22 and 29. "10:30-11:30am Mariette DiChristina to hold her Editorial Meeting to discuss story ideas (DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND? She will be at this meeting)," Groff wrote in one such email.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Mariette DiChristina, Epstein, Lesley Groff, Groff, didn't, Stephen Kosslyn, Larry Summers, Denzel Washington, Little Saint James, Eva Andersson, Dubin, JP Morgan Chase, Ghislaine Maxwell, Maxwell, DiChristina Organizations: Morning, Scientific, College of Communication, Boston University, Harvard University, Islands, Dubin, Tisch Cancer Institute, Virgin Islands, New York Times, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: New York, Paris, Little Saint, Midtown Manhattan, Virgin, Manhattan

At the same time, he said the job market is showing an "unprecedented" break from past behavior with a steady drop in job openings without any rise in the unemployment rate. The big unknown is whether that continued job market health is consistent with inflation falling steadily from its current levels above 4% back to the Fed's 2% target. That could allow the job market to cool without as much of a rise in unemployment as might otherwise be the case. Economists and policymakers at this week's conference pointed to other factors adding to the case for a soft landing. But at this point the "uncertainty" about what's at work in the economy could, some officials feel, mask developments that are working in their favor.

☆ Will The U.S. Economy Pull Off a 'Soft Landing'? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

Will The U.S. Economy Pull Off a ‘Soft Landing’? The soft, the hard and the grayThere isn’t any standard definition of an economic soft landing. But what’s an acceptable inflation rate? On the other side, policymakers used to believe that an unemployment rate below 4 percent was basically unattainable without runaway inflation. Unless we have a really, really hard landing, the overall story of the postpandemic economy will be one of remarkable resilience.

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