Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojktVital Statistics:
Stocks are higher this morning after good numbers out of Apple. Bonds and MBS are down small.
Personal Incomes rose 0.4% in December, in line with expectations. Personal Spending rose 0.7%, which was higher than expectations. Higher spending was driven by energy, transportation and shelter.
The all-important PCE Price Index rose 0.3% MOM and 2.6% YOY. The core rate rose 0.2% MOM and 2.8% YOY. All of the inflation numbers were in line with expectations.
The gradual increase we saw in core PCE last fall seems to be over. Meanwhile, the headline rate has been rising due to higher energy costs.
The bond market took the number in stride, with little movement in the aftermath.
Pending Home Sales fell 5.5% in December, according to NAR. “After four straight months of gains in contract signings, one step back is not welcome news, but it is not entirely surprising,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Economic data never moves in a straight line. High mortgage rates have not significantly dented housing demand due to greater numbers of cash transactions.”
“Contract activity fell more sharply in the high-priced regions of the Northeast and West, where elevated mortgage rates have appreciably cut affordability,” said Yun. “Job gains tend to have greater impact in more affordable regions. It is unclear if heavier-than-usual winter precipitation impacted the timing of purchases.”
Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said that progress on inflation was “noticeably” slower than 2023 which warranted a more cautious approach to interest rates. The increase in long-term rates since the Fed started cutting was a “reflection of investors’ concerns about the possibility of tighter-than-expected policy that may be required to address inflationary pressures.”
Filed under: Economy |
All Things in Moderation 
I find this absolutely fascinating.
I would love to hear J and NoVa’s thoughts on why.
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Further evidence,
https://x.com/mark_r_mitchell/status/1885347445250347229?s=46&t=vSGsUlnc4rLxcUf7zfUiHg
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Well, this is wild.
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Sounds like find me the man and I’ll find you the crime. All of that information isn’t all that actionable. Not without risk.
I remember reading espionage case studies when i was in the navy. The sad thing was that the amount of money was really small. John Walker died in prison and sent his son for 25 year for something like 250k.
In the late 80s, the John Walker was considered the reason why we lost Vietnam. The Soviets read our mail for years.
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I don’t think any government is capable of holding onto any secrets. Information has to be used to be of any use and once it’s been used it’s exposed.
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He was xerox-ing punch cards .
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That is interesting and funny!
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I cannot imagine the trauma.
I bet while she did this she became transparent.
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Donald Trump has to be the only Republican I have ever seen that doesn’t cede control of language to the left.
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It is so ingrained and yet he makes it look easy. To my knowledge, no other currently elected Republican is doing so, not Cruz, Vance or Hawley. It seems to me that being clear and fearless with language provides a leg-up in Republican electoral prospects and yet no one else is doing it.
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it’s impossible to read this and not think that the critics are involved in a suicide pact.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-02-01/newsom-storms-water-order
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What is wrong with people in California? Seriously?
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So, assessment on the tariffs? I read a piece that said that Trump isn’t doing it as a negotiating tactic. He believes that he can generate real revenue through them to substantially reduce the deficit.
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The mexican peso has depreciated 25% vs the US dollar over the past 9 months. So a 20% tariff will make Mexican goods as expensive as they were in spring of 24.
The loony has depreciated something a lot over the past few years.
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Good piece on the migration of dissent to the Republicans.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-bad-news-for-democrats-on-rfk-jr-and-tulsi-gabbard.html
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It takes a heart of stone not to laugh.
https://redstate.com/bonchie/2025/02/03/usaid-flacks-have-been-given-their-talking-points-including-a-fox-news-reporter-n2185132
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USAID is about exporting the Great Awokening to the rest of the world via bribery.
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Seems like it failed then. But of course the real goal was enrichment of left wingers. In that it was a smashing success.
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I’m laughing at the panic here as the Chinese hacked this and acquired all this information last year.
I don’t recall the equivalent breathlessness and panic over that.
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As far as the bureaucracy is concerned, the Chinese aren’t the enemy. Trump is.
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“The Democrats Show Why They Lost
At a meeting of the DNC, the party seemed to be at pains to demonstrate that it learned nothing from its 2024 defeat.
By Jonathan Chait“
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/02/dnc-meeting/681548/
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So is the tariff freakout officially over now?
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Nah, just delayed until the next threat to levy tariffs.
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An astounding tweet in an Amazing thread.
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And the master plan comes into focus:
https://x.com/mtaibbi/status/1886535116836774071
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Ultimately, that is all the power that DOGE has, exposing the corruption.
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https://x.com/mtaibbi/status/1886617680523735198
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https://ombreolivier.substack.com/p/doge-follows-the-money
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Fucking hell. DC is full of corrupt lying assholes.
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I’m tapping out, there’s too much winning.
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For you George:
“Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data
Closing the agency would require congressional approval, so the new administration hopes to diminish it in the meantime.
February 3, 2025 at 4:55 p.m. EST”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/02/03/trump-education-department-dismantling-executive-order-draft/
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Fingers crossed. If Trump pulls that off he’ll have done something even Reagan could not.
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And next up:
“Trump signs order establishing a sovereign wealth fund that he says could buy TikTok
Published Mon, Feb 3 2025 2:50 PM EST”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/trump-signs-order-to-establish-a-sovereign-wealth-fund-that-he-says-could-buy-tiktok.html
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I thought the Fed was our sovereign wealth fund.
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If the DOGE cuts hold, does the Libertarian party acknowledge this?
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No.
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Ken Klippenstein is going to give Taibbi a run for his money in the snark department:
“Bureaucracy First
Democratic politicians’ protest yesterday was laughably out of touch
Ken Klippenstein
Feb 04, 2025
Congressional Democrats on Monday held their first major protest since Donald Trump’s inauguration, gathering in front of USAID’s sleek Washington headquarters. Feeling like Occupy Wall Street reimagined by McKinsey consultants, the cream of the Democratic Party chose to make their stand on behalf of a government bureaucracy dedicated to foreign aid and nation building — the very antithesis of “America First.””
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Good piece:
https://www.natesilver.net/p/the-game-theory-of-trumps-tariff
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I hear Gary, Indiana and Fairbanks Alaska need agents.
https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1886865234704654724
Very smart use of resources. 40% of the FBI for J6.
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And the rest went to pro-life activists.
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Well I hear a woman was shot for acting about as bad as as some ladies who are shorter a McNugget at McDonald’s sometimes behave. Maybe they were looking into that.
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A bit flabbergasting here.
https://redstate.com/bonchie/2025/02/05/new-massive-media-scandal-as-usaid-funding-for-politico-revealed-and-it-gets-worse-from-there-n2185236
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It’s actually false:
https://www.leefang.com/p/usaid-funded-journalism-needs-scrutiny
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I’m not sure that is the debunking the author thinks it is.
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Somehow I think Trump and Musk would welcome the debt ceiling not being raised as it gives them the perfect rationale to withhold funding.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/democrats-shut-down-government-trump-musk.html
https://www.vox.com/politics/398126/musk-trump-illegal-spending-freeze-debt-limit-constitutional-crisis
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The panic in the headlines at Politico is hilarious.
https://www.politico.com/
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The left is in full freak-out mode.
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Well, the left that is headquartered in DC. I urge them to die on the USAID hill. Also, please defend the IRS.
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Right now the seem ready to die on the USAID hill. I feel the average independents fairly disgusted and the average Democrat doesn’t care that much about USAID. I really think Trump’s
election this time may have completely destroyed their ability to read the room.
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And it’s so obvious, it’s like being with a friend who is acting who is super high and talking like a freak to your parents and you really want them to chill out and calm down but they just keep getting worse. And you know they think they think they are doing it right and you want to drop hints that they are totally fucking up but they just aren’t getting it.
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Lol
We all know Jordan will become Palestine, it’s now just letting the Hashemites down easy.
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