Initial Jobless Claims Exploded To 13-Month Highs Last Week

Initial Jobless Claims Exploded To 13-Month Highs Last Week

Having exposed the total decoupling from reality in initial claims recently (near multi-decade lows despite surging job cuts, weak labor market survey indicators, and higher unemployment rates), last week saw the numbers provided by the government suddenly explode higher (by the most since July 2021) to the highest since August 2023 (258k)…

Source: Bloomberg

Continuing jobless claims also spiked from 1.816mm to 1.861mm Americans…

Source: Bloomberg

Finally, of course, Hurricane Helene has had a big impact on these numbers (with North Carolina seeing a major surge in initial claims, and storm-affected states like Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky also seeing a jump in claims), so let’s not get carried away yet that reality is leaking into these numbers.

In Michigan, layoffs were part of reduced shifts at Stellantis.

A Department of Labor comment pointed to “layoffs in the manufacturing and in management of companies and enterprises industries.”

So – to summarize – inflation printed way hotter than expected this morning and the labor market indicators crashed – good luck with that stagflationary malarkey Mr. Powell.

Of course, The Fed will likely shrug off the claims surge as ‘localized’ and ‘transitory’…

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 08:52

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/FOV5sbh Tyler Durden

Inflation Prints Hotter Than Expected After Big Fed Rate-Cut

Inflation Prints Hotter Than Expected After Big Fed Rate-Cut

For the 52nd straight month, core consumer prices rose on a MoM basis in September (+0.3% MoM – hotter than the 0.2% expected) – the strongest since March. That left Core CPI YoY up 3.3%, hotter than the 3.2% expected

Source: Bloomberg

The headline CPI also printed hotter than expected (+0.2% MoM vs +0.1% MoM exp), with the YoY CPI up 2.4% (hotter than the 2.3% expected but lowest since Feb 2021)…

Source: Bloomberg

Core Services and Food costs surged in September…

Source: Bloomberg

Overall, headline consumer prices are up over 20% (5.1% p.a.) since the Biden-Harris admin took over, which compares to around 8% (1.97% p.a) during Trump’s first term…

Source: Bloomberg

The so-called SuperCore CPI also increased on a YoY basis to +4.6%…

Source: Bloomberg

A surge in Transportation Services costs (record high auto insurance) and Medical Care Supplies lifted Super Core…

Source: Bloomberg

The silver lining is that shelter inflation continues to slow…

Source: Bloomberg

BUT… Why is the cost of auto insurance up 56% since Biden and Harris took over?

Source: Bloomberg

Real wages are down since the start of the Biden-Harris administration…

Source: Bloomberg

Finally, we note that money supply is resurgent once again, suggesting The Fed’s confidence in CPI’s decline may be misplaced…

Source: Bloomberg

Could we really replay the ’70s once again?

Source: Bloomberg

Will that really be Powell’s legacy? Or will the timing of this resurgence in inflation be perfectly timed to coincide with Trump’s election victory… and offer a perfect patsy for who is to blame?

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 08:39

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/v5LRsuJ Tyler Durden

Futures Dip Ahead Of CPI Report

Futures Dip Ahead Of CPI Report

US equity futures are lower as traders awaited the latest inflation data that will determine if the Fed opts for a slower pace of interest-rate cuts. As of 8:00am, S&P 500 futures are down 0.2% after hitting a record high on Wednesday; Nasdaq futures are down by the same amount with most Mag7 stocks flat; TSLA is leading with a +1.1% pre-market move ahead of its Robotaxi unveil event tonight. Delta Air Lines Inc. kicked off the third-quarter earnings season, with profit and sales forecasts falling short of expectations. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. are scheduled to report on Friday. Ten-year Treasury yields held above 4%, near the highest levels since end-July. Bloomberg’s dollar index was steady after an eight-day streak of gains, its longest since April 2022. Commodities are mixed with Oil higher, Base Metals lower, and Precious Metals higher. Today, key macro focus will be CPI, along with AMD (Advancing AI) and TSLA (Robotaxi) events.

In premarket trading, Delta Air Lines fell 5% after management forecast profit and sales that are short of Wall Street’s estimates for the final months of the year, suggesting a slow recovery from a challenging summer travel season. US insurance stocks rallied in premarket trading after Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 3 storm, and supply-chain services provider GXO Logistics rose on the news of a potential sale. Here are some other premarket movers:

  • 10X Genomics (TXG) plunges 26% after the company posted preliminary 3Q revenue that fell short of its expectations, citing hesitant capital spending by customers.
  • Domino’s Pizza Inc. (DPZ) slips about 1% after the company trimmed its 2024 projection for sales growth and new locations as slower consumer spending hits the restaurant industry.
  • GXO Logistics (GXO) rises 12% as Bloomberg reports the supply-chain services provider is exploring a sale, citing a person familiar with the matter.
  • Pfizer (PFE) falls 1% after its former executives Ian Read and Frank D’Amelio decided “not to be involved” in Starboard Value’s activist campaign against the drug company.

US CPI data is expected to show inflation moderating further in September, supporting the view that the Fed will continue easing policy in the coming months. However, as noted in our preview, the surprisingly strong jobs print for last month has forced traders to dial back rate-cut bets, with many expecting a 25-basis-points reduction in November.  Meanwhile, CPI “whisper numbers” are higher than consensus and Goldman traders warn that a hotter than expected number would slam stocks (full preview here).

A strong inflation reading could change the reaction function from the Fed, Bénédicte Lowe, a strategist at BNP Paribas Markets 360, said on Bloomberg TV. “Given that equities are near all-time high in the US, close to multi-year highs in Europe, the risks are more skewed to the downside if we get a pick-up in inflation from here,” Lowe said.

Elsewhere, investors will want to see if profits are robust enough to sustain this year’s roughly 20% rally in the S&P 500. Companies in the index are expected to report a 4.7% increase in quarterly earnings from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence, down from the 7.9% growth projected on July 12. Invesco Global Market Strategist Brian Levitt expects companies to surpass the pared-back expectations, keeping the rally going.

“It is a good nominal growth backdrop, investors are sitting there, looking at equity markets saying: all-time highs on the equity market, can I invest?” Levitt told Bloomberg TV. “Peak inflation, peak tightening, peak rates should be good for equities.”

European stocks edged lower ahead of the CPI report; the Stoxx Europe 600 Index was down 0.1% by 11:47 a.m. in London. Technology and mining stocks lagged, while insurers outperformed as analysts said costs related to Hurricane Milton may be less than initially feared. Spanish stocks were also underperformers as utilities firms weighed. The benchmark gave up early gains as investors weighed multiple risks, including the war in Ukraine, escalating tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over further Chinese stimulus. Investors are also bracing themselves for the third-quarter earnings season. In individual movers, GSK Plc was among the biggest gainers after it said it will pay as much as $2.2 billion to resolve US court cases related to it Zantac medication. Shares in Italy’s BPER Banca SpA jumped after the lender gave new targets for earnings and dividends. Chip stocks including Soitec and BE Semiconductor Industries NV fell after analysts cut price targets ahead of the earnings season.

Earlier in the session, Asian equities rose, helped by a rebound in Chinese shares amid hopes that the country’s finance ministry will announce fresh stimulus during a briefing Saturday. The MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index jumped as much as 1.1%, snapping a two-day decline, as Chinese tech names including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Meituan advanced. An index of Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong climbed 3.4% and the onshore CSI 300 Index rose 1.1% in volatile trading. Shares in Japan, South Korea and Australia posted modest gains.

Two key events loom large for investors in the near term. China’s finance ministry briefing this weekend is a key focus, but traders are also awaiting US inflation data due Thursday, which may provide hints on the pace of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate cuts in the coming months. “It does appear to be a cautious lift filtering through from Wall Street for Asia but ahead of US CPI, caution may rule the roost,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank in Singapore. He said the mentality among many onshore investors regarding more fiscal stimulus in China is “I’ll believe it when I see.”

In FX, the Bloomberg dollar index traded little changed after rising for eight straight sessions through Wednesday close, its longest winning streak since April 2022. The yen reversed losses after earlier falling to its weakest since early August. USD/JPY slips 0.2% to 149.02; earlier, pair rose to 149.55, a fresh cycle high and strongest since Aug. 2. EUR/USD down 0.1% to 1.0930; GBP/USD little changed at 1.3074. Loonie leads G-10 losses against dollar; USD/CAD up 0.3% to 1.3751, the strongest since Aug. 8

In rates, Treasuries are marginally cheaper across the curve, following wider losses across core European rates. The long-end are cheaper by 1bp-2bp with 10-year around 4.09%, outperforming bunds and gilts in the sector by 1bp and 4bp; curve spreads are slightly steeper on the day, within 1bp of Wednesday’s closing levels. The week’s auctions conclude with $22 billion 30-year reopening, following average results for 3- and 10-year note sales which both tailed. The 30-year bond reopening at 1pm follows 0.4bp tail for Wednesday’s 10-year sale; WI 30-year yield near 4.36% sits ~34bp cheaper than September auction, which tailed by 1.4bp. Ahead of CPI and weekly jobless claims data, Fed swaps price in around 18bp of easing for the November meeting and a combined 42bp over the two remaining meetings this year. Gilts lead a selloff in European government bonds, with UK 10-year yields rising 4 bps to 4.22%. French bonds fall ahead of the budget announcement.

In commodities, oil prices advance after a two-day fall, with WTI climbing 1.4% to $74.30 a barrel and Brent futures strengthened above $77 a barrel, on fear that Israeli retaliation against Iran for its recent missile strikes will trigger all-out war in the Middle East. Spot gold rises $10 to around $2,618/oz.

Looking at today’s data, US economic data calendar includes September CPI and jobless claims (8:30am). Fed speakers scheduled include Cook (9:15am), Barkin (10:30am) and Williams (11am).

Market Snapshot

  • S&P 500 futures down 0.1% to 5,833.25
  • STOXX Europe 600 down 0.2% to 519.26
  • MXAP up 0.6% to 192.35
  • MXAPJ up 0.8% to 611.99
  • Nikkei up 0.3% to 39,380.89
  • Topix up 0.2% to 2,712.67
  • Hang Seng Index up 3.0% to 21,251.98
  • Shanghai Composite up 1.3% to 3,301.93
  • Sensex up 0.3% to 81,675.05
  • Australia S&P/ASX 200 up 0.4% to 8,222.98
  • Kospi up 0.2% to 2,599.16
  • German 10Y yield little changed at 2.27%
  • Euro little changed at $1.0934
  • Brent Futures up 0.8% to $77.22/bbl
  • Gold spot up 0.3% to $2,616.09
  • US Dollar Index little changed at 102.92

Top overnight news

  • Chinese equities rebound after the PBOC unveiled a liquidity swap facility aimed at bolstering the stock market and investors prepare for the Sat finance minister press briefing. FT
  • China proceeds with plans to create a CNY500B swap facility aimed at providing firms with liquidity for stock purchases (this facility is consistent w/plans outlined by the PBOC last month). WSJ
  • Four Taiwanese employees at Chinese facilities that make products for Apple have been detained by local authorities, Taiwanese officials said, the latest example of corporate detentions that have hurt business confidence. The employees worked at a complex run by Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group in Zhengzhou, China, said Taiwanese agencies responsible for managing relations with China. One of the agencies said the employees were accused of an offense akin to breach of trust, although the exact nature of the allegations couldn’t be determined. WSJ
  • Japan’s improving economic conditions and receding U.S. recession worries are likely to bring prospects of a December or January interest rate hike back into view, even as a new government complicates the politics around monetary policy. RTRS
  • Donald Trump said he’d end US income taxes on American expats. The pledge, which would require congressional approval, would reduce paperwork and, potentially, the tax bills for the roughly 9 million Americans living overseas. BBG
  • Harris sees her poll numbers slip in the critical Rust Belt states according to a new Quinnipiac poll (Harris is up 3 points in PA, but down 3 in MI and down 2 in WI). Quinnipiac
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has warned the Democratic party’s Wall Street donors of an “out and out brawl” if Lina Khan, the antitrust progressive who chairs the Federal Trade Commission, is removed from her post. FT
  • BlackRock Inc. is among firms exploring a purchase of HPS Investment Partners, according to people with knowledge of the matter, in a deal that would push the world’s biggest asset manager into the top ranks of the private-credit market. BBG
  • In Manhattan, the median rent on new leases fell 3.4% from a year earlier to $4,200, brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate and appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. reported Thursday. Prices also slipped in Brooklyn and Queens. Rents in Manhattan have declined gradually in four of the past five months. But the median is still just $200 shy of the record high, reached in summer of 2023, and is 20% more than in September 2019, before the pandemic. BBG
  • Fed’s Daly (voter) said she fully supported a half-point rate cut and is quite confident they are on the path to 2% inflation, while she added that they are at full employment and will watch the data, as well as monitor the labour market and inflation. Furthermore, Daly said the size of the September rate cut does not say anything about the pace or size of the next cuts and noted that one or two more cuts this year are likely.

A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk

APAC stocks were higher following the record closes on Wall Street despite light macro catalysts as the latest Fed rhetoric and FOMC Minutes did little to spur a reaction, while the attention now shifts to looming US CPI data. ASX 200 mildly gained amid strength in real estate and the mining-related industries with the latter helped by M&A news after Rio Tinto announced a definitive agreement to acquire Arcadium Lithium. Nikkei 225 was underpinned at the open but with gains capped amid quiet newsflow and firmer-than-expected PPI data. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp rallied with significant outperformance in the Hong Kong benchmark after returning to above the 21,000 level, while the mainland conformed to the broad upbeat mood which also followed the PBoC’s announcement to establish a securities and funds swap facility of CNY 500bln to enhance the internal stability of the capital market.

Top Asian news

  • PBoC announced to establish a securities and funds swap facility of CNY 500bln to enhance the internal stability of the capital market, while it started accepting applications from securities firms, funds and insurers to join the swap scheme.
  • Fast Retailing (9983 JT) FY (JPY) Op Profit 500.9bln (exp. 478.26bln), Pretax Profit 557.2bln (exp. 546.65bln); sees FY op. income 520bln.
  • BoJ Deputy Governor Himino says “We are witnessing record high corporate profits and record high wage increase in Japan”; If the outlook for economic activity and prices presented in July report is achieved, BoJ will accordingly raise interest rates. The policy board is going to look at the totality of the data as it makes decisions meeting by meeting. “We have many real interest rates and they vary significantly but all of them are negative”. Later in the year, “we will have more data on the pass through of wage hikes on prices, and next year’s wage negotiations”. “We will also now more about pass through of YEN – Dollar rate on inflation via import prices”. Course is not pre-set. BoJ will consider adjusting degree of monetary conditions if the board has greater confidence in the outlook. “The data to focus on shifts as it comes in, today US employment and consumption and Chinese consumption may deserve more attention than before”. “We monitor data to detect developments that are not already covered in our risk scenarios, looking at data outside of the priority is equally important”. There is no clear consensus among the board members about future approaches on better communication.
  • Japan’s Former FX Diplomat Kanda says heightened FX volatility has a largely adverse impact on Japan
  • China’s State Planner publishes draft guidelines on private economy promotion law. Will be improving investment and the financing environment while reducing transaction costs.
  • China prelim auto sales September, PCA: +2% Y/Y, +8% M/M. NEV: +51% Y/Y, +9% M/M.

European bourses, Stoxx 600 (-0.2%) began the session on a modestly firmer footing, but as the morning progressed, indices generally edged lower. As it stands, indices are mostly in negative territory and to varying degrees.  European sectors hold a negative bias vs initially mixed at the cash open. Healthcare tops the pile, a beneficiary of the significant gains in GSK (+5.4%) after it settled its Zantac litigation case. Tech is found towards the foot of the pile. US Equity Futures (ES -0.2%, NQ -0.2%, RTY -0.1%) are softer across the board, in a slight paring to some of the gains seen in the prior session; traders are also very mindful of the upcoming US CPI result. AMD (+0.2%) will host its AI event and Tesla (+0.8%) is firmer ahead of its Robotaxi event. Huawei smartphone sales within China surpassed Apple’s (AAPL) in August 2024, via CINNO Research; for the first time in almost four-years. Four Taiwanese employees at a Foxconn (2354 TW) run facility in China which makes products for Apple (AAPL) have been detained by local authorities, via WSJ citing Taiwanese officials; said to have been accused of offenses similar to a breach of trust.

Top European news

  • Institute for Fiscal Studies sees risk of a large UK tax increase to ease the spending squeeze and said UK Chancellor Reeves may need to announce a GBP 25bln tax rise in her first Budget on October 30th to shore up public services, while the think-tank also noted that past governments have raised taxes sharply after elections.
  • Fortum (FORTUM FH) CEO says they have spotted drones and suspicious people around their Finnish energy assets on a monthly basis. Being targeted by cyber attacks.

FX

  • Dollar is essentially flat and trading within a very tight 102.83-96 range, with the best for today just shy of Wednesday’s peak. Today’s US CPI release will be the next inflection point for the index.
  • EUR is incrementally lower but within recent ranges; today’s low is just beneath its 100 DMA at 1.0933. Today sees the ECB Minutes release for the September meeting, but will likely have little impact on pricing given the developments of survery data and inflation metrics.
  • GBP follows peers, and trades within a very tight 1.3063-1.3089 range; the high for today is a little shy of its 50 DMA at 1.3093. UK-specifics light, but focus is on the upcoming UK Budget; think tank IFS, writes that Chancellor Reeves “must find billions more” in time for the Budget.
  • JPY is firmer vs the Dollar with USD/JPY trading within a 148.84-149.54 range. The pair saw some downside after BoJ’s Himino said “we are witnessing record high corporate profits and record high wage increase in Japan… if the outlook for economic activity and prices presented in July report is achieved, BoJ will accordingly raise interest rates”.
  • The Antipodeans started the European session on a firmer footing and remained as the marginal G10 outperformers throughout the morning; largely a factor of a slight paring of the losses seen in the prior session.

Fixed Income

  • USTs are pressured with the FOMC minutes potentially weighing alongside a mixed 10yr auction and concession into the 30yr. Thus far, USTs at a 112-01+ trough, a couple of ticks below Wednesday’s base to a fresh WTD low. US CPI is also on the docket, which is expected to cool slightly from the prior pace.
  • Bunds are in the red; the paper saw some brief two-way action on account of German Retail Sales, which was much firmer than expected. Focus for EGBs later in the day will be on the French PM and his Budget/Finance Ministers where they are set to present the budget to other cabinet members.
  • Gilts are lagging down to a 96.19 trough which marks a fresh WTD and multi-week low, next point of support potentially at 95.47 from early-July. UK-specific newsflow light ahead of the UK Budget on Oct 30th; Institute for Fiscal Studies report ahead of this cautions that an additional GBP 20bln, or more, could be required to meet the ‘no return to austerity’ pledge.

Commodities

  • A firmer session for crude benchmarks. Hurricane Milton made landfall overnight as a Category 3 storm, details on the damage to energy infrastructure light thus far. As for geopols, Guy Elster reported that the Israel security cabinet will be meeting tonight to discuss the potential attack. Brent’Dec currently trading around USD 77.50/bbl.
  • Spot gold is firmer and sitting comfortably above the USD 2600/oz mark and extending as high as USD 2617/oz, though the yellow metal has lost a little bit of its shine as the session progresses
  • Base metals performed well in APAC trade, bolstered by outperformance in China on the latest support measures. However, this narrative has faded in the European session somewhat with copper now unchanged as the European risk tone tempers.
  • Fortum (FORTUM FH) CEO says they have spotted drones and suspicious people around their Finnish energy assets on a monthly basis. Being targeted by cyber attacks.
  • UBS says “we forecast Gold to reach USD 2850/oz by mid-2025”.

Geopolitics: Middle East

  • “Israel security cabinet will meet this evening to discuss on the planned attack on Iran”, via journalist Elster
  • Israel PM Netanyahu will ask the security cabinet to give him and Defence Secretary Galant the mandate to decide on the attack on Iran, according to Israeli press. It was also previously reported that PM Netanyahu asked to understand the American position and get support, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
  • Israeli Defence Minister said the attack on Iran will be fatal, accurate and surprising, according to Al Arabiya.
  • Israeli and US officials believe that tit-for-tat exchanges of fire will continue between Iran and Israel, even after the Israeli retaliatory strike soon against Iran, according to OSINTDefender on X.
  • Israel conducted a new raid on Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut and conducted a raid on the heights of the town of Jinta near the Lebanese-Syrian border, while it was also reported that a large force of Israeli soldiers raided the town of Idna, west of Hebron, in the southern West Bank.
  • Israeli aggression was reported on Hasiya Industrial City in Syria’s Homs countryside, according to Syrian state TV.
  • US warplanes flew over areas controlled by Iranian militias in Deir Ezzor, Syria, according to Sky News Arabia. It was later reported by media loyal to the Syrian regime that there was a bombing believed to be American on the city of Albu Kamal in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, according to Al Jazeera.

Geopolitics: Other

  • Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Lytvyn has denied earlier reports in Corriere della Sera that Zelensky would be “willing to accept a ceasefire along the current line – without recognizing a new official border – in exchange for certain Western commitments”.
  • Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region killed six people and wounded 11 others on Wednesday, according to AFP News Agency.
  • Taiwan President Lai said China has no right to represent Taiwan and he will uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment, while he added that Taiwan is resolved in commitment to upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and achieving global security and prosperity. Taiwan will become more calm, more confident, and stronger, as well as noted that the determination to defend their national sovereignty remains unchanged.

US Event Calendar

  • 08:30: Sept. CPI MoM, est. 0.1%, prior 0.2%
    • Sept. CPI YoY, est. 2.3%, prior 2.5%
    • Sept. CPI Ex Food and Energy MoM, est. 0.2%, prior 0.3%
    • Sept. CPI Ex Food and Energy YoY, est. 3.2%, prior 3.2%
    • Sept. Real Avg Hourly Earning YoY, prior 1.3%, revised 1.4%
    • Sept. Real Avg Weekly Earnings YoY, prior 0.9%, revised 1.0%
  • 08:30: Oct. Initial Jobless Claims, est. 230,000, prior 225,000
    • Sept. Continuing Claims, est. 1.83m, prior 1.83m

Central Bank Speakers

  • 09:15: Fed’s Cook Speaks on Entrepreneurship
  • 10:30: Fed’s Barkin Speaks in Fireside Chat
  • 11:00: Fed’s Williams Gives Keynote Remarks

DB’s Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap

Markets have put in another strong performance over the last 24 hours, as optimism about the near-term economic outlook continues to build. That helped the S&P 500 (+0.71%) to reach its 44th record high this year, whilst US IG spreads closed at their tightest levels since September 2021 as well. That strength means that the S&P 500 is now up +21.43% on a year-to-date basis, meaning that this is its strongest performance at this point of the year since 1997. And in turn, as optimism grew on the economy, investors continued to dial back the likelihood of rapid rate cuts from the Fed, lifting the 10yr Treasury yield (+6.1ps) to its highest level since July, at 4.07%. This backdrop also saw the dollar index (+0.37%) extend its winning run to eight sessions, its longest since April 2022.

Those risk-on moves happened despite the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, where attention is still focused on how Israel might respond to Iran’s missile strikes last week. In terms of the latest, Israeli PM Netanyahu spoke with US President Biden yesterday, although the White House readout did not directly mention Israel’s potential retaliation against Iran. According to Bloomberg reporting, the Biden administration is pressing Israel to limit its retaliation to military targets, while Axios reported that Netanyahu will convene Israel’s security cabinet today. In the meantime, oil prices came down for a second day running, with Brent crude falling -0.78% to $76.58/bbl.

Aside from the geopolitical situation, attention today will be on the US CPI release for September, which is coming out at 13:30 London time. This is in particular focus after the strong jobs report last Friday, as there’s been growing speculation that the Fed might not cut at all at their next meeting in November. Indeed, yesterday saw futures lower the chance of a rate cut down to 83%, so the prospect of a hold at the next meeting is increasingly being considered, even if it’s not the base case for investors.
In terms of what to expect, our US economists are forecasting that headline CPI will likely come in at a monthly +0.10% in September. That should bring the year-on-year number down to +2.3%, which would be the lowest since February 2021. Then for core inflation, they see that at a stronger +0.27% for the month, keeping the year-on-year number at +3.2%. Remember as well that tomorrow’s PPI data will also be in focus, as that will give a better idea of some of the categories included in the PCE measure, which is what the Fed officially target. For more info, you can read our economists’ full preview and how to sign up for their subsequent webinar here.

Ahead of the CPI release, investors continued to dial back the likelihood of rapid rate cuts from the Fed, and Treasury yields rose across the curve. For instance, the rate priced in for the December 2025 meeting moved up +6.6bps to 3.425%, the highest since mid-August. So the 2yr Treasury yield was up +6.5bps on the day to 4.02%, and the 10yr yield (+6.1bps) moved up to 4.07%. In part that followed comments from Dallas Fed President Logan, who said that “a more gradual path back to a normal policy stance will likely be appropriate from here”, which also pointed away from a faster pace of cuts.

Later in the session, we then got the FOMC minutes from the September meeting, where the Fed delivered their recent 50bp rate cut. These said that “some participants observed that they would have preferred a 25bp” cut and “a few others indicated that they could have supported such a decision”. So while Fed Governor Bowman was the only dissenting vote in favour of a 25bp cut in the end, the accounts confirm that the 50bp decision saw some pushback within the FOMC.

For equities, it was another strong day, and the S&P 500 (+0.71%) powered forward to another record high. The advance was a broad-based one, and banks put in a particularly strong performance, with the KBW Bank Index (+1.26%) reaching its highest level since June 2022 yesterday. By contrast, the Magnificent 7 (-0.00%) was flat on the day, with Alphabet down -1.53% following the previous day’s news after the close that the US Justice Department was considering the breakup of Google. But in general, it was a strong day, and the VIX index of volatility also came down -0.56pts to 20.86pts by the close. That strength was echoed in Europe too, where the STOXX 600 was up +0.66%.

Elsewhere today, France’s budget for 2025 is being presented this evening. It follows new PM Barnier’s speech last week, in which he said that the target to reach the EU’s deficit limit of 3% of GDP would be delayed by two years to 2029. Ahead of that, the Franco-German 10yr spread remained steady at 77bps, with yields on 10yr bunds and OATs both rising by +1.5bps yesterday.

Overnight in Asia, the risk-on tone has continued, and there’s been a fresh rally in Chinese stocks after the PBOC released details of a 500bn yuan swap facility, which will provide liquidity to institutional investors to buy shares. That’s helped support a sizeable rally, with the CSI 300 (+2.85%) and the Shanghai Comp (+2.95%) both posting a strong advance, and the Hang Seng has seen an even larger gain of +4.22%. Elsewhere in Asia the gains have been more muted by comparison, with the KOSPI up +0.64%, and the Nikkei up +0.21%. In the meantime, US equity futures are basically flat, with those on the S&P 500 down just -0.01%.

Finally, it’s been another light day on the data side, although Japan’s PPI inflation has surpassed expectations overnight, coming in at +2.8% in September (vs. +2.3% expected). Otherwise yesterday, weekly data from the Mortgage Bankers Association data in the US showed the contract rate on a 30yr mortgage was up 22bps to 6.36% over the week ending October 4, which is its biggest weekly jump in over a year. Nevertheless, that still leaves rates well beneath their levels earlier in the year, having been at 7% as recently as early July.

To the day ahead now, and data releases include the US CPI reading for September, along with the weekly initial jobless claims. Meanwhile in Europe, we’ll get German retail sales and Italian industrial production for August. From central banks, we’ll get the account of the ECB’s September meeting, and speakers include the Fed’s Cook, Barkin and Williams.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 08:19

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/8qGvKoJ Tyler Durden

Is The Fed Asleep At The Wheel, Again?

Is The Fed Asleep At The Wheel, Again?

By Dheval Joshi, chief strategist at BCA Research

Suddenly, the fear is not that the Fed is behind the curve to stabilize a downturn. The fear is that the Fed is behind the curve to  stabilize prices. Last Friday’s strong US jobs report has allayed any fears of an imminent recession, but it has increased fears that an aggressive easing cycle from the Fed will rekindle inflation.

Very unusually, both the Joshi rule and Sahm rule recession indicators have backed off their event horizons (Chart 1).

This is very unusual, because once you cross the event horizon you should never come back! Crossing the event horizon typically marks an acceleration in unemployment. But instead of accelerating, US unemployment is stabilising (Chart 2).

The Joshi rule and Sahm rule event horizons are the point at which higher unemployment typically sets off a negative feedback loop. Weak growth gets noticed, causing people to rein in spending, begetting further weakness in sales and profits which takes the economy into recession.

Yet what makes the US economy so unusual right now is that it is ‘inverted’. Meaning that output is being supply-driven instead of the usual demand-driven. Suddenly, the penny drops.

The highly unusual behavior of the US economy is because of its highly unusual, ‘inverted’ configuration.

Crucially, the recent uptrend in unemployment has been juxtaposed with strong supply-driven output growth. This strong supply-driven growth has likely short-circuited the negative feedback loops into sales and profits that typically tip the economy into recession.

The good news is that we should not fear an imminent US recession. The bad news is that victory celebrations in the war against US inflation are premature.

Aggressive Fed Rate Cuts Are Incompatible With 2 Percent Inflation

The Fed’s 2 percent price inflation requires the economy’s main price – wages – to inflate at 2 percent plus the assumed growth in productivity. Adding in pre-pandemic average productivity growth of around 1 percent, this means that wage inflation must cool to around 3 percent (from its current 4.1 percent).

Of course, wage inflation could settle at higher than 3 percent if post-pandemic productivity growth has gapped higher, but the Fed admits that this would be a dangerous assumption on which to base policy. I agree.

I also agree with the Fed that the best leading indicator for wage inflation is the job vacancy rate. Based on this very tight  leading property, a 3 percent wage inflation target requires the job vacancy rate to settle at 4.25 percent (Chart 3).

Yet over the last five months the job vacancy rate has been settling at around 4.75 percent, a rate that it never topped during the pre-pandemic years (Chart 4).

Now, you might think that the difference between the job vacancy rate stabilising at 4.25 or 4.75 percent is splitting hairs. But it isn’t. The difference amounts to the difference between price inflation stabilising at 2 percent or at 2.5 percent.

Moreover, this is where inflation is at the start of an assumed aggressive Fed easing cycle, which typically marks the cycle low in inflation. A cycle low that would mean that the cycle average – which is what the Fed targets – would be considerably higher than 2 percent.

Bear in mind also that inflation expectations, as measured both by the market and by consumer surveys, have ticked up. The  so-called 10-year ‘breakeven’ inflation expectation now stands at 2.3 percent

Long-term inflation expectations are driven largely by long-term historic inflation. Unfortunately, long-term historic inflation is going to drift higher as the pandemic’s hump becomes a greater portion of the history. The only way to counter this is by taking inflation as close as possible to 2 percent or, even better, below 2 percent. Otherwise, the danger is that inflation expectations will become unanchored.

The bottom line is that, in the absence of recession, and if the Fed wants to keep inflation and inflation expectations anchored at 2 percent, it cannot cut rates as aggressively as is priced.

The Real Risk Is Not A Profits Recession, The Real Risk Is A Valuation Recession

In the absence of recession, the real risk is not a profits recession. The real risk is a valuation recession.

As I predicted four weeks ago, short-dated US interest rate futures and 2-year T-notes were overpriced for rate cuts, making them compelling underweights. The prediction proved prescient. Following the strong jobs report, our recommended short position in the Feb 2025 Fed funds future contract (ZQH5) is comfortably in profit.

But to repeat, absent a recession, the pricing for Fed easing is still too aggressive.

Stay short the Feb 2025 Fed funds future until it reaches a price target of 95.5.

Stay short 2-year T-notes. Both absolutely, and relative to 2-year European government bonds, specifically 2-year UK gilts.

The Fed is still priced for almost 100 bps of rate cuts from now through March, whereas the BoE is priced for just 50 bps. Yet the reality is likely to be a much smaller difference, one way or the other.

An excellent way to play this is to be long USD/GBP, especially as the complexity of the preceding sell-off in the dollar reached the point of collapse that reliably signals an imminent change of trend.

Turning to stock markets, the absence of recession means that the real risk is not a profits recession. The real risk is a valuation recession that stems from the Fed funds rate not falling as fast or as far as is priced.

This supports two of my high conviction stock market views on a cyclical (6-12 month) and longer horizon:

Overweight undervalued small caps (Russell 2000) versus overvalued mega-cap tech (Nasdaq). And overweight the undervalued non-US versus the overvalued US (Chart 6).

Gold Is A Counterintuitive Short

Finally, a counterintuitive recommendation on gold. On the face of it, a Fed that is behind the curve to stabilise prices should be good for the inflation hedge, gold. Yet if Fed reacts by cutting rates much less than is priced, as I strongly believe, then it will boost the dollar. Which is bad for gold.

Moreover, the near-50 percent rally in gold through the past year has taken its 260-day price complexity to the point of collapse that has reliably marked previous rally exhaustions in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2019, and 2020 (Chart 7).

Given gold’s spectacular rally has reached this point of fragility, combined with expected dollar strength, I am downgrading gold  to underweight on a cyclical horizon. And a recommended 6-month tactical trade is to short gold, setting the profit target and symmetrical stop-loss at 8 percent.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 08:10

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Cybercab Arrives: Everything To Expect From Tonight’s Tesla Robotaxi Event

Cybercab Arrives: Everything To Expect From Tonight’s Tesla Robotaxi Event

“The Most Important Tesla Event Ever”

Tesla’s much awaited Robotaxi event, “We, Robot,” is set for tomorrow, live from Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The event starts at 7 p.m. on October 10 and will be livestreamed on Tesla’s social media platforms, including X and YouTube.

It’s widely rumored that the event will feature prototypes of Tesla’s upcoming autonomous vehicle, which has been spotted around the studio grounds and key locations in San Francisco and LA.

Tesla has been actively collecting Full Self-Driving (FSD) data in these areas ahead of the event, fueling speculation about new advancements like Robotaxi sanitization and wireless EV charging. As we noted weeks ago, invites were sent to winners of a shareholder raffle, with tickets arriving just days before the event.

“Join us for We, Robot — our official unveiling of the future of autonomy,” the invitation read. 

Wedbush’s Dan Ives has said of the event: “We believe this is a pivotal time for Tesla as the company prepares to release its years of Robotaxi R&D shadowed behind the curtains, while Musk & Co. lay out the company’s vision for the future.”

Some enthusiasts are calling it “the most important Tesla event ever.”

Cybercab Expectations

The folks at NotTeslaApp expect: “Tesla to deliver a small, two-door sedan with two seats. The car is expected to have four wheels, although there was some speculation of three wheels at one point”. They write  that it’ll “likely include a good amount of trunk space for luggage as well”

They write that Tesla’s Robotaxi is expected to be smaller than current models, resembling a compact version of the Model 3 with a simplified interior focused on autonomy and low-cost production. It will likely feature a single central screen like the Model 3, but with a stripped-down UI displaying key information such as ETA and fare price.

While Tesla may not reveal much about FSD hardware, the Robotaxi will probably include the upcoming Hardware 5 FSD suite or new hardware designed for redundancy and safety, essential for autonomous fleet operations.

According to Electrek, the robotaxi is rumored to be “Cybertruck-like” in design, without a steering wheel or pedals, and potentially smaller in size. A prototype was spotted testing at the Warner Bros. lot. Tesla may also showcase its latest Optimus humanoid robots with a focus on autonomous features.

Inside EVs Prototype Rendering

Gene Munster with Deepwater Asset Management tells MarketWatch he expects “at least a robotaxi prototype, and talk of a ‘Model 2’ cheaper EV”.

“What will most likely be on display is a demonstration of the latest iteration of FSD [full self-driving] software and a demonstration of a fully autonomous ‘cybercab’ in a closed or semi-closed course,” Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas wrote last month, per Yahoo Finance

He believes the robotaxi will come from the preexisting fleet of Tesla vehicles already on the road:

While the cybercab — a vehicle envisioned as one without a steering wheel or pedals — may be the natural fit for a robotaxi, Jonas believes it is the preexisting fleet of Teslas out on the road that, when combined with FSD and Tesla’s upcoming rideshare mobility app, will allow owners of those Tesla EVs to put those vehicles on Tesla’s rideshare service. The true game changer would be unlocking the potential of those vehicles, he said.

“It is our expectation that Tesla will offer a ‘dual’ approach with respect to autonomous ridesharing: (1) the fully autonomous app-based cybercab and (2) a ‘supervised’ autonomous/FSD rideshare service. We think the latter of these may get the most attention or have the greatest room to surprise investors, at least near term,” he said.

Deutsche Bank’s Edison Yu added his expectations: “For Robotaxi Day on Oct 10th, we expect an unveiling of the ‘CyberCab’ at the venue, [and] some type of robotaxi demo … Moreover, Tesla should unveil the new lower cost vehicle slated for SOP [start of production] next year (“Model 2” or cheaper/smaller Model 3 variant).”

Expectations For Release Timeline And Final Product

Expectations for a final or near-final working product seem low. “Few observers, if any, expect a fully functioning product,” Reuters wrote

“We believe the robotaxi event will be long on vision, and short on immediate deliverables or incremental revenue drivers,” Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said. 

Tesla executives will need to “reinforce to consumers and investors that they continue to be innovators,” Gene Munster with Deepwater Asset Management told MarketWatch. “The bar on the robotaxi is is pretty high, but the rest of the stuff is pretty easy, they don’t need to roll a vehicle out there. They can just talk about it,” he added.

Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC, added: “Tesla’s history is overpromise and underdeliver, so whatever timing is put on this vehicle, it’s going to be pushed back. We are still considering what promises will make it to production and what won’t”.

Longtime Tesla bull and Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas says to “keep expectations well managed” for the event. 

“We think this [robotaxi fleet] is still several years away and numerous technological hurdles, safety tests, and regulatory approvals are still standing in the way,” Garrett Nelson of CFRA told Yahoo Finance.

Impact On Tesla Stock Price

As far as impact on the stock price, Elliot Johnson, chief investment officer at Evolve ETFs, which manages investments in Tesla, told Reuters: “They need to get going because this has been sort of discussed, rumored, talked about and announced in various forms for a while.”

He says nothing announced this week will have a financial impact for one to two years, the report says. Barron’s has also speculated that the event could be a “sell the news” event. Columnist Al Root wrote that “Robotaxi Day may be Elon Musk’s last chance to convince investors that Tesla still has it”. 

Edison Yu has been telling his clients to be “tactically cautious” with the stock. 

Reaction By Other Autonomous Driving Companies

Elsewhere in autonomous driving, Investing.com did a good job laying out what competitors and the rest of the industry may be watching.

The U.S. rideshare market, currently just 1% of total miles driven, could expand significantly with the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to Morgan Stanley. While Tesla’s technological advancements may drive faster AV adoption, the transition faces challenges in scaling and regulation.

Tesla’s potential to launch a Level 4 (L4) autonomous service could yield a 41% cost advantage over Uber and Lyft, and 21% over Waymo, thanks to its camera-based approach versus Waymo’s sensor-heavy system. Market trends in cities like Austin and Phoenix will indicate whether AVs can integrate effectively with rideshare platforms, a key concern for Uber’s hybrid model strategy.

We’ll know more in just hours…

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 06:55

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Sweden To Ban Cousin Marriages To Combat Honor Oppression & Health Risks

Sweden To Ban Cousin Marriages To Combat Honor Oppression & Health Risks

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

The Swedish government is considering a law change that would ban marriages between cousins, a move primarily aimed at curbing issues such as honor oppression prevalent in migrant communities.

The proposal, which was introduced by government investigators and aligns with policies laid out in the Tidö Agreement, which facilitated the formation of the current government, would also extend to marriages between other close relatives, such as uncles and nieces.

If approved, the ban could come into effect as early as 2026.

Currently, Swedish law prohibits marriages between parents and children or full siblings, though half-siblings can marry with an exemption. Marriages between cousins are still legal, but this may soon change.

A government-appointed inquiry, which began in September last year, now recommends that cousin marriages be banned under the Marriage Code, citing both social and health concerns.

The proposed ban has significant implications for Sweden’s migrant communities, where cousin marriages are far more common. While this is defended as a cultural practice that prioritizes familial ties, government officials argue that such arranged marriages increase the risk of honor oppression, particularly for young women and girls.

By outlawing cousin marriages, they believe they can reduce the likelihood of coercion and other forms of control within family structures.

Preempting a loophole, a key element of the proposal is that cousin marriages performed abroad will also not be recognized in Sweden, regardless of the spouses’ connection to the country. This is intended to prevent couples from bypassing Swedish law by marrying abroad and then returning to Sweden.

“The recognition ban will be general and cover all cousin marriages,” the inquiry’s findings stated, as cited by the SVT broadcaster, reinforcing the aim to counteract honor-based oppression across all backgrounds.

In Norway, a similar law was enacted this past summer, with officials highlighting the increased risk of genetic disorders and health complications caused by inbreeding.

These risks include higher rates of stillbirth and infant mortality.

In addition to the ban on cousin marriages, the inquiry also suggests eliminating the current exemption that allows half-siblings to marry in certain circumstances, thus better protecting vulnerable individuals from coercion.

A final decision on the reforms is expected in the coming months which, if passed, is expected to enter into force in 2026.

Read more here…

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 06:30

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Germany: Over Half Of Prisoners Are Foreigners In Many States, Costing Taxpayers Billions

Germany: Over Half Of Prisoners Are Foreigners In Many States, Costing Taxpayers Billions

By Remix News

In numerous German federal states, the prison population is made up of more than 50 percent foreigners, with the cost of these prisoners totaling €2 billion a year, according to an exclusive report from the Austrian news outlet Freilich.

Already in mid-July, German state media outlet SWR reported that for the first time, more than half of all prisoners in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg are foreigners. Currently, this figure stands at 50.8 percent. Freilich decided to look into the situation in other German states and found that five others also feature prison populations that are more than 50 percent foreign.

The state with the highest proportion of foreigners is Hamburg, which stands at 57.8 percent.

Other states, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, which is Germany’s most populous state, may not reach 50 percent, but the numbers are still extremely high, at 40.4 percent. The top offenders are Turks, Poles, Syrians, Moroccans and Romanians. In Bavaria, the second-largest state by population, 51.1 percent of the prison population is foreign, which includes 4,965 non-German nationals.

It is important to note that these statistics do not include those with a migration background. For instance, there is no data differentiating between ethnic Germans and Middle Easterners born in Germany. The data only shows if the perpetrator has a German passport or not. Other nations, such as Denmark, contain exact crime data not only on foreigners but also second-generation Danish citizens with a foreign background, with that data showing that this generation has higher crime rates than the first one.

In Hesse, 51.4 percent of the prison population is made up foreigners, equaling 2,245 prisoners. The largest groups come from Algeria and Morocco, but other top groups include Turks, Romanians, and Afghans, according to the Ministry of Justice.

As of July 22, 2024, Berlin featured 2,024 foreign prisoners, representing 56.4 percent of the total number, which stands at 3,588. A spokeswoman told Freilich that the largest groups are Poles, Turks, Serbians, and Georgians.

In Bremen, the smallest federal state, the number of foreign prisoners totaled 56 percent.

Other federal states, especially those featuring a smaller share of foreigners, have lower numbers, including Lower Saxony, which has 37.6 percent of the prison population made up of foreigners, Rhineland-Palatinate with 33.9 percent; Saxony at 43.2 percent; Schleswig-Holstein at 34.6 percent, Brandenburg at 36.8 percent; Saxony-Anhalt at 21.4 percent; Saarland at 30.7 percent; and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at 22.1 percent.

Thuringia has the lowest proportion of foreign offenders, making up 15.9 percent of the population out of a total of 1,072 prisoners, although Freilich notes this information dates from older sources.

Soaring costs and calls for reform

Freilich notes that “the accommodation of prisoners places a considerable burden on public coffers and taxpayers. This is also shown by the calculations carried out as part of the research. For all federal states together, the total cost of accommodating prisoners is around €4.137 billion per year, of which around €1.815 billion is spent on foreign prisoners in the correctional facilities of the 16 federal states.”

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party says the figures reflect the failed policies of the older parties.

“Around 15 percent of people living in Germany are foreigners. However, their share of suspects, convicted persons and prisoners is disproportionately high. Once again, official figures prove that the migration policy of the old parties has completely failed,” said deputy domestic policy spokesman of the AfD parliamentary group, Martin Hess, who was also a police officer in Baden-Württemberg for 27 years.

“What we are experiencing here is a deliberate exploitation of our security by a government that is constantly proving to be a total failure.”

Hess said only a 180-degree turn in migration policy, as the AfD has been demanding for years, will improve the security situation.

“We must finally take decisive action against the escalating crime by foreigners – also for financial reasons, because every prisoner is an enormous burden on the public purse and therefore on the taxpayer,” he added. “In addition, it must become common practice to consistently deport illegal immigrants in order to prevent them from committing crimes. Because remigration is security. It is no longer acceptable for citizens to be let down by those in political positions of responsibility.”

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 03:30

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Belated US Announcement Confirms Evacuation Of Citizens From Lebanon

Belated US Announcement Confirms Evacuation Of Citizens From Lebanon

The Biden administration has come under criticism for being slow to assist Americans getting out of Lebanon. Other countries began evacuation efforts well over a week ago, especially as Israel began pounding Beirut with airstrikes, and as an Israeli army ground invasion materialized.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre now says the US is working to evacuate Americans out of Lebanon, long after the war began. “Jean-Pierre said the US embassy in Beirut remains open and can help Americans who need emergency passports or other documentation,” Al Jazeera reports of the latest statement.

“The US will continue to provide aircraft as long as the Beirut airport remains open,” Jean-Pierre said. At this point the international airport has seen a lot more military transport flights sent by foreign governments to evacuate their nationals.

DoD humanitarian aid plane in Beirut.

Currently, the only airline to continue flying in and out of the airport even as Israeli bombs fall on nearby south Beirut is Middle East Airlines, the Lebanese national carrier.

As of a few days ago, US State Department officials said that some 8,000 Americans in the country are in touch with the US Embassy, seeking some sort of assistance. Already a Lebanese-American has been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.

“Because we recognize that some flights are a little bit limited, we have organized U.S. flights, U.S.-organized flights to be able to augment commercial availability,” Rena Bitter, the assistant secretary of consular affairs at the State Department, has said.

While most Western and international airlines have suspended service to Beirut, an increasing number are also avoiding Israeli airspace.

On Wednesday the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned that airlines must urgently implement strict risk monitoring procedures for flights that go within Israeli airspace.

“The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency have updated the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) for Israel issued on September 28. The revised CZIB recommends air operators to implement a stringent monitoring process and risk assessment for each flight when intending to operate within the airspace of Israel,” a notification said.

“The recommendation is valid until October 31 and can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn subject to the revised assessment,” it added.

It is not only the active state of war between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel, but greatly adding to the danger is the risk of more direct ballistic missile launches between Iran and Israel. The Netanyahu government is sill vowing ‘precise’ and ‘deadly’ major strikes on Iranian targets – but it’s anyone’s guess when this might happen.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/10/2024 – 02:45

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What’s Really Outrageous About Woodward’s New Book

What’s Really Outrageous About Woodward’s New Book

Authored by Alan Tonelson via RealityChek,

So much outrage (including from Vice President and Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris) about the claim in Bob Woodward’s upcoming book that Donald Trump during his presidency sent some test kits to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin at the height of the Covid pandemic when they were scarce in the United States. And about the famed journalist’s report that the former president called Putin seven times since the former left the Oval Office in January, 2021. (See, e.g., here.)

And so little about by far the biggest outrage described in War (if true, of course – as with the above revelations): that President Biden may have pushed the United States, and the world, to within a coin flip of nuclear war in Ukraine.

Getty Images

Think I’m kidding? Here’s the description by CNN – which broke the news about Woodward’s book – his account of a crucial moment in U.S. policy toward Russia’s invasion. It’s worth quoting in full:

By September 2022, US intelligence reports deemed “exquisite” revealed a “deeply unnerving assessment” of Putin — that he was so desperate about battlefield losses that he might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“Based on the alarming new intelligence reports, the White House believed there was a 50% chance Russia would use a tactical nuclear weapon — a striking assessment that had skyrocketed up from 5% and then 10%, Woodward reports.

“’On all channels, get on the line with the Russians,’ Biden instructed his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. ‘Tell them what we will do in response,’ he said, according to Woodward.”

That’s the key phrase: “Tell them what we will do in response.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean that Mr. Biden had decided to use a nuclear weapon against Russia itself, or even against Russian forces inside Ukraine, or was considering such actions. Nor does it necessarily mean that the president had decided to deploy U.S. military forces in Ukraine in response.

But it’s difficult to imagine what else President Biden might have been thinking of that would deter the Russians from a step like tactical nuclear weapons use, or that would have convinced them to abandon this policy after firing one nuclear shot.

Simon & Schuster plans to publish the book on Oct. 15

And the real outrage here – again, if Woodward has the story right – is that Mr. Biden actually was prepared to run such a catastrophic risk on behalf of a country whose fate Washington had never officially considered to be a remotely vital American security interest even at the height of the Cold War — and still hasn’t.

It’s one thing to threaten nuclear weapons use to protect a country or region that has been deemed a vital interest by U.S. leaders – like Western Europe or Japan. Or to do so when adversaries try to place nuclear weapons close to the American homeland (as was the case with the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962).

But even to contemplate Armageddon in a situation meeting absolutely none of these characteristics? How can that be viewed as anything but needlessly reckless and even suicidal?

Keep that in mind the next time you hear that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is too dangerously off his rocker to be fit for the presidency (in particular that his warnings about the current administration bringing World War III closer are nothing more than fear-mongering). And that the aforementioned Kamala Harris, when asked what she would have done differently from Mr. Biden, responded, “Not a thing that comes to mind.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 10/09/2024 – 23:25

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America’s Homeless Population Reaches Record High Under Biden-Harris Admin

America’s Homeless Population Reaches Record High Under Biden-Harris Admin

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest report on homelessness in the United States, 653,104 Americans were homeless in 2023.

Last year, levels of homelessness climbed for the sixth year.

While in 2017 and 2018, growth was slow, Statista’s Katharina Buchholz reports that homelessness increased more in 2019 and 2020 and finally skyrocketed in 2023 by growing 12 percent compared to the year prior and even climbing 10 percent above the 2007-2022 average.

Infographic: America's Homeless Population on the Rise | Statista

You will find more infographics at Statista

As Covid-era protection programs expired and the cost-of-living crisis hit the country, homelessness numbers rose.

At the same time, Covid restrictions on shelter capacity ended, leading to more homeless individuals living in shelters once again.

During Covid-19, most of the increase in homeless populations had come from unhoused individuals.

In 2023, sheltered populations rose by almost 14 percent, while unhoused populations rose by less than 10 percent.

However, the share of the sheltered homeless population held steady at around 60-61 percent since the pandemic started.

Despite previous increases, the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January when the count is carried out had always stayed below Great Recession levels, which had been highest in 2007 when the data was first reported.

The 2023 number now retired that record, surpassing it by 1 percent.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 10/09/2024 – 23:00

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