Vital Statistics:

Stocks are higher after the Fed paused at the November meeting. Bonds and MBS are up big. Sovereign yields are down across the board, with big declines in Gilts after the Bank of England maintained rates at current levels. We also are seeing a double-digit drop in Bund yields.
As expected, the Fed maintained the Fed Funds rate at current levels. The statement itself was virtually identical to the September statement. The markets seem to be seizing on this statement from Powell that the Fed is done: “The question we’re asking is: Should we hike more?” Powell told reporters yesterday after the Fed held off on raising interest rates for a second consecutive policy meeting. “Slowing down is giving us, I think, a better sense of how much more we need to do, if we need to do more.”
The December Fed Funds futures now predict only a 15% chance of another 25 basis point hike, a sizeable difference from a month ago, when it was closer to 40%.

Great interview with Chris Whalen on why the Fed has to stop and the problems in the commercial real estate market. His point is that valuations in the commercial real estate market are falling and that is a big problem in a rising interest rate environment.
Productivity rose 4.7% in Q3, which is good news for the Fed as it allows output to increase without pushing up inflation. Unit labor costs fell 0.8%. Manufacturing productivity fell, while services productivity increased by a lot.
Companies announced 36,836 job cuts in October, a 22% decrease from February and a 9% increase from last year. Technology continues to be the leading sector, with financial in the #2 slot. AI is a driver of a lot of these changes. Hiring plans are down 46%. Seasonal hiring plans are the lowest in 10 years.
Filed under: Economy |
Good piece by Taibbi:
https://www.racket.news/p/dao-prize-acceptance-speech
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One can only hope that the Republicans manage to defund the IRS as part of their payfor for the foreign aid bill.
https://www.racket.news/p/a-house-investigation-reveals-disturbing
https://www.racket.news/p/thanks-to-a-politician-who-did-his
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Assuming Republicans can get it passed in the Senate, let him.
https://x.com/warmachinerr/status/1720141077070373180?s=46&t=vSGsUlnc4rLxcUf7zfUiHg
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McWing:
Assuming Republicans can get it passed in the Senate, let him.
I completely agree.
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I don’t think these kinds of warnings are resonating as much as they used to given the level of attack Israel received. With all the pro hamas marches in the US and the world, there has got to be a cementing of the notion that they (the Israeli’s) have no friends.
https://lite.cnn.com/2023/11/02/politics/biden-administration-warning-israel-gaza-civilians/index.html
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The democrats have to be looking at all the big money people cutting off donations to Harvard and Penn and shitting their pants right now.
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Man, women suck at everything.
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/11/03/glamour-names-transgender-model-as-2023-woman-of-the-year/
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Please do this!
https://x.com/equalityalec/status/1720788234060562820?s=46&t=vSGsUlnc4rLxcUf7zfUiHg
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You voted for this….
https://nypost.com/2023/11/04/lifestyle/target-fans-slam-embattled-chain-for-locking-up-essential-items/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=nypost
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Close. The. Store.
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Lol
https://x.com/jonkay/status/1720769939496173880?s=46&t=vSGsUlnc4rLxcUf7zfUiHg
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“We cannot win as a country without integrity in the White House,” Hutchinson continued. “And while some will ignore that destructive behavior of the former president, I assure you we ignore it at our own peril. The next generation will not look favorably back on this time.”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christie-jeered-tells-trump-supporters-fear-the-truth-florida-republican-gathering
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lms:
“We cannot win as a country without integrity in the White House,” Hutchinson continued.
If I am not mistaken, you voted for the corrupt politician currently residing in the White House. Have you no self awareness, lms, deigning to lecture us about “integrity in the White House”?
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Arguably we had integrity in the White House and that was Bush. Integrity only counts for so much. And when does the “next generation” look back with a lot of positivity on the previous generation?
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The Left has considered every R president to be “Literally. Hitler.” since Eisenhower. And once they are out of office, their image gets rehabilitated in order to cudgel the current R candidate.
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IMO Biden is Jimmah. Similar to 1979, the left has managed to alienate damn near everybody, and people in general are sick of them. The left’s response to Israel / Hamas reminds me of Carter boycotting the Olympics.
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Scott
If I am not mistaken, you voted for the corrupt politician currently residing in the White House. Have you no self awareness, lms, deigning to lecture us about “integrity in the White House”
All I did was link a piece from a Republican advocating for integrity and honesty (wasn’t lecturing anyone…. although it is interesting that many of the folks criticizing another Trump presidency are conservatives). The only reason I voted for Biden was because the choice was either him or Trump. The idea that we may have a re-match in 2024 unnerves me.
Does anyone actually have proof of Biden’s so-called corruption? Most politicians are corrupt IMO but I’m wondering exactly what the proof is? We know Trump is both corrupt and unfit for office though.
Have I won our bet yet or are we waiting until the end of Biden’s first term?
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What lol would you accept as proof?
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McWing
What lol would you accept as proof?
Why is there a lol in there? I’ve been waiting for proof but so far haven’t seen anything except that Hunter is a grifter……………..much like Trump.
Look, I’m not a huge Biden fan but if I have to choose again between him and Trump I’m going for Biden. I’ve been voting my entire life for the lesser of two evils or the third party candidate and will do it again. I was 58 before I actually voted for a Democrat!
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Lol shouldn’t have been in there, it autocorrected something, just not sure what.
In your opinion, what would be evidence of corruption?
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lms:
All I did was link a piece from a Republican advocating for integrity and honesty
And it had nothing to do with your own thinking. Sure.
Does anyone actually have proof of Biden’s so-called corruption?
There is far more evidence that Biden is corrupt than there is that Trump is corrupt.
Have I won our bet yet or are we waiting until the end of Biden’s first term?
The end date is Election Day 2024.
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“Does anyone actually have proof of Biden’s so-called corruption?”
Also, from a while back:
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We need cancelled checks with “Bribe to Joe Biden for x Favor” on the memo line or it didn’t happen.
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McWing:
We need cancelled checks with “Bribe to Joe Biden for x Favor” on the memo line or it didn’t happen.
I doubt even that would do it. Note that lms didn’t ask for evidence. She asked for “proof”. Anything that could conceivably – not plausibly, but conceivably – be denied will be rejected. Trump revilers have too much invested in believing that Trump is the Worst Thing Possible to ever allow that his opposition, the person they chose over him, could be as bad, if not worse.
If Biden is guilty of all the things they imagined were true of Trump, what does that say about their own powers of observation and judgment? It’s just too much for them to ever acknowledge.
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Even if they did believe they’d still think Trump is worse so therefore it’s excusable.
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It is amusing to watch people who fully embraced (still embrace!) every unsubstantiated allegation and “leak” about Trump during the Russia Collusion Hoax now reach for all manner of excuses to dismiss the growing mounds of evidence of Biden’s corruption.
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Yeah, agreed, Obama was a disaster.
Ditto Bush, I’m chagrined to say.
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NYT starts to panic.
This:
“A majority of voters say Mr. Trump’s policies helped them personally. Roughly the same proportion of voters say they’ve been hurt by Mr. Biden’s policies.”
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The elephant in the room is that nobody on the right pr even center trusts the institutions, particularly liberal prosecutors and the media. GG nailed it.
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Interesting that they say “Trump policies” and not Republican policies.
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Worth noting. Another justification for Bitcoin.
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If it isn’t transparently obvious the left intends to implement a Chinese-style system of social credit by now, I don’t know what will convince people. A store of value that is independent of the government and the financial system in general is a need.
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Agreed and I don’t think enough elected r’s are interested in stopping it.
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Part of me says that for every dollar spent for combat, a dollar, or 2 dollars should be set aside for lifetime medical treatment for veterans that served in the combat. Unfortunately, we all know the money would be wasted do to government corruption and incompetence.
https://news.yahoo.com/secret-war-strange-wounds-silence-160656913.html
One thought is a “real” trust fund where the vets could use it as their needs arrive in private practice, or the VA – the vets choice.
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All the King’s Horses and All the King’s Men…
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Uhhh… it’s a take.
https://x.com/rncresearch/status/1721259963333362128?s=46&t=vSGsUlnc4rLxcUf7zfUiHg
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This is the Desantis and Haley argument and strategy as well; what is the evidence for it?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-indictments-haven-t-sunk-132119242.html
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Headline from the Washington Post today:
“Trump testifies, is repeatedly instructed to stay on topic”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/11/06/trump-testimony-ny-fraud-trial/
I imagine the judge’s voice to be like Gold Five from the original Star Wars:
“Gold Leader : It’s no good, I can’t maneuver!
Gold Five : Stay on target.
Gold Leader : We’re too close!
Gold Five : Stay on target!
Gold Leader : [shouts] Loosen up! ”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/characters/nm0039061
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRHGRWwAo6g
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Interesting piece of the role that editors play in war photography.
https://patrickwitty.substack.com/p/war-is-the-most-violent-color
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Trump cannot pay to get this kind of excellent press!
“We are not here to hear what he has to say,” Engoron responded.
Trump knows they’re going to liquidate him and is letting loose.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-fraud-trial-live-updates-rcna122520
YOLO Trump is my favorite Trump.
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Trump having the State seize his business is worth at least 5 points in the polls. Plus, untold billions leaving the state as business look at what can happen when you “cross” the Powers That Be.
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Pretty sure, the “Victim In Chief” is going to win as things stand right now a year out. Good luck to all of us! Not going to stop fighting for down ticket candidates here to put some kind of hold on his worst instincts.
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He won’t win so you don’t have to worry. Plus he’ll die in prison.
Have I been wrong yet?
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If he does win, payback will be a bitch.
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The scales fall from Bill Ackman’s eyes.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-dont-work-for-you-billiionare-hedge-fund-manager-bill-ackman-tears-into-harvards-dei-program
“I had no idea this is what DEI programs were about! I thought they were about promoting diversity!” What a fool.
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The democrats have only made perfunctory condemnations of Hamas. The big question will be whether that is enough of we will see guys like Bill Ackman stop donating to the democrats.
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They are having as big of an internal fight about it as the Republicans are over Ukraine.
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