Podcasts about commerce department

Washington Post Live anchor Leigh Ann Caldwell speaks with Andy Berke, special representative for broadband at the Commerce Department, and Michael Powell, president and CEO of the National Cable & Television Association, about the plans and the timetable for upgrading the country's high-speed internet with

Furniture retailers see decline in sales, layoffs since height of COVID boomWhat do you do when you're forced to stay home for days, weeks, months at a time?You make improvements to your home, of course.With that, in the early days of COVID, furniture sales saw tremendous growth. In February of 2020, Americans spent $11.3 billion on furniture and home furnishings, and monthly sales grew by 181% over an 11-month period from April 2019 to March 2020, according to Commerce Department data.However, a cushy new sofa or mattress isn't always enough to pad the discomfort of inflation and a down economy, and furniture sales are now slowing. Layoffs have come from the likes of Wayfair, Article and more.Should brands hire creators over agencies to produce high-fidelity content?Stats show brands that understand the power of creator influence are winning. Influencer marketing is booming, driving stellar results, and has an average ROI of $5.78 for every dollar spent. This is one reason why only 39% of marketers planned to grow influencer marketing efforts in 2018, but a whopping 72.5% are increasing their budgets today.This begs the following questions. If creator content is so effective across social media, should brands be turning to creators for all kinds of high-fidelity content as well? And, is there a benefit to hiring creators directly instead of going the traditional route and hiring an agency? Well the answer is yes and no. It depends on what you're looking for. The pros dive into the topic over at banknotes.coWhat's your sign? How brands are using astrology to start a conversationIf you feel like you're seeing a lot of marketing campaigns focussed on astrology and the zodiak lately, you're not alone. This resurgence in focus on astrology has a lot to do with the movement toward wellness and self-care, and the declining interest in organized religion. As more turn away from traditional religion and delve deeper into spirituality (while still wanting to find a sense of guidance or understanding), the alternative for many is to dive into the varying layers of astrology.As more become interested in star signs and birth charts, brands are catching on and looking for ways to market products based on zodiac signs.There's another motive for brands to do this, too. Consumers love it when brands ‘get' them on a personal level. And what's more personal than offering products or recommendations based on zodiac signs? Learn more over at banknotes.coMarket research still matters in the world of COVID and eCommerceIn a lot of ways market research is a legacy tactic, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored by brands big and small. In fact, market research as come a long way from the focus groups of the past.While formal studies and surveys are still on the table, the host of potential market research channels now open to marketers has grown exponentially.Those conversations can be happening on traditional social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, or occurring on a Discord channel or on Twitch. Then there are of course sales and customer service calls that can be audited for research, along with one-on-one Zoom sessions.Head over to banknotes.link/marketresearch to learn more about how market research is evolving.

In February of 2020, Americans spent $11.3 billion on furniture and home furnishings, and monthly sales grew by 181% over an 11-month period from April 2019 to March 2020, according to Commerce Department data.However, a cushy new sofa or mattress isn't always enough to pad the discomfort of inflation and a down economy, and furniture sales are now slowing. “We saw an acceleration in sales throughout the pandemic which began to taper late last year. Sales have seen a decline into the second quarter of 2022 and have stabilized over the third quarter,” says Jordan England, co-founder and CEO of eCommerce furniture company Industry West. ... (READ MORE)

Plus: Americans' retail spending rose in August, Commerce Department says. Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping meet in person for first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. Danny Lewis reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday was a really bad day for the economy. Amid hopes that inflation might be abating, the Commerce Department reported that prices remain persistently high, and what is known as the “core inflation” rate actually rose in August.

Tuesday was a really bad day for the economy. Amid hopes that inflation might be abating, the Commerce Department reported that prices remain persistently high, and what is known as the "core inflation" rate actually rose in August.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, September 13th, 2022. I hope you all had a restful weekend with your loved ones, so without further adieu, let me remind you about our conference! FLF Conference Plug Do you like Jesus & beer? Then you and your family need to come to the Fight Laugh Feast Conference in Knoxville Tennessee, on October 6-8. The topic of this conference is Lies, Propaganda, storytelling, and the serrated edge. Satan is the father of lies, and the mother of those lies is a government that has rejected God. Christians haven’t been reading their Bibles, so we as a society are more susceptible than ever to satan and his lies. So join us, October 6-8, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, including Pastor Doug Wilson, George Gilder, and Pastor Toby Sumpter, and more… AND, stuff for the kids too, like jumpy castles, and accidental infant baptisms! Sign up to attend with you and yours, or become a vendor at fightlaughfeast.com. Alright, now let’s get to the news! https://reason.com/2022/09/12/americans-spent-more-on-taxes-last-year-than-on-food-health-care-education-and-clothing-combined/ Americans Spent More on Taxes Last Year Than on Food, Health Care, Education, and Clothing Combined Yikes. New consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides some sobering perspective on how much Americans are paying in taxes. The data covers consumer spending across a wide variety of categories in 2021. Overall, taxes accounted for about 25 percent of average consumer spending. The BLS measures spending per "consumer unit," which it describes as "either (1) all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or other legal arrangements; (2) persons living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in a permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or (3) two or more person living together who use their income to make joint expenditure decisions." On average, each "consumer unit" paid more than $16,000 in taxes last year. This outpaces average spending on food, clothing, education, and health care combined. The mean for total spending per unit on health care, food, education, and clothing was $16,721.42. This included an average of $8,289.28 on food, $5,451.61 on health care, $1,226.14 on education, and $1,754.39 on apparel. The mean for total spending per unit on taxes was $16,729.73. This included $8,561.46 in federal income tax, $2,564.14 in state and local income taxes, $2,475.18 in property taxes, $5,565.45 in Social Security deductions, and $105.21 in other taxes, offset by an average stimulus payment of $2,541.71. In addition to this disturbing tidbit, the new BLS data contains a wealth of other information on American spending habits and offers an interesting glimpse at recovery—and inflation—during the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. The highest expenditure category was housing, at an average $22,623.55 per consumer unit (including property taxes). Major spending categories aside from housing, food, health care, education, and clothing included transportation ($10,961.18), utilities/fuels/public services ($4,223.49), entertainment ($3,567.89), household operations ($1,638.42), and personal care products and services ($770.51). A lot of numbers for you guys on that one… moving on: https://thepostmillennial.com/Sex-traffickers-nabbed-in-florida-sting-include-disney-employees-police-deputy?utm_campaign=64487 Sex traffickers nabbed in Florida sting include Disney employees, police deputy A Florida sex trafficking sting known as "Operation Fall Haul II" captured a 160 culprits this week with a list that included several Disney employees, a teacher, and Georgia Deputy Police Chief Jason DiPrima. According to local news, DiPrima was considered an up-and-comer in the Georgia force and Sheriff Grady Judd, who ran the sting, said, "If all else fails, he could write a book, 'How to Ruin Your Career in Three Easy Steps.'" The sting operation started on August 29, lasted one week, and was a multi-agency effort led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO) Vice Unit. Their efforts found and rescued at least two sex trafficking victims. Former cop DiPrima was arrested after he tried to solicit an escort while attending the American Polygraph Association seminar in Orlando on August 31. He thought he was speaking to a sex worker, but was actually talking to an undercover PSCO detective. The Cartersville Police Department said in a press release that DiPrima had resigned Thursday following the department placing him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/09/12/biden-loosens-tech-export-restrictions-on-china/ Biden Quietly Loosens Tech Export Rules to Chinese Communist Firms Just Days After Huawei Lobbyist’s Brother Joins White House. The White House quietly loosened Trump-era restrictions on the sharing of U.S. technology with firms blacklisted for their ties to the Chinese Communist Party, including the controversial Huawei, The National Pulse can report. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a revision to a Trump-era Export Administration Regulations (EAR) newly authorizing the release of certain technology and software for the alleged purpose of “standards setting and development in standards organizations.” The move, which applies to firms that have been blacklisted by the U.S. government, was advertised as addressing confusion over whether American companies need a license to share “low-level”technology with sanctioned parties. Notably, Huawei Technologies Co. – which was included in the original export ban, as telecommunications firm has extensive links to the Chinese Communist Party – will now be able to receive certain technologies from American companies. Labeled a “national security threat” by the Trump administration and a decades-long Chinese military collaborator by the U.S. Department of Defense, Huawei routinely provides the regime backdoor access to its products, networks, and devices. The State Department has also emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party uses Huawei as an “instrument not only for making money but also for pursuing the Party-State’s agenda and fulfilling its strategic objectives […] deeply enmeshed in Beijing’s system of oppression at home and its increasingly assertive strategic ambitions globally.” The news comes after months of wrangling by Huawei lobbyists, those of whom include leading anti-Trump and pro-Biden individuals, such as Trump impeachment support Stephen Binhak, and the brothers of both Biden advisor Steve Richetti and newly minted Biden climate czar John Podesta. Accountable2You Is your smartphone a tool in the service of Christ, or a minefield of distractions and temptations? With soul-killing seductions just a few taps away, our families and churches must embrace biblical accountability on our digital devices. Accountable2You makes transparency easy on all your family's devices, by sharing app usage and detailed browsing history—including "Incognito" mode—with your spouse, parent, or chosen accountability partner. Accountable2You helps your family to proactively guard against temptation, so you can live with integrity for God's glory! Learn more and try it for free at Accountable2You.com/FLF https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/ukraine-offensive-snowballs-with-fall-of-russian-stronghold/ar-AA11HfjF Ukraine hails snowballing offensive, blames Russia for blackouts Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east, Ukraine's army chief said on Sunday, a day after their rapid surge forward drove Russia to abandon its main bastion in the area. Ukrainian officials accused retreating Russian forces of launching retaliatory attacks on civilian infrastructure, including a thermal power station in Kharkiv, that the authorities in Kyiv said caused widespread blackouts. "No military facilities, the goal is to deprive people of light & heat," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter of the attacks. Moscow denies its forces deliberately target civilians. Zelenskiy has described Ukraine's offensive as a potential breakthrough in the six-month-old war, and said the winter could see further territorial gains if Kyiv received more powerful weapons. In the worst defeat for Moscow's forces since they were repelled from the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March, thousands of Russian soldiers left behind ammunition and equipment as they fled the city of Izium, which they had used as a logistics hub. And now we gotta finish with my favorite topic… sports! The NFL’s week wrapped up this past weekend, and I wanted to run through the scores with you: The Bills took down the defending superbowl champs 31-10 Saints 27 Falcons 26 Browns 26 Panthers 24 Bears 19 49ers 10 Steelers 23 Bengals 20 Eagles 38 Lions 35 Colts 20 Texans 20 Dolphins 20 Pats 7 Ravens 24 Jets 9 Commanders 28 Jags 22 Giants 21 Titans 20 Chiefs 44 Cardinals 21 Vikins 23 Packers 7 Bucs 19 Cowboys 3 And that’s all the scores I got for you… This has been Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily NewsBrief… if you liked the show, hit that share button down below. If you wanted to sign up for a club membership, sign up for our conference with that club discount, then sign up for a magazine subscription… you could do all of that at fightlaughfeast.com. And as always, if you want to email me a news story, about our conference, or to become a corporate partner with CrossPolitic, email me, at garrison@fightlaughfeast.com.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, September 13th, 2022. I hope you all had a restful weekend with your loved ones, so without further adieu, let me remind you about our conference! FLF Conference Plug Do you like Jesus & beer? Then you and your family need to come to the Fight Laugh Feast Conference in Knoxville Tennessee, on October 6-8. The topic of this conference is Lies, Propaganda, storytelling, and the serrated edge. Satan is the father of lies, and the mother of those lies is a government that has rejected God. Christians haven’t been reading their Bibles, so we as a society are more susceptible than ever to satan and his lies. So join us, October 6-8, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, including Pastor Doug Wilson, George Gilder, and Pastor Toby Sumpter, and more… AND, stuff for the kids too, like jumpy castles, and accidental infant baptisms! Sign up to attend with you and yours, or become a vendor at fightlaughfeast.com. Alright, now let’s get to the news! https://reason.com/2022/09/12/americans-spent-more-on-taxes-last-year-than-on-food-health-care-education-and-clothing-combined/ Americans Spent More on Taxes Last Year Than on Food, Health Care, Education, and Clothing Combined Yikes. New consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides some sobering perspective on how much Americans are paying in taxes. The data covers consumer spending across a wide variety of categories in 2021. Overall, taxes accounted for about 25 percent of average consumer spending. The BLS measures spending per "consumer unit," which it describes as "either (1) all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or other legal arrangements; (2) persons living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in a permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or (3) two or more person living together who use their income to make joint expenditure decisions." On average, each "consumer unit" paid more than $16,000 in taxes last year. This outpaces average spending on food, clothing, education, and health care combined. The mean for total spending per unit on health care, food, education, and clothing was $16,721.42. This included an average of $8,289.28 on food, $5,451.61 on health care, $1,226.14 on education, and $1,754.39 on apparel. The mean for total spending per unit on taxes was $16,729.73. This included $8,561.46 in federal income tax, $2,564.14 in state and local income taxes, $2,475.18 in property taxes, $5,565.45 in Social Security deductions, and $105.21 in other taxes, offset by an average stimulus payment of $2,541.71. In addition to this disturbing tidbit, the new BLS data contains a wealth of other information on American spending habits and offers an interesting glimpse at recovery—and inflation—during the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. The highest expenditure category was housing, at an average $22,623.55 per consumer unit (including property taxes). Major spending categories aside from housing, food, health care, education, and clothing included transportation ($10,961.18), utilities/fuels/public services ($4,223.49), entertainment ($3,567.89), household operations ($1,638.42), and personal care products and services ($770.51). A lot of numbers for you guys on that one… moving on: https://thepostmillennial.com/Sex-traffickers-nabbed-in-florida-sting-include-disney-employees-police-deputy?utm_campaign=64487 Sex traffickers nabbed in Florida sting include Disney employees, police deputy A Florida sex trafficking sting known as "Operation Fall Haul II" captured a 160 culprits this week with a list that included several Disney employees, a teacher, and Georgia Deputy Police Chief Jason DiPrima. According to local news, DiPrima was considered an up-and-comer in the Georgia force and Sheriff Grady Judd, who ran the sting, said, "If all else fails, he could write a book, 'How to Ruin Your Career in Three Easy Steps.'" The sting operation started on August 29, lasted one week, and was a multi-agency effort led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO) Vice Unit. Their efforts found and rescued at least two sex trafficking victims. Former cop DiPrima was arrested after he tried to solicit an escort while attending the American Polygraph Association seminar in Orlando on August 31. He thought he was speaking to a sex worker, but was actually talking to an undercover PSCO detective. The Cartersville Police Department said in a press release that DiPrima had resigned Thursday following the department placing him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/09/12/biden-loosens-tech-export-restrictions-on-china/ Biden Quietly Loosens Tech Export Rules to Chinese Communist Firms Just Days After Huawei Lobbyist’s Brother Joins White House. The White House quietly loosened Trump-era restrictions on the sharing of U.S. technology with firms blacklisted for their ties to the Chinese Communist Party, including the controversial Huawei, The National Pulse can report. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a revision to a Trump-era Export Administration Regulations (EAR) newly authorizing the release of certain technology and software for the alleged purpose of “standards setting and development in standards organizations.” The move, which applies to firms that have been blacklisted by the U.S. government, was advertised as addressing confusion over whether American companies need a license to share “low-level”technology with sanctioned parties. Notably, Huawei Technologies Co. – which was included in the original export ban, as telecommunications firm has extensive links to the Chinese Communist Party – will now be able to receive certain technologies from American companies. Labeled a “national security threat” by the Trump administration and a decades-long Chinese military collaborator by the U.S. Department of Defense, Huawei routinely provides the regime backdoor access to its products, networks, and devices. The State Department has also emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party uses Huawei as an “instrument not only for making money but also for pursuing the Party-State’s agenda and fulfilling its strategic objectives […] deeply enmeshed in Beijing’s system of oppression at home and its increasingly assertive strategic ambitions globally.” The news comes after months of wrangling by Huawei lobbyists, those of whom include leading anti-Trump and pro-Biden individuals, such as Trump impeachment support Stephen Binhak, and the brothers of both Biden advisor Steve Richetti and newly minted Biden climate czar John Podesta. Accountable2You Is your smartphone a tool in the service of Christ, or a minefield of distractions and temptations? With soul-killing seductions just a few taps away, our families and churches must embrace biblical accountability on our digital devices. Accountable2You makes transparency easy on all your family's devices, by sharing app usage and detailed browsing history—including "Incognito" mode—with your spouse, parent, or chosen accountability partner. Accountable2You helps your family to proactively guard against temptation, so you can live with integrity for God's glory! Learn more and try it for free at Accountable2You.com/FLF https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/ukraine-offensive-snowballs-with-fall-of-russian-stronghold/ar-AA11HfjF Ukraine hails snowballing offensive, blames Russia for blackouts Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east, Ukraine's army chief said on Sunday, a day after their rapid surge forward drove Russia to abandon its main bastion in the area. Ukrainian officials accused retreating Russian forces of launching retaliatory attacks on civilian infrastructure, including a thermal power station in Kharkiv, that the authorities in Kyiv said caused widespread blackouts. "No military facilities, the goal is to deprive people of light & heat," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter of the attacks. Moscow denies its forces deliberately target civilians. Zelenskiy has described Ukraine's offensive as a potential breakthrough in the six-month-old war, and said the winter could see further territorial gains if Kyiv received more powerful weapons. In the worst defeat for Moscow's forces since they were repelled from the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March, thousands of Russian soldiers left behind ammunition and equipment as they fled the city of Izium, which they had used as a logistics hub. And now we gotta finish with my favorite topic… sports! The NFL’s week wrapped up this past weekend, and I wanted to run through the scores with you: The Bills took down the defending superbowl champs 31-10 Saints 27 Falcons 26 Browns 26 Panthers 24 Bears 19 49ers 10 Steelers 23 Bengals 20 Eagles 38 Lions 35 Colts 20 Texans 20 Dolphins 20 Pats 7 Ravens 24 Jets 9 Commanders 28 Jags 22 Giants 21 Titans 20 Chiefs 44 Cardinals 21 Vikins 23 Packers 7 Bucs 19 Cowboys 3 And that’s all the scores I got for you… This has been Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily NewsBrief… if you liked the show, hit that share button down below. If you wanted to sign up for a club membership, sign up for our conference with that club discount, then sign up for a magazine subscription… you could do all of that at fightlaughfeast.com. And as always, if you want to email me a news story, about our conference, or to become a corporate partner with CrossPolitic, email me, at garrison@fightlaughfeast.com.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, September 13th, 2022. I hope you all had a restful weekend with your loved ones, so without further adieu, let me remind you about our conference! FLF Conference Plug Do you like Jesus & beer? Then you and your family need to come to the Fight Laugh Feast Conference in Knoxville Tennessee, on October 6-8. The topic of this conference is Lies, Propaganda, storytelling, and the serrated edge. Satan is the father of lies, and the mother of those lies is a government that has rejected God. Christians haven’t been reading their Bibles, so we as a society are more susceptible than ever to satan and his lies. So join us, October 6-8, as we fight, laugh, and feast, with beer & psalms, our amazing lineup of speakers, including Pastor Doug Wilson, George Gilder, and Pastor Toby Sumpter, and more… AND, stuff for the kids too, like jumpy castles, and accidental infant baptisms! Sign up to attend with you and yours, or become a vendor at fightlaughfeast.com. Alright, now let’s get to the news! https://reason.com/2022/09/12/americans-spent-more-on-taxes-last-year-than-on-food-health-care-education-and-clothing-combined/ Americans Spent More on Taxes Last Year Than on Food, Health Care, Education, and Clothing Combined Yikes. New consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides some sobering perspective on how much Americans are paying in taxes. The data covers consumer spending across a wide variety of categories in 2021. Overall, taxes accounted for about 25 percent of average consumer spending. The BLS measures spending per "consumer unit," which it describes as "either (1) all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or other legal arrangements; (2) persons living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in a permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent; or (3) two or more person living together who use their income to make joint expenditure decisions." On average, each "consumer unit" paid more than $16,000 in taxes last year. This outpaces average spending on food, clothing, education, and health care combined. The mean for total spending per unit on health care, food, education, and clothing was $16,721.42. This included an average of $8,289.28 on food, $5,451.61 on health care, $1,226.14 on education, and $1,754.39 on apparel. The mean for total spending per unit on taxes was $16,729.73. This included $8,561.46 in federal income tax, $2,564.14 in state and local income taxes, $2,475.18 in property taxes, $5,565.45 in Social Security deductions, and $105.21 in other taxes, offset by an average stimulus payment of $2,541.71. In addition to this disturbing tidbit, the new BLS data contains a wealth of other information on American spending habits and offers an interesting glimpse at recovery—and inflation—during the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. The highest expenditure category was housing, at an average $22,623.55 per consumer unit (including property taxes). Major spending categories aside from housing, food, health care, education, and clothing included transportation ($10,961.18), utilities/fuels/public services ($4,223.49), entertainment ($3,567.89), household operations ($1,638.42), and personal care products and services ($770.51). A lot of numbers for you guys on that one… moving on: https://thepostmillennial.com/Sex-traffickers-nabbed-in-florida-sting-include-disney-employees-police-deputy?utm_campaign=64487 Sex traffickers nabbed in Florida sting include Disney employees, police deputy A Florida sex trafficking sting known as "Operation Fall Haul II" captured a 160 culprits this week with a list that included several Disney employees, a teacher, and Georgia Deputy Police Chief Jason DiPrima. According to local news, DiPrima was considered an up-and-comer in the Georgia force and Sheriff Grady Judd, who ran the sting, said, "If all else fails, he could write a book, 'How to Ruin Your Career in Three Easy Steps.'" The sting operation started on August 29, lasted one week, and was a multi-agency effort led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO) Vice Unit. Their efforts found and rescued at least two sex trafficking victims. Former cop DiPrima was arrested after he tried to solicit an escort while attending the American Polygraph Association seminar in Orlando on August 31. He thought he was speaking to a sex worker, but was actually talking to an undercover PSCO detective. The Cartersville Police Department said in a press release that DiPrima had resigned Thursday following the department placing him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/09/12/biden-loosens-tech-export-restrictions-on-china/ Biden Quietly Loosens Tech Export Rules to Chinese Communist Firms Just Days After Huawei Lobbyist’s Brother Joins White House. The White House quietly loosened Trump-era restrictions on the sharing of U.S. technology with firms blacklisted for their ties to the Chinese Communist Party, including the controversial Huawei, The National Pulse can report. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a revision to a Trump-era Export Administration Regulations (EAR) newly authorizing the release of certain technology and software for the alleged purpose of “standards setting and development in standards organizations.” The move, which applies to firms that have been blacklisted by the U.S. government, was advertised as addressing confusion over whether American companies need a license to share “low-level”technology with sanctioned parties. Notably, Huawei Technologies Co. – which was included in the original export ban, as telecommunications firm has extensive links to the Chinese Communist Party – will now be able to receive certain technologies from American companies. Labeled a “national security threat” by the Trump administration and a decades-long Chinese military collaborator by the U.S. Department of Defense, Huawei routinely provides the regime backdoor access to its products, networks, and devices. The State Department has also emphasized that the Chinese Communist Party uses Huawei as an “instrument not only for making money but also for pursuing the Party-State’s agenda and fulfilling its strategic objectives […] deeply enmeshed in Beijing’s system of oppression at home and its increasingly assertive strategic ambitions globally.” The news comes after months of wrangling by Huawei lobbyists, those of whom include leading anti-Trump and pro-Biden individuals, such as Trump impeachment support Stephen Binhak, and the brothers of both Biden advisor Steve Richetti and newly minted Biden climate czar John Podesta. Accountable2You Is your smartphone a tool in the service of Christ, or a minefield of distractions and temptations? With soul-killing seductions just a few taps away, our families and churches must embrace biblical accountability on our digital devices. Accountable2You makes transparency easy on all your family's devices, by sharing app usage and detailed browsing history—including "Incognito" mode—with your spouse, parent, or chosen accountability partner. Accountable2You helps your family to proactively guard against temptation, so you can live with integrity for God's glory! Learn more and try it for free at Accountable2You.com/FLF https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/ukraine-offensive-snowballs-with-fall-of-russian-stronghold/ar-AA11HfjF Ukraine hails snowballing offensive, blames Russia for blackouts Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east, Ukraine's army chief said on Sunday, a day after their rapid surge forward drove Russia to abandon its main bastion in the area. Ukrainian officials accused retreating Russian forces of launching retaliatory attacks on civilian infrastructure, including a thermal power station in Kharkiv, that the authorities in Kyiv said caused widespread blackouts. "No military facilities, the goal is to deprive people of light & heat," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter of the attacks. Moscow denies its forces deliberately target civilians. Zelenskiy has described Ukraine's offensive as a potential breakthrough in the six-month-old war, and said the winter could see further territorial gains if Kyiv received more powerful weapons. In the worst defeat for Moscow's forces since they were repelled from the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March, thousands of Russian soldiers left behind ammunition and equipment as they fled the city of Izium, which they had used as a logistics hub. And now we gotta finish with my favorite topic… sports! The NFL’s week wrapped up this past weekend, and I wanted to run through the scores with you: The Bills took down the defending superbowl champs 31-10 Saints 27 Falcons 26 Browns 26 Panthers 24 Bears 19 49ers 10 Steelers 23 Bengals 20 Eagles 38 Lions 35 Colts 20 Texans 20 Dolphins 20 Pats 7 Ravens 24 Jets 9 Commanders 28 Jags 22 Giants 21 Titans 20 Chiefs 44 Cardinals 21 Vikins 23 Packers 7 Bucs 19 Cowboys 3 And that’s all the scores I got for you… This has been Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily NewsBrief… if you liked the show, hit that share button down below. If you wanted to sign up for a club membership, sign up for our conference with that club discount, then sign up for a magazine subscription… you could do all of that at fightlaughfeast.com. And as always, if you want to email me a news story, about our conference, or to become a corporate partner with CrossPolitic, email me, at garrison@fightlaughfeast.com.

West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy is Now Open! 8am-9am PT/ 11am-Noon ET for our especially special Daily Specials; River City Hash Mondays!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Bill Barr “is a coward.”Then, on the rest of the menu, the Black pastor in Alabama who was arrested by white police officers while watering the flowers for an out of town neighbor, has filed a federal lawsuit; the Commerce Department declared fishery disasters for several West Coast tribes and allocated $17.4 million in disaster assistance; and, two American Indian tribes in South Dakota have joined forces to purchase forty acres around the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where USAID Administrator Samantha Power urged Sri Lankan authorities to tackle corruption and introduce governance reforms as a way out of its worst crisis in recent memory ; and, scaled-down celebrations took place in Denmark marking fifty years on the throne by Queen Margrethe, now the only female monarch in the world.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"I was never a spy. I was with the OSS organization. We had a number of women, but we were all office help." - Julia Child~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Show Notes & Links:https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/12/2122281/-West-Coast-Cookbook-Speakeasy-Daily-Special-River-City-Hash-Mondays

Zelenskyy called on companies to invest in rebuilding Ukraine's economy; Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, said to be working on major energy aid package; Commerce Department to accept applications for chip subsidies starting in February To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  Landaas & Company newsletter  September edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Paige Radke Kendall Bauer (with Max Hoelzl, Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2022) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday No major releases Tuesday Higher mortgage rates may be dampening demand for home buying, but house prices continued to rise near historic rates. According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national index, prices rose 18% in June from the year before. That was a slowdown from nearly 20% in May and a record 21% in March. A spokesperson for the longstanding measure said despite three months of decelerated price increases, the market remained “robust” with double-digit increases reported for each of the 20 cities in the composite index. The Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index improved in August for the first time in four months. The business research group said concerns about inflation remained high, though they had declined a bit. Expectations rose from a nine-year low in June. Consumers' attitudes toward current conditions gained for the first time in five months. Intentions to make major purchases and take vacations improved. The Conference Board said consumers remained squeamish about inflation and rising interest rates. The labor market showed strength in July with nearly twice the number of job openings as there were unemployed job seekers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said employers had 11.2 million openings in July, vs. a separate report earlier counting about 5.7 million people as unemployed in July. Not every job seeker would qualify for every opening, but the comparison suggests how much supply and demand are out of balance. July marked the first time in four months that openings increased. The number of workers quitting their jobs — a measure of employee confidence — declined for the fourth month in a row but stayed close to the record high of 4.5 million quits last November. Wednesday No major releases Thursday The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims fell for only the second time in the 21 weeks since hitting an all-time low in early April. At 241,500 new applications, the average was 35% below the 55-year average, according to Labor Department data. In total, 1.4 million Americans claimed unemployment compensation in the latest week, down less than 1% from the week before and down from more than 12 million the year before. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said worker productivity sank at an annual rate of 4.1% in the second quarter, revised from an initial estimate of a 4.6% decline. The annual rate for output fell 1.4%, revised from a decline of 2.1%. The pace of hours worked rose 2.7%. Compared to the second quarter of 2021, productivity dropped 2.4%, the biggest year-to-year dip in data going back to 1948. In the last year, unit labor costs — which measure worker compensation against productivity — rose 9.3%, the most since 1982. The manufacturing sector expanded in August at the same pace as July, which was the weakest in two years. Still, the Institute for Supply Management reported that manufacturers broadly and collectively grew for the 27th month in a row. The trade group said its surveys of purchasing managers indicated "at least a slight easing of supply chain congestion." Based on past relationships between the index and gross domestic product, the group said the overall economy was expanding at a 1.4% annual growth rate. The Commerce Department said construction spending declined in July, down for the second month in a row after hitting an all-time high of nearly $1.8 trillion in May. Home construction spending fell 1.5% from June's pace but was 14% ahead of July 2021. Public construction spending rose 1.5% from June, led by expenditures on highways and streets. Friday U.S. employers continued adding jobs in August,

  Landaas & Company newsletter  August edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Dave Sandstrom Steve Giles (with Max Hoelzl, Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (Aug. 22-26, 2022) SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC INDICATORS & REPORTS Monday No significant releases Tuesday The annual sales rate of new houses sank 12.6% in July and was 30% below the year-ago pace. The yearly rate of 511,000 houses sold was the lowest in six and a half years, according to the Commerce Department. The median sales price for a new house rose 8% from July 2021 to a record $439,400, Commerce reported. Meantime, the inventory of new houses for sale rose to 464,000, the most since March 2008. Wednesday In another sign of weakened housing, the National Association of Realtors reported a second consecutive drop in pending home sales in July. The trade group said its index declined 1% from June, the eighth fall in nine months. The index was down 20% from July 2021. The association said affordability is at its lowest point since 1989, with the typical mortgage payment up 54% from the year before. However, it suggested the housing market could revive in early 2023 if mortgage rates steady and the labor market stays strong. The Commerce Department said new orders for durable goods fell less than 0.1% in July, the first decline in four months. Commitments for commercial aircraft led a broad array of gains. Excluding the volatile transportation sector, orders rose 0.3% from June, better than analysts expected. Overall, demand for long-lasting manufactured items was up 11% from July 2021. Core capital goods orders, a proxy for business investments, rose 0.4% from June and were 10% ahead of the year before. Thursday The four-week moving average for initial unemployment insurance claims rose for the 18th time in the 20 weeks since hitting an all-time low in early April. At 247,000 claims, the average was the highest it has been since Thanksgiving, although it was still 33% below the 55-year average. The Labor Department reported that 1.4 million Americans claimed jobless benefits in the latest week, down 2% from the week before and down from 12 million the year before. The U.S. economy receded at a 0.6% annual rate in the second quarter, down from an initially estimated decline of 0.9%, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. Consumer spending, which drives about 70% of  gross domestic product, rose at a pace of 1.5%, slightly better than the previous estimate of 1%. Upward revisions for inventories, exports and spending by state and local governments also moderated the second-quarter decline. Adjusted for inflation, the economy expanded by 1.7% from the second quarter of 2021; it grew 2.6% from the end of 2019, just before the pandemic. Friday The Bureau of Economic Analysis said consumer spending rose by 0.1% in July, suggesting continued economic growth though at a slower pace. That was down from a 1% gain in June. Personal income also weakened in July, a trend that has contributed to lower savings for consumers. In July, Americans saved 5% of disposable income, down from 8.3% in February 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also showed that the Federal Reserve's main gauge of inflation declined by 0.1% in July and was up 6.3% from the year before. In June, the one-year inflation rate was 6.8%, still far above the Fed's long-term target of 2%. Considered a precursor to spending, consumer sentiment rose in August as slower inflation boosted economic expectations. Noting that “overall sentiment remains extremely low by historical standards,” the University of Michigan said its index rose to 58.2 in August from 51.5 in July. It read 70.3 the year before. The survey's director said consumers' economic outlooks rose after two months at the lowest level since the Great Recession. Expectations for personal finances rose broadly with a slight easing in concerns about inf...

Plus: Second-quarter economic decline was less severe than estimated, Commerce Department says. U.S. military kills members of Iran-backed militia in Syria. J.R. Whalen reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 20th, 2022... a big plunge in home sales, rent increase impact on tenants, and Airbnb's new anti-party technology.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week, and a big drop in residential construction activity. The Commerce Department says that housing starts were down 9.6% year-over-year in July to their lowest level since early last year. Building permits also fell in July. They were down 1.3% compared to June. (1) HousingWire Data Analyst, Logan Mohtashami, says that homebuilders are pulling back until mortgage rates fall and home-buying activity picks up again. (2)One reason that home builders are pulling back is the cancellation rate among buyers. A survey by John Burns Real Estate Consulting shows that the cancellation rate has more than doubled since April to 17.6% in July. The firm's data also shows a 16% cancellation rate for existing home sales or about 63,000 deals that fell through. (3) Some of the highest cancellation rates are in Florida along with Las Vegas and San Antonio.Why the high cancellation rate? As CNBC reports, there are two main reasons. One is that some buyers no longer qualify for a loan with a higher interest rate. The second is that homebuyers are worried about inflation and the possibility that home values might drop so they are simply walking away from their deals. The situation has rattled home builder confidence. The National Association of Homebuilders monthly confidence index dropped below 50 in August, which is the midpoint between negative and positive sentiment. The last time it fell below 50 was at the beginning of the pandemic. One year ago, it was 75. (4) Homebuilders are describing the situation as a “housing recession.” Existing home sales were also down again, for a sixth straight month. The National Association of Realtors says that sales fell 5.9% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million. If you exclude the pandemic, that's the weakest sales activity since November 2015. Although inventory was up 4.8%, there's still just a 3.3 month supply of homes, and with an average 14 days on the market. (5)The job market remains stable. Initial jobless claims were down a few thousand to a total of 250,000. Economists say the economy has slowed down because of rising interest rates, but there's no surge in lay-offs because the economy is still growing, and companies want to hold on to their employees.. (6) Mortgage RatesMortgage rates dipped a little. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was down nine basis points to 5.13% The 15-year was down 4 points to 4.55%. (7)In other news making headlines...Building Material Prices Move HigherThe cost of building materials moved higher in July led by a surge in concrete prices. The National Association of Home Builders says that building materials were up .4%, while concrete prices shot up 2.5%. (8)The NAHB says that ready-mix concrete prices have gone up in 17 of the last 18 months and now costs about 35% more than it did before the pandemic. That's similar to the total price increase for all building materials combined during the same time period.Rent Increase Impact on TenantsInflation is making it difficult for tenants to keep up with their rent payments. Freddie Mac conducted a survey that shows almost all of them have been impacted by higher prices, and that 60% of them have experienced a rent increase in the past year. 40% of those tenants say they are somewhat likely to miss a rent payment while 20% say they are extremely likely to miss a payment. (9)The survey also asked about the size of the rent increases. About a quarter of the survey participants said that rent went up 10% or less. 15% said it went up 10% or more. 11% said rents were more than 20% higher. 6% said the increase was more than 30%.Airbnb's New U.S. Anti-Party TechnologyAirbnb has launched new anti-party tools in the U.S. and Canada. The tools will help identify users who appear to be organizing a party. The technology will look for red flags including any negative reviews on Airbnb, whether the user is local, the length of the reservation, and whether it's a weekend or a weekday. (10)Airbnb has been testing these tools in Australia since October of last year, and has found that they are very effective. The company says there was a 35% drop in unauthorized parties while the pilot program was in effect. The company says this new system is more robust than the “under-25 system” that is currently in place in the U.S. That program is mostly focused on people under the age of 25 without any positive reviews and are booking an Airbnb locally, indicating a possible desire to hold a party with their friends. That's it for today. If you'd like to read more about any of these topics, check the show notes (below) for links at newsforinvestors.com. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!If you haven't yet joined RealWealth, please sign up. It's free and will give you access to our members-only Investor Portal where you'll find data on specific markets, the property teams that we work with, and other resources. Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/pdf/newresconst.pdf2 -https://www.housingwire.com/articles/homebuilders-are-done-until-mortgage-rates-fall/3 -https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/16/homebuyers-are-backing-out-of-more-deals-as-recession-fears-linger.html4 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/home-builders-see-housing-recession-as-builder-sentiment-index-drops-further-in-august-11660572142?mod=economic-report5 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/july-existing-home-sales-fall-for-the-sixth-straight-month-realtors-see-housing-recession-11660831837?mod=economic-report6 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-fall-to-250-000-and-signal-labor-market-is-still-strong-11660826638?mod=economic-report7 -https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms8 -https://eyeonhousing.org/2022/08/building-materials-prices-increase-in-june-as-concrete-surges/9 -https://www.multihousingnews.com/60-of-residents-saw-rent-increases-freddie-mac/10 -https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-introduces-new-anti-party-technology-in-us-and-canada/

  Landaas & Company newsletter  August edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Art Rothschild (with Max Hoelzl, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (Aug. 15-19, 2022) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday No major announcements Tuesday Housing construction data showed declines in July amid the rising costs of financing. Both building permits and housing starts dropped to slower paces, with permits down 1.3% from June and starts down 9.6%. Both indicators hovered at elevations before the Great Recession, with single-family housing falling off more than multi-unit structures. The same report from the Commerce Department revealed a relatively healthy home building market with the number of houses under construction near an all-time high in more than 52 years of data. The Federal Reserve reported a 0.6% gain in industrial production in July, led by manufacturing. Auto makers increased their output by 6.6% for the month. Excluding their contribution, manufacturing production rose 0.3%. Total industrial production advanced nearly 4% from the year before, with manufacturing up 3%, mining up nearly 8% and utilities up 2%. Industries' capacity utilization rate, an inflation indicator, rose to 80.3%, its highest level in four years. The 50-year average for capacity utilization is 79.6%. Wednesday The Commerce Department reported Retail sales in July were essentially flat from the prior month. Excluding gasoline and auto sales, retail sales rose 0.7% in July from June. Retail sales were 10.3% higher than July 2021. Thursday The Labor Department reported that the four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims was down from the prior week and remains significantly lower than the 33-year average (about 1/3 lower). Continued signs of broad strength in the labor market. The Conference Board said its leading economic indicators index has fallen 1.6% from January to July 2022. Conference board projects U.S. economy will not expand in Q3 and "could tip into a short but mild recession" by year end or early 2023. Existing home sales declined 5.9% from the prior month and 20.2% from a year ago in July. Buyers continue to be sidelined by higher mortgage rates and already high prices as well as the reduced value of other investments. The 30-year fixed Mortgage Rate was still above 5%, but below the 5.8% Mid-June peak. Friday No major announcements MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK Nasdaq – 12705, down 342 points or 2.6% Standard & Poor's 500 – 4228, down 52 points or 1.2% Dow Jones Industrial – 33706, down 55 points or 0.2% 10-year U.S. Treasury Note – 2.98%, up 0.13 point Send us a question for our next podcast. Not a Landaas & Company client yet? Click here to learn more. More information and insight from Money Talk Money Talk Videos Follow us on Twitter. Landaas newsletter subscribers return to the newsletter via e-mail.

A variety of local governments and non-profits recently received workforce training federal grants. The Economic Development Administration, part of the Commerce Department, awarded the grants under a program called, "The Good Jobs Challenge." The goal is to create job opportunities for 50,000 people. To find out how the program works, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Michele Chang, the deputy assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

New home construction plunged in July, according to the Commerce Department. The reports shows that housing starts fell 9.1% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.45 million. That's down from a revised 1.6 million in June, and the lowest level of new home construction since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (1)I'm Kathy Fettke.Single-family construction was down even more, at 10.1%. Permits for new homes were also down 1.3%. But the regional numbers are wildly different, with the Northeast seeing a 65.6% increase in total housing starts. The other three regions account for the big drop.Builders say more homebuyers are canceling contracts because of high prices for homes, mortgages, and the cost of living in general. One in five says they have reduced their home prices in the past month to limit contract cancellations.The Commerce Department says the average cost to build a home has gone up almost 38% since January of 2020. That, along with rising mortgage rates, and supply-chain issues that cost both time and money, are discouraging many homebuyers.The National Association of Home Builders Chairman Jerry Konter describes the current market as a “housing recession.” But Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, says there is a silver lining. With inflation showing signs of a peak, and mortgage rates potentially stabilizing around 5%, he expects renewed buyer activity – especially given the demand for housing and the shortage of homes. (2)Yun says: “Homebuilders are naturally very cautious about rising unsold inventory during the construction phase. But those completed homes are finding buyers within three months.”He also sees less uncertainty in the housing market as supply chain issues ease up for things like lumber and appliances. Rapidly rising rents are also providing strong incentives for the construction of rental housing. You'll find a link to the Commerce Department report in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com.Please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 - https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/pdf/newresconst.pdf2 - https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/08/16/builders-concerned-about-sudden-pullback-in-new-home-market

First, retail data for July has emerged from the Commerce Department. The downturn in new home construction offers a peek into the state of the housing market. The BBC reports on food prices and the pressure they bring to Peru and Nigeria.

First, retail data for July has emerged from the Commerce Department. The downturn in new home construction offers a peek into the state of the housing market. The BBC reports on food prices and the pressure they bring to Peru and Nigeria.

Only in the last year has the 2019 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act started to demonstrate a real impact on agency missions. As agencies updated their strategic plans for 2022, many used the law to drive better cross-agency conversations. For more, David Walters, the chief of strategic planning, performance management and reporting branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center; Harry Knight, the executive director for China and former director of the Office of Performance Evaluation at the Commerce Department; and Jeff Yefsky, the CEO of the Performance Institute spoke to Executive Editor Jason Miller at a recent panel on this week's Ask the CIO.

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 6th, 2022... the Fed's next move, a mortgage rate rollback for home buyers, and a new all-time high for single-family rents.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve policymakers say they are “nowhere near” the end of their fight against inflation. Four Fed Presidents spoke out on Tuesday, August 2nd, about their resolve to get inflation back down to 2%. San Francisco Fed Chief Mary Daly said that she is currently seeing a 50 basis point rate hike as appropriate in September, but she says: “If we just see inflation roaring ahead undauntedly, the labor market showing no signs of slowing, then we'll be in a different position where a 75-basis-point increase might be more appropriate.” Comments from the other three Fed Presidents were similar. (1)And then there was a screamingly strong jobs report a few days later. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that hiring in July exceeded expectations. Nonfarm payrolls were up 528,000, and the unemployment rate dipped lower, to 3.5%. To put this in perspective, in the years leading up to 2020 when the economy was robust, job creation was closer to 195,000 per month on average.The unemployment rate is now back to its pre-pandemic level. As reported by MarketWatch, it's tied for the lowest level since 1969. (2) Some economists see the strong jobs report as signs that the Federal Reserve will lean toward a more aggressive rate hike in September. KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk said in a CNBC report: “This is hot. For the Fed, this is another 75 basis point hike.” (3)The unemployment report shows a slightly elevated level of new claims. During the last week of July, 260,000 people applied for benefits which is an increase of 6,000 from the week before. The number of continuing claims was also higher by about 48,000. That brings the total number of continuing claims up to about 1.42 million, which is the highest level since April. (4)A new report on home price growth shows that year-over-year prices were up 18.2% in June. On a month-to-month basis, the CoreLogic report says they were up .6% for the 125th consecutive month of higher prices. This is more inflationary news that may convince the Fed to be more aggressive with rate future hikes. However, the report does shows that price growth is slowing down. CoreLogic expects it to drop to 4.3% by next June. (5)Higher home prices also increase homeowner equity. CoreLogic says the average borrower had $280,000 in home equity at the end of the first quarter. That's a gain of about $64,000 over the past year, and a gain of about $125,000 over five years. (6) Those folks expecting a housing crash will have to consider why homeowners with so much equity and low fixed rate mortgage payments would suddenly abandon their homes. Higher home prices are slowing sales, and that's driving up inventory levels, but they are still nowhere they need to be. According to Realtor.com, active listings are about 30% higher than they were a year ago but are less than half of what they were in June of 2019 and about two-thirds of where they were in June of 2020. The good news is that homebuyers have a few more homes to choose from and a little extra time to make a decision, but only a little extra time. The Realtor.com trends report says that homes are spending just ONE extra day on the market compared to last year.(7)New home builders are also experiencing a sales slowdown and higher inventory levels. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, there are more than nine months supply of newly-built homes on the market. However, it can be difficult to gauge new home inventory because many of those homes are experiencing construction delays and not sales delays. (8)Another sign of the housing market slowdown is a sharp drop in construction spending. The Commerce Department reported a 1.1% decrease in June. Private residential construction took the biggest hit. It was down 1.6%. (9) Ironically, the construction of new homes is what's needed to increase supply, yet builders are generally the first to get hit with higher interest rates. A slow down in new home construction could mean continued bidding wars on existing homes in growth markets.Mortgage RatesHome buyers are getting a break right now on their mortgage rates. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped below 4% for the week ending August 4th. They dropped 31 basis points to an average of 4.99%. The 15-year dropped 32 points to 4.26%. Freddie Mac's Chief Economist, Sam Khater, says: “Mortgage rates remain volatile due to the tug of war between inflationary pressures and a clear slowdown in economic growth.” (10)You may be wondering why mortgage rates have gone down when the Fed fund rate is going up. Mortgage rates are generally tied to the 10-year Treasury as mortgage backed securities attract the same type of investor. With the Fed raising rates aggressively, big investors are worried it will create a recession, so they seek the safety of bonds and MBS's. These investors also may believe that we've hit a peak in inflation. Otherwise they would invest in inflationary stocks instead of bonds. In other news making headlines... Single-Family Rent GrowthDemand continues to grow for single-family rentals as more and more potential homebuyers are priced out of the market. And that's pushing rents higher. A new report from Yardi Matrix says the average single-family asking rent rose $23 in June, to an all-time high of $2,071. (11)Rent growth is slowing for both single-family and multi-family rentals. The report says that year-over-year single-family rent growth has dropped 90 basis points, to an annual rate of 11.8%.House Approves Remote NotarizationThe U.S. House approved legislation that would make remote online notarizations possible in all 50 states. The bill will make it easier to close a deal without having the notary and the person signing the agreement in the same room. During the pandemic, agents in many states had to arrange for drive-by closings, with social distancing. (12) The pandemic also inspired almost half the states to allow for remote notarizations. The National Association of Realtors pushed for a national bill to support the demand for virtual sales and closings in all 50 states, even though there's less concern now about pandemic-related safety measures. The bill is now pending consideration in the Senate. That's it for today. Check the show notes for links at newsforinvestors.com. I would also like to share some other exciting news. Within the last few weeks, we hit a big milestone for Real Estate News for Investors. It's been six-and-a-half years since our first news podcast, and we have now posted our 1200th show! We are currently posting two or three podcasts a week for real estate professionals. Set your podcast player to have them automatically downloaded, so you don't miss any! And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-02/daly-says-fed-nowhere-near-done-on-curbing-high-infation-rate2 -https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/feds-daly-34-reasonable-place-get-by-year-end-rates-2022-08-03/3 -https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/05/jobs-report-july-2022-528000.html4 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-unemployment-claims-climb-to-260-000-and-stick-near-nine-month-high-11659616784?mod=economy-politics5 -https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/u-s-home-price-insights/6 -https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/podcast-vodcast/oce-monthly/homeowner-equity-reached-record-level-in-early-2022/7 -https://www.realtor.com/research/weekly-housing-trends-view-data-week-july-30-2022/8 -https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSACSR9 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/construction-spending-fell-sharply-in-june-11659363237?mod=economic-report10 -https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms11 -https://rentalhousingjournal.com/average-rents-rise-to-all-time-high-in-june/?utm_source=Master+Vendors&utm_campaign=a590da3d77-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_07_20_02_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4780df7d33-a590da3d77-11392877312 -https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/07/28/remote-online-notarization-is-one-step-closer

  Landaas & Company newsletter  August edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show KYLE TETTING ART ROTHSCHILD CHRIS EVERS (with Max Hoelzl and Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (August 1-5, 2022) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday The manufacturing sector expanded in July for the 26th month in a row, though at the slowest pace in two years, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The trade group's index, based on surveys of purchasing managers, showed demand weakening for the second consecutive month, which has helped unclog some supply chains and ease price pressures. Executives expressed optimism for their businesses despite observations of the economy slowing. The Commerce Department said construction spending contracted 1.1% in June. Seasonally adjusted annual spending on single-family housing led a broad array of declines. Residential projects made up more than half of total construction spending. Tuesday Employers' demand for workers eased slightly in June, with job openings falling to 10.7 million, down for the third consecutive month after peaking at nearly 12 million in March. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed openings still well above the pre-pandemic high of 7.5 million. Meantime, the levels of hires and separations stayed steady. Volunteer quits, a measure of employee confidence, remained historically high at 4.2 million. Wednesday Demand for manufactured goods continued in June as factory orders rose for the 13th time in 14 months. The value of orders rose 2% from May, with double-digit increases for military aircraft, household appliances and photographic equipment. The Commerce Department reported that orders increased 14% from June 2021. Excluding volatile orders for transportation equipment, demand rose 13% from the year before. The service sector grew in July at the fastest rate in four months, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The trade group's service index showed expansion for the 26th month in a row with more orders and business activity. Hiring slowed, but so did back orders and prices. The ISM said its index suggested the gross domestic product was growing at a 2.4% annual rate. Thursday The U.S. trade deficit narrowed 6.2% in June to $79.6 billion, the lowest since December, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Exports grew 1.7% from May, led by non-monetary gold and natural gas. Imports declined 0.3%, led by automotive products. Through the first half of 2022, the gap between what the U.S. sells abroad and what it consumes from other countries rose 33% from the year before, with exports growing 20% and imports gaining 23%. The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose again, as it has every week since hitting an all-time low in early April. The average reached 254,750, the highest since November, though it remained 31% below the 55-year average. The Labor Department said nearly 15 million Americans claimed jobless benefits in the latest week, down 0.3% from the week before and down from 13 million the year before. Friday U.S. employers added 528,000 jobs in July, pushing employment back to where it dropped off at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. The unemployment rate also returned to 3.5% for the first time since February 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The jobs recovery represents a rebound of 22 million positions lost little more than two years ago. The unemployment rate was down from a record 14.7% in April 2020. While many measures were at or better than their pre-pandemic marks, notable exceptions included a lower participation rate in the labor force, more long-term unemployment and permanent job losses and a deficit of 1.2 million jobs (7%) in the leisure and hospitality industry. MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK Nasdaq – 12658, up 267 points or 2.2% Standard & Poor's 500 – 4145, up 15 points or 0.

President Biden declared last week that the US is not in a recession despite the Commerce Department reporting that the US economy shrank for two consecutive quarters—the technical definition of a recession. Biden also tested positive for Covid again. In The Daily Article for August 1, 2022, Dr. Jim Denison considers these news stories, including the recent deaths of NBA legend Bill Russell and the groundbreaking Black actress Nichelle Nichols, as a way to discuss how we tend to deal with death—by reframing it instead of facing it with the hope Jesus gives. Author: Dr. Jim Denison Narrator: Chris Elkins Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe

The Rich Zeoli Podcast- July 31st, 2022: On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced that U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by an inflation and seasonally adjusted rate of 0.9%—the second consecutive quarter of GDP decline, meeting the traditional definition of a recession. However, officials within President Biden's White House are now attempting to redefine the term "recession," while others boldly deny the economy is struggling at all. PLUS don't miss Clarice Schillinger's M.I.L.F. of the week, Joe Biden's latest word salad (how do you pronounce Paxlovid?), stupid things said by stupid people, and a special appearance from Steve Van Zandt…kind of…ok, not really… This week's guests are attorney Francis Malofiy and social studies teacher Jason Moorehead. Moorhead had taught at the same school for 18-years but was fired by the Allentown School Board on Wednesday for having attended a Donald Trump rally on January 6th, despite being miles away from the U.S. Capitol and having never been accused of any crime. Are his 1st Amendment rights being violated? 

The Rich Zeoli Podcast- July 31st, 2022: On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced that U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by an inflation and seasonally adjusted rate of 0.9%—the second consecutive quarter of GDP decline, meeting the traditional definition of a recession. However, officials within President Biden's White House are now attempting to redefine the term "recession," while others boldly deny the economy is struggling at all. PLUS don't miss Clarice Schillinger's M.I.L.F. of the week, Joe Biden's latest word salad (how do you pronounce Paxlovid?), stupid things said by stupid people, and a special appearance from Steve Van Zandt…kind of…ok, not really… This week's guests are attorney Francis Malofiy and social studies teacher Jason Moorehead. Moorhead had taught at the same school for 18-years but was fired by the Allentown School Board on Wednesday for having attended a Donald Trump rally on January 6th, despite being miles away from the U.S. Capitol and having never been accused of any crime. Are his 1st Amendment rights being violated? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unprompted violent crimes are on the rise in several major cities across America — leaving many in hot spots like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City fearful of neighborhoods they once deemed safe. Melanie, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins the Rundown to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent instances like these from happening. Later, Fox News Political Analyst Gianno Caldwell, whose 18-year-old brother Christian was murdered in Chicago, joins the Rundown to discuss how “soft on crime” policies have caused violent crime rates to surge — leaving countless families, like his, in grief. Later, Melanie, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent more violence.   With inflation hitting record highs, many Americans are worried that we are in a recession.  According to the Commerce Department, the Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.9% during the second quarter of 2022, leading many analysts to declare it a recession. However, the Biden Administration says factors such as job growth and good consumer spending are pointing away from recession. Liz Claman, host​ of the Claman Countdown on FOX Business and the Everyone Talks To Liz Claman podcast, joins the Rundown to discuss these unusual economic circumstances, areas in which rate hikes are making a difference, and what companies should do in order to retain their employees.   Don't miss the good news with Tonya J. Powers.   Plus, commentary by the host of The Brian Kilmeade Show and Co-Host of 'Fox & Friends,' Brian Kilmeade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's clearly not a good thing that the Commerce Department reported a second consecutive quarter of negative growth, with U.S. gross domestic product declining at an annualized rate of 0.9% in the second quarter. But are we in recession? Following the May meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, George Goncalves forecast back-to-back 50-basis-point rate hikes in June and July, warning the Federal Reserve could “miscalibrate and push us over the edge.” Well, we got 75 and 75. When will tightening financial conditions impact the economy and markets in a way that gets the Federal Reserve's attention? And where can we look for such a signal? Goncalves, the head of U.S. macro strategy at MUFG, joins Real Vision's Maggie Lake to talk about the journey from inflation risk to rate risk to credit risk. We also hear from Jim Bianco about what's happening in perhaps the most critical area of global finance: “Things have already broken the bond market.” For Conclaves charts click here: https://rvtv.io/3vo88Qs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unprompted violent crimes are on the rise in several major cities across America — leaving many in hot spots like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City fearful of neighborhoods they once deemed safe. Melanie, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins the Rundown to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent instances like these from happening. Later, Fox News Political Analyst Gianno Caldwell, whose 18-year-old brother Christian was murdered in Chicago, joins the Rundown to discuss how “soft on crime” policies have caused violent crime rates to surge — leaving countless families, like his, in grief. Later, Melanie, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent more violence.   With inflation hitting record highs, many Americans are worried that we are in a recession.  According to the Commerce Department, the Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.9% during the second quarter of 2022, leading many analysts to declare it a recession. However, the Biden Administration says factors such as job growth and good consumer spending are pointing away from recession. Liz Claman, host​ of the Claman Countdown on FOX Business and the Everyone Talks To Liz Claman podcast, joins the Rundown to discuss these unusual economic circumstances, areas in which rate hikes are making a difference, and what companies should do in order to retain their employees.   Don't miss the good news with Tonya J. Powers.   Plus, commentary by the host of The Brian Kilmeade Show and Co-Host of 'Fox & Friends,' Brian Kilmeade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Landaas & Company newsletter  August edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Brian Kilb Dave Sandstrom Kendall Bauer (with Max Hoelzl and Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (July 25-29, 2022) SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC INDICATORS & REPORTS Monday No major releases Tuesday The year-to-year increase in residential prices slowed in May for the second month in a row. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index rose 19.7% from the year before, down from 20.6% in April. Of 20 cities tracked in a composite index, 16 had lower increases in May, but all 20 saw double-digit gains. A spokesman for the index projected that further price gains will narrow as rising financing costs for houses take a toll on demand. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index declined in July for the third month in a row, suggesting slower economic growth entering the third quarter and raising the risk of recession. July's drop-off in optimism occurred mostly in consumer expectations. The business research group said ongoing concerns about inflation were holding back more consumers' plans to buy big-ticket items. About 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. The annual rate of new home sales fell in June, dropping 8% from May and down 17% from the pace in June 2021. The Commerce Department reported that the inventory of unsold houses rose to their highest level since May 2009. Meanwhile, the median price of new houses rose to $402,400, up 7% from June 2021. Half of the houses sold in June cost $400,000 or more, compared to 34% in all of 2020. Wednesday Manufacturing demand remained high in June, with durable goods orders rising for the eighth time in nine months. Orders rose 1.9% from May, with broad gains led by an 80% jump in contracts for military aircraft. Excluding the volatile transportation category, the value of orders rose 0.4% from May, according to figures from the Commerce Department. Core capital goods orders, a proxy for business investment, rose 0.5% from May and 10% from June 2021. The National Association of Realtors blamed rising mortgage rates and high prices for dampening demand for real estate in June. The trade association said its pending home sales index dropped 8.6% from May and 20% from the year before. The Realtors said home buying is 80% more expensive than it was three years ago and that nearly a quarter of those who bought a house in 2019 wouldn't qualify to buy now. The association projected a 13% decline in sales in 2022. Thursday The U.S. economy sank at an annual pace of 0.9% in the second quarter, the second consecutive decline, following a 1.6% setback in the first three months of the year. Adjusted for inflation, gross domestic product rose 1.6% from the same time in 2021 and was up 2.5% from the peak before the pandemic, according to new data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Although two consecutive quarters of declining GDP is a common shorthand for economic recession, the actual definition is more complicated. Some officials say the latest data fall short of showing a recession yet. The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims continued rising since hitting an all-time low in early April. The Labor Department reported the moving average at nearly 250,000 claims, the highest since November and up from about 170,000 in April. The level was 30% above the low point just before the pandemic yet 33% lower than the 55-year average. In the latest week, nearly 1.5 million Americans claimed jobless benefits, up 9% from the week before but down from 13.1 million the year before. Friday The Bureau of Economic Analysis said consumer spending rose 1.1% in June, although it was just 0.1% after adjusting for inflation. Personal income gained 0.6% in June, the same as in May. As a result of increased spending on steady income, the personal saving rate fell to 5.1%, the lowest since August 2009.

Unprompted violent crimes are on the rise in several major cities across America — leaving many in hot spots like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City fearful of neighborhoods they once deemed safe. Melanie, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins the Rundown to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent instances like these from happening. Later, Fox News Political Analyst Gianno Caldwell, whose 18-year-old brother Christian was murdered in Chicago, joins the Rundown to discuss how “soft on crime” policies have caused violent crime rates to surge — leaving countless families, like his, in grief. Later, Melanie Reims Anderson, a West Los Angeles resident attacked in broad daylight just a block from her home, joins to share how her assault impacted her life and what she believes needs to change to prevent more violence.   With inflation hitting record highs, many Americans are worried that we are in a recession.  According to the Commerce Department, the Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.9% during the second quarter of 2022, leading many analysts to declare it a recession. However, the Biden Administration says factors such as job growth and good consumer spending are pointing away from recession. Liz Claman, host​ of the Claman Countdown on FOX Business and the Everyone Talks To Liz Claman podcast, joins the Rundown to discuss these unusual economic circumstances, areas in which rate hikes are making a difference, and what companies should do in order to retain their employees.   Don't miss the good news with Tonya J. Powers.   Plus, commentary by the host of The Brian Kilmeade Show and Co-Host of 'Fox & Friends,' Brian Kilmeade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PODCAST ON JULY 26, 2022- TOMMY NATION POLITICS: "The Side-Step..." A RATHER INTERESTING SHOW WITH DIFFERENT MINDSETS AND VIEWS ON POLITICS SHOW NOTES: President Biden has a new headache: He can't avoid the debate over whether the U.S. is in a recession, but if he dwells on it, he may hasten the very slowdown he's desperate to avoid... In economics, psychology matters. If the country and consumers believe we're in a recession — even if we technically aren't — the economy will eventually slow down, turning Biden's inflation problem into a potential stagflation nightmare. Presidents can't talk their way out of an economic downturn, but they do have a unique ability to set the general tone of the country. Biden, like his predecessors, likes to accentuate positive economic data. But with a 9.1% inflation rate and potentially two quarters of negative GDP growth, Biden can't push the glass-half-full argument too far. His initial sanguine call on inflation — insisting it would be short-term — has already eroded some of his credibility. Driving the news: On Thursday, the Commerce Department will release the initial GDP numbers for the second quarter of 2022, with economists expecting a 0.5% increase. Still, there are plenty of worrying signs: the Atlanta Fed's "nowcast" model suggests GDP growth will come in at -1.6%. Biden officials have been pre-butting the numbers and challenging the yeoman's definition that a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, as Axios' Neil Irwin reported last week. "Certainly, in terms of the technical definition, it is not a recession," Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, said on CNN on Monday morning. What they're saying: Biden on Monday again downplayed the recession risk... "My hope is we go from this rapid growth to steady growth and so we'll see some coming down," he said. "But I don't think, God willing, we're going to see a recession," he said. "I'll be surprised." SHOW AND EPISODE SPONSERED BY: WWW.LIVERISHI.COM USE PROMO CODE: PATRIOTUNFILTERED FOR 20% OFF COMPLETE ORDER --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/savagedunfiltered/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/savagedunfiltered/support

This morning the Commerce Department announced the economy shrank by 0.9% in the second quarter of 2022. That comes after the announcement last April that the economy contracted by 1.6% in the first quarter of this year. Now, the United States has had two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, which is the popularly accepted definition of a recession. So it's official: The U.S. is in a recession.

Thursday was a big news day! DuWayne Bosse of Bolt Marketing joined the show in the first segment to breakdown the volatility in the soybean market over the past week and had a northern plains crop report. In segment 2, US GDP was under discussion with Dr. Jason Miller, Supply Chain Professor at the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University, as the Commerce Department reported a .9% decline in GDP for Q2. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa joined the show next to discuss the Democrat tax and climate bill that could see debate on the floor next week. And we ended with Todd Neeley, DTN Staff Reporter, who has been covering a lawsuit against Smithfield in Washington DC.

This morning the Commerce Department announced the economy shrank by 0.9% in the second quarter of 2022. That comes after the announcement last April that the economy contracted by 1.6% in the first quarter of this year. Now, the United States has had two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, which is the popularly accepted […]

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 24th, 2022... how Yellen would like to fix the supply chain, a return to 2007 housing affordability, and the latest way to make rental income off your property.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week, and reassurances from former Fed Chief Janet Yellen. She said during an interview on NBC's “Meet the Press” that the U.S. economy is slowing down, but says that a strong job market is proof that we're not in a recession. (1) Her words come before a week of important economic reports. Coming up in the week ahead, the second quarter GDP, inflation, consumer income and spending, and what is expected to be a three-quarter point rate hike by the Federal Reserve.Let's rewind to this past week. Although hiring is strong, the government reports a jump in state unemployment claims. They were up 7,000 to 251,000. Wall Street economists had expected a slight decline in those initial claims. Currently, there are 1.38 million collecting unemployment checks. (2)The housing market slowdown continues. Housing starts fell in June. the Commerce Department reports that they were down 2% in June to 1.56 million new home starts. That's also a 6.3% annual drop in starts and the lowest level since last September. Building permits were also down .6% to 1.69 million. Breaking the report down further, construction starts fell 8.1% for single-family homes while apartment starts were “up” 15%. The number for permits were similar. (3)As a real estate investor, it's important to remember that the housing market is “local” so national numbers don't tell the whole story. The National Association of Home Builders issued a report on permits showing the top ten markets for single-family construction. At the top of the list is Houston, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Orlando, Nashville, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Despite the overall slowdown, some markets are still fired up. (4)Demand is still strong for single family homes, but prices have gotten too high for some buyers. The National Association of Realtors says that existing home sales fell 5.4% to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.12 million homes in June. That's the weakest they've been since the start of the pandemic, and compared with last year, they are down 14.2%. (5) In addition to high home prices, sales are being impacted by higher mortgage rates and a lack of more affordably priced homes. (5)Housing market conditions have weakened home builder confidence. The NAHB says the monthly confidence index dropped 12 points to 55 in July. That's a larger-than-expected decline, and the second largest since the association created the index. As a comparison, the index was at 80 last July. (6)Mortgage RatesMortgage rates crept a little higher last week. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3 basis points higher to an interest rate of 5.54%. The 15-year was 8 points higher to 4.75%. (7)In other news making headlines...Yellen on Supply Chain IssuesYellen offered a suggestion for supply chain issues. She said that allied countries could strengthen their supply chains by “friend-shoring.” The term is similar to “onshoring” which refers to production or operations within our borders. (8)She says she's not discouraging trade with any country, but says that by working more with trusted partners, supply chains would be more resilient when there's some sort of global emergency or conflict.Housing Affordability Near 2007 LevelHousing affordability is hovering near 2007 levels. A report by S&P Global Ratings shows that homebuyers will have to pay about 28% of their income on mortgage payments by the end of this year. That's the highest percentage since the first quarter of 2007. NAR guidelines state that a homeowner's mortgage payment should not be higher than 25% of their paycheck. (9)That calculation is based on a 10% down payment. The analysis also shows that it will take entry-level buyers 11.3 years to save up for that down payment. It's more than twice as long as a pre-pandemic rate of five years.SwimplyThere's more ways than one to make money renting some part of your home. A website called Swimply makes it easy to rent out your pool for hours at a time. A CNBC Make It blog profiled an Oregon resident who spent $110,000 building a luxury pool ten years ago, and over the last two years has more than made that money back. (10)He says it's important to know a lot about pool maintenance and water chemistry. He also says that he was a lot busier when there were fewer people doing the same thing because there are now a lot more pools for potential customers to choose from.That's it for today. Join RealWealth for free here. Check the show notes for links, and remember to hit the subscribe button for the latest news on real estate, the housing market, and the economy. By subscribing, you'll have easy access to all past and future podcasts. If you like what you hear, we would greatly appreciate a review with lots of stars! Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-janet-yellen-948009cdbc67f5b6f9742a35f7214feb2 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-jobless-claims-jump-to-highest-level-since-november-11658407332?mod=economic-report3 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-housing-starts-fall-in-june-for-the-second-straight-month-11658234929?mod=mw_latestnews&mod=u.s.-economic-calendar4 -https://eyeonhousing.org/2022/07/slowdown-in-single-family-permits-in-may-2022/5 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-existing-home-sales-fall-for-the-fifth-straight-month-in-june-11658326211?mod=economic-report6 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-home-builder-confidence-plunges-in-july-nahb-reports-11658152827?mod=economy-politics7 -https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms8 -https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/19/us-treasury-secretary-on-supply-chain-resilience-use-friend-shoring.html9 -https://seekingalpha.com/news/3859754-us-housing-affordability-poised-to-fall-to-lowest-since-gfc-on-soaring-prices-rates10 -https://seekingalpha.com/news/3859754-us-housing-affordability-poised-to-fall-to-lowest-since-gfc-on-soaring-prices-rates11 -https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/21/swimply-side-hustle-making-money-renting-backyard-pool-to-strangers.html

Chip Manufacturing I for one am glad to see positive news from the Senate regarding a bill designed to boost US semiconductor competition. After a key procedural vote that passed 64-34, the stage is now set for final passage in the chamber either late this week or early next week. It would then head to the house for passage and finally to Joe Biden to sign the bill into law. The bill would provide about $50 B in subsidies to aid chip manufacturing. Some chip companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm aren't as pleased with the bill as they say the bill does not do enough to support them and it favors manufacturers like Intel. Personally, I do not believe we need a bill to help chip design as that has been a highly profitable business many chip companies have focused on. The manufacturing side is not as profitable and is much more capital intensive. Manufacturing is where the major issues are as we have seen 48% of chip sales come from US companies, but just 12% of the manufacturing takes place in the US. This is down from 37% in 1990. I was also glad to see the new bill was stripped down from other versions that included other areas of focus like taxes and climate policy. I hate when politicians try and bundle a bunch of crap into one bill, especially when a particular area has bipartisan support. 529 Plans I have been getting a lot of questions about 529 plans lately and I must say for the most part I don't believe they are worth it. Looking at the tax benefits I do not think they are worth the potential risk. To begin some states, allow for a deduction on state income taxes, but here in CA there is no deduction for a contribution. The other benefit is the funds grow tax free and withdrawals are tax free if used for qualifying expenses. The downsides here are that if the funds are not used for qualifying expenses there is a 10% federal penalty, CA imposes a 2.5% penalty, and the gains are subject to income tax. Also, the investment options are limited to whichever plan you decide to pursue and if you go with a broker advised fund, watch out for the sales commissions on the funds they are recommending. For the most part I recommend building your investments which then gives you the option to pay for college down the road if that is what you would like to do and you believe your kids deserve it. I will say there are some cases the 529 plan makes sense, but for the average person I'd say building your net worth is the better option. Solar Panels Apparently investing for green energy is not always going to work out well in the end. There has been a boom of buying solar panels for clean energy. Well now it is coming out that solar panels only last 20 to 25 years on average. After that many of these panels are being shipped overseas or end up in landfills because it turns out that to recycle them costs more than to manufacture them. You may be thinking wait a minute silicon is recyclable which is true but also mixed in with the silicone is cadmium and lead, and that is the problem. The department of toxic substance control from the state of California has listed solar panels under the hazard waste title as universal waste. If you have panels that were installed 20 years ago, they also lose their efficiency by about a half percent per year. So, if your panels are 20 years old, you're only getting 90% of the energy that you were when your first bought the panels. I would not want to be holding the public solar companies (SEDG, FSLR, MAXN) as I imagine in future years they will be blamed and be hit with lawsuits and penalties to clean up the mess. Cryptocurrency Some people like the idea that trading cryptocurrencies is not regulated by the government, but some people trading cryptocurrencies don't understand how much risk is involved. Let me give you a couple of examples on Wall Street that don't exist in cryptos. On Wall Street there are market makers, stock exchanges and brokerages that are separate due to conflicts of interest. That is not the case with trading crypto, it is possible for crypto firms to trade against their own customers or do something that is known as front running which means they sell their positions before the customers to get the better price. There is no prohibition against wash trading on crypto exchanges and also there is no best execution rules, and no standardized reporting exists. If you think crypto‘s are good or bad the trading system has many holes and room for fraud. Canned Beverages If you walk through the beverage aisle at the grocery store you may have noticed that some cans are getting skinnier and not using the barrel type cans. Do not worry as it is still the same 12 ounces, and it is not shrunk inflation. This is done for a couple of reasons; they take up less room on the shelf and in transportation which saves some costs along with now maybe standing out from the competition. There's also a psychological benefit that because they are slimmer it tricks the brain into thinking they are healthier with less calories. Sounds silly I know but it's true. There is one problem, you may have noticed which I have, is they don't work quite as well in the cupholders in cars because the car cup holders are designed for the barrel type cans. Tort Litigation System I was shocked to learn that back in 2016, the tort litigation system cost the US 2.3% of GDP which is roughly $429 billion a year in the United States. My guess is this has likely increased even further in recent years. This number is so high because it is estimated that there are more than 40 million lawsuits filed each year. What is also interesting is that just 57% of the money was paid as compensation to the plaintiffs, while the remaining 43% covered the cost of litigation, insurance expenses, and risk transfer costs. Part of the problem I believe is because now about 95% of pending lawsuits never make it to trial, they are settled. This avoids the aggravation of going to trial plus the added expense, but it also makes it more rewarding for people to file frivolous lawsuits in the hopes of getting some free money. And if you wondering the United States is the most litigious society in the world. The Semiconductor Bill Just a couple of days I said I was excited about a semiconductor bill that was making its way through congress. Today after looking at more details, I am reminded of why politics is so frustrating. On top of the spending designated for semiconductor manufacturing, it could include $81 B would go to the National Science Foundation (doubles the present budget), $9.6 B would go to the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, $11 B would go to the Commerce Department's regional technology hubs, $50 B would go to the Energy Department's Office of Science, $4 B would go to the national labs, and you can't forget about the $1 B for "distressed" communities and labor markets. All this fluff is exactly why nothing gets accomplished in DC. You finally have something that has bipartisan support and add a bunch of other areas that do not.   Harrison Johnson, CFP®: “Understanding Internal Rate of Return (IRR)”

The Senate this week will continue debating the so-called Chips Bill that would heavily subsidize the semiconductor industry. But thanks to a flurry of amendments, the bill has grown and grown. The National Science Foundation and the Commerce Department would get tens of billions of new dollars. To find out what to expect about that and other important happenings on Capitol Hill this week, Federal Drive host Tom Temin talked with Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan.

  Landaas & Company newsletter  July edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Brian Kilb Steve Giles Paige Radke (with Max Hoelzl and Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (July 18-22, 2022) Significant economic indicators & reports Monday No major releases Tuesday The U.S. housing market slowed amid rising mortgage rates in June. The annual rates for both housing starts and building permits declined from May, although they both remained above levels just before the pandemic, which were the highest since the Great Recession. A Commerce Department report showed housing under construction reaching an all-time peak for the fourth month in a row after surpassing the record set in 1973. The pace of construction for single-family houses slowed for the second consecutive month. Wednesday The pace of existing home sales slowed for the fifth month in a row in June, though time on the market hit a record low and the median price reached a record high. The National Association of Realtors said the annual sales rate dipped to 5.12 million existing houses, down 5.4% from May and down 14% from June 2021. The trade group blamed the rise in mortgage rates and high prices for discouraging more wannabe home buyers. The median sales price in June hit $416,000, up 13% from the year before and the 124th consecutive year-to-year increase. Meanwhile, houses that sold tended to go fast. The typical house sold in 14 days in June, the quickest in 11 years of data. Thursday Except for one week of no change, the four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose for the 15 weeks since hitting an all-time low in early April. The 240,500 average claims were the highest since the beginning of December and 25% above the low just before the pandemic. At the same time, the measure of employers' reluctance to let workers go was 35% below the 55-year average, according to Labor Department data. In the latest week, total claims dropped 3% to 1.3 million, down from 12.6 million the year before. The Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators “points to a US economic downturn ahead.” The index from the business research group fell 0.8% in June, its fourth consecutive deceleration in growth. The group said consumer pessimism, weaker labor conditions, lower stock prices and softer factory orders sank the June index. Considering high inflation and Fed moves to raise interest rates, the Conference Board downgraded its forecast for real gross domestic product to a 1.7% increase from 2021 (from an earlier projection of 2.3% growth) with a 0.5% rise in 2023 (down from 1.8%). Friday No major announcements MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK Nasdaq – 11834, up 382 points or 3.3% Standard & Poor's 500 – 3962, up 99 points or 2.6% Dow Jones Industrial – 31889, up 613 points or 2.0% 10-year U.S. Treasury Note – 2.78%, down 0.15 point Send us a question for our next podcast. Not a Landaas & Company client yet? Click here to learn more. More information and insight from Money Talk Money Talk Videos Follow us on Twitter. Landaas newsletter subscribers return to the newsletter via e-mail.

Jared Dillian tweeted it out: “It would take 8 months of 0.0% CPI readings to get CPI back to 5%.” And that was before the Commerce Department reported retail sales grew by a greater-than-expected 1% in June. President Joe Biden is in Saudi Arabia working on one angle of the inflation crisis, as investors re-priced the possibility of a 100-basis-point move when the Federal Open Market Committee meets later this month. Here's something else Jared tweeted, yesterday: “Starting to think we put in bottoms in oil, gold, and stocks, and a top in the dollar at 10 am this morning.” The editor of The Daily Dirtnap joins Real Vision's Ash Bennington to talk about those “bottoms” and how inflation and the Fed's response to it is affecting the economy, markets, and expectations. We also hear from Anas Alhajji about short-term factors weighing on crude oil prices. Watch the full interview with Tony Greer and Anas Alhajji here: https://rvtv.io/3z9Rbvk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Landaas & Company newsletter  July edition now available. Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Dave Sandstrom Paige Radke (with Max Hoelzl, Joel Dresang, engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (July 4-8, 2022) SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC INDICATORS & REPORTS Monday Markets and government offices closed for Independence Day. Tuesday Demand for manufactured goods stayed steady in May as factory orders rose 1.6% from April, the eighth consecutive increase and the 12th in the last 13 months. The Commerce Department reported a 2.9% monthly gain in consumer goods orders. Demand for transportation equipment rose for the seventh time in eight months, led by military aircraft. Core capital goods orders, a proxy for business investments, was up 0.6% from April and more than 10% from the year before. Wednesday The U.S. services sector continued expanding in June, although at the slowest pace since May 2020, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The trade group's services index showed the 25th consecutive month of growth. Index components suggested employment was contracting, new orders were weakening and supplier deliveries were slowing further. The group cited “logistical challenges, a restricted labor pool, material shortages, inflation, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.” U.S. employers posted 11.3 million job openings in May, down the second month in a row after a record 11.9 million in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported slight declines in hiring for the third month in a row. The number of layoffs and firings rose minimally but was up for the fourth time in five months. The number of workers voluntarily quitting their jobs fell below 4.3 million for the first time since January after reaching a record 4.5 million in November. Thursday The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose to its highest level since December, increasing for the 12th time in 13 weeks after hitting a record low in early April. Even so, average claims were 37% below the 55-year average, suggesting continued reluctance among employers to let workers go. The Labor Department said 1.3 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits in the latest week, up 0.1% from the week before but down from 14.2 million the year before. A decline in consumer goods imports helped narrow the U.S. trade deficit in May. The negative gap between goods and services sold from the country vs. what's purchased from abroad narrowed for the second month in a row, falling to $85.5 billion, down 1.3% from April. Through the first five months of 2022, the deficit was 38% wider than the year before. In May, the value of exports rose 1.2%, led by energy products. Imports grew by 0.6%, with purchases of energy products and travel-related services offsetting a $1.5 billion decrease in imported consumer goods. Trade deficits count against the gross domestic product. Friday U.S. employers added 372,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate stayed at 3.6% for the fourth month in a row. The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the overall employment picture continuing to brighten, with the number of jobs just 524,000 (0.3%) shy of the pre-pandemic level after losing about 22 million. The unemployment rate neared the 3.5% mark in February 2020, which was a 50-year low. While leisure and hospitality accounted for about a sixth of the jobs added in June, the industry remained 1.3 million (7.8%) below the February 2020 level. Private-sector employment exceeded the pre-pandemic number, but government jobs were down by 664,000 (2.9%).   MARKET CLOSINGS FOR THE WEEK Nasdaq – 11635, up 507 points or 4.6% Standard & Poor's 500 – 3899, up 74 points or 1.9% Dow Jones Industrial – 31339, up 242 points or 0.8% 10-year U.S. Treasury Note – 3.10%, up 0.21 point Send us a question for our next podcast. Not a Landaas & Company client yet? Click here to learn more.

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 25th, 2022... what the Fed Chief is promising about inflation, what's happening with home price cuts, and top destinations for home buyers, and investors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week. Fed Chief Jerome Powell expressed his resolve, once again, to control inflation, but also warned that the Fed's aggressive interest rate hikes could result in some job losses. The Fed raised rates by three-quarters of a percent at the June meeting, and is planning to hike it again in July by either a half or three-quarter percent.Powell acknowledges that the Fed misjudged the risk of inflation and should have moved faster with the rate hikes. Powell said: “We did underestimate it. With the benefit of hindsight, clearly we did.” He says Fed officials anticipated a speedier end to the pandemic and supply chain issues, but that supply chain problems “remain problematic.” (1)Unemployment claims were down slightly last week, but they remain at a five-week high. Economists say it's a sign that the job market is cooling off although there's still a record number of job openings, and not enough employees to fill them. According to MarketWatch, 34 states and U.S. territories show a “decline” in jobless claims, while 19 show an increase. (2)New home sales picked up in May. The Commerce Department reports they were up almost 11% to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 696,000. That's a big jump from the April numbers which came in at 629,000. They are still down 5.9% for the year however. Home price growth is slowing, thanks to rising mortgage rates. The median sales price for a new home was $449,000 in May. That's down from a record high of $454.700. (3)Existing home sales were down in May, for a fourth month in a row. According to the National Association of Realtors, they were down 3.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.41 million. There are far fewer existing homes for sale than new homes. While the supply of new homes could last more than 7 months, the supply for existing homes is just 2.6 months. The median price for an existing home has hit a new record high of $407,600. (4)Consumer confidence is dropping as inflation continues. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index shows it fell to an all-time low of 50 in June. 50 is considered the mid-point between positive and negative on a scale of 100. Consumers are unhappy about high prices and the impact on their standard of living. (5)Mortgage RatesMortgage rates continue to move higher. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 3 basis points to 5.81%. The 15-year was up 1 basis point to 4.92%. (6)In other news making headlines…Sellers Are Cutting PricesWe're starting to see more price cuts for listed homes. Data real estate firm Redfin says that almost one out of five home sellers lowered their price in May. That's the highest rate of price cuts since October of 2019. (7)Zillow economist Nicole Bachaud told Market Watch that it's a sign of the housing market rebalancing. She says: “The share of listings with a price cut is creeping up, possibly a sign that sellers cannot be quite as ambitious in their pricing strategy as they coil have in recent months.” She says homes are selling as fast as they ever have, and the typical homes is selling in seven days for more than the listing price.Homebuyers Love FloridaRedfin also did a little research on current trends for homebuyer destinations. It says that buyers are chasing after affordability, and that found that two Florida cities topped the destination list in April and May. Miami was number one as it has been all year, and Tampa pushed Phoenix out of the way for second place. (8)Tampa has become very popular since the start of the pandemic. Prices are up 28% year-over-year, but Tampa remains relatively affordable. A typical Tampa home sells for around $370,000. The national median is $424,000.Redfin says that Tampa is attracting a lot of newcomers from New York and the Northeast. Redfin says it's also attracting a lot of investors, which we, at RealWealth, can attest to. It's a strong market for rental properties, including single-family homes.You can find out more about buying single-family rentals by going to our website at newsforinvestors.com. It's free to join, and free to talk to our investment counselors, and get access to our list of resources. Joining a network is also a great way to meet other like-minded investors like yourself.That's it for today. Check the show notes for links. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/economy/fed-jerome-powell-house-testimony/index.html2 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/unemployment-claims-fall-slightly-to-229-000-but-labor-market-might-be-cooling-off-11655988191?mod=economy-politics3 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-new-home-sales-stronger-in-may-11656079765?mod=economic-report4 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-existing-home-sales-fall-for-4th-straight-month-in-may-while-prices-skyrocket-11655820059?mod=economic-report5 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/consumer-sentiment-drops-to-record-low-as-inflation-worries-grip-u-s-11656079725?mod=economy-politics6 -https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms7 -https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/the-share-of-listings-with-a-price-cut-is-creeping-up-5-economists-and-real-estate-pros-on-what-the-housing-market-will-look-like-this-summer-016540284728 -https://www.redfin.com/news/may-2022-housing-migration-trends/

The electric vehicle market in the United States is reaching an inflection point as companies look to boost manufacturing at the same time that two more large automakers are on the verge of losing a critical consumer incentive. The $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit begins phasing out at 200,000 vehicles sold per manufacturer, a threshold General Motors Co. and Tesla Inc. hit years ago. Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are quickly approaching that sales milestone, which has automakers and EV advocates looking to Congress to step in. Democrats remain interested in ways to expand the EV credit, but that effort is wrapped up in the Biden administration's stalled tax, climate, and social spending plan. Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, a senior resident fellow for climate and energy at the think tank Third Way, is the guest on the latest episode of Talking Tax. Hughes-Cromwick—who previously worked at the Commerce Department and Ford—discusses growth in the electric vehicle sector, breaks down the argument for expanding the federal tax credit, and explains what it will take to create a market for used EVs. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Consumer spending rose just 0.2% in May, according to the Commerce Department; A key index shows inflation hasn't moved; Jobless benefits applications drop by 2,000; U.S. strikes a $3 billion deal with Pfizer to buy more COVID vaccine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 18th, 2022... the Fed's supersized rate hike, mortgage rate sticker shock, and the home equity bonanza.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.Economic NewsWe begin with economic news from this past week, and the Fed's biggest rate hike in three decades. The central bank hiked the federal funds rate by three-quarters of a percent which puts it between 1.5% and 1.75%. If inflation doesn't show signs of slowing by next month, Fed Chief Jerome Powell said they might hike it by another three-quarters of a percent. He doesn't expect that to be a common practice, but he said the Fed is determined to get inflation back down to 2%. (1)The rate hike came after two more hot inflation reports. The Consumer Price Index shows that inflation hit an annual rate of 8.6% in May, while wholesale prices came in at 10.8%. Economists are now looking ahead to the CPI report for June as they anticipate the size of the next rate hike and whether higher rates will tip the economy into a recession. As reported by MarketWatch, the Fed has backed off the idea of a “soft landing” and is running the risk of a recession to get inflation under control. (2)The Fed is currently expecting the economy to slow to 1.7% over the next year-and-a-half with inflation running at 5.2% by the end of this year and 2.6% by the end of next year. It anticipates a slight rise in unemployment, but expects the job market to remain strong.Right now, jobless claims are low while job openings are high. There have been some reports of layoffs, which is contributing to recession anxiety. Last week, real estate companies Redfin and Compass announced layoffs, in response to a slower housing market. Redfin is cutting 8% of its staff, and Compass is cutting 10% because fewer people are buying homes. Many can't afford the high price of the home combined with a more expensive mortgage. (3)The housing slowdown is also impacting residential construction. The Commerce Department says that housing starts dropped 14.4% in May to an annual rate of 1.55 million. That's the biggest decline since April of last year. Multi-family starts dropped the most - by 26.8%. Single-family starts were down 9.2%. Permits also fell but only by 7%. (4)Mortgage RatesMortgage rates bolted higher last week, for the largest one-week increase since 1987. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 55 basis points to 5.78%. The 15-year was up 43 points to 4.81%. On a positive note, higher mortgage rates will help control the crazy home price growth we've seen lately. (5)In other news making headlines…Mortgage Rate Sticker ShockThe rapid rise in mortgage rates is giving some homebuyers sticker shock. Even though mortgage rates are nowhere as high as they were decades ago, they are at their highest level since about 2008. And that's cutting into homebuyer budgets. (6)The National Association of Realtors says that higher interest rates have chopped about 25% off the homebuyer's budget since the beginning of the year. As an example, NAR says that the typical buyer could afford a $360,000 home with a $1,400 monthly mortgage payment in January. Now, with higher interest rates, that buyer will have to shop for a $270,000 home if they want to maintain a $1,400 a month payment because a larger portion of the mortgage will go toward interest.Homebuyers Are Embracing ARMsOne way that homebuyers are dealing with the cost of the loan, is by choosing an adjustable rate mortgage or what's known as an ARM. The Mortgage Bankers Association says that the number of ARMs doubled in May, to help keep initial payments lower. They were as much as a full point lower on the MAXEX exchange. (7)According to the loan-trading platform, MAXEX is a network of 320 banks and nonbank originators, as well as 20 “high-profile investors.” It says these lenders have been seeing explosive growth in ARMs and it expects the trend to continue.Big Equity Gains for HomeownersWhile price appreciation makes it tough to buy a home, most homeowners are feeling a whole lot richer. According to a CoreLogic report, 62% of all U.S. properties rose in value with an average gain of about $64,000. (8)The states with the highest amount of appreciation were California and Hawaii with an average of about $140,000. Other red-hot states were Washington, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. The states with the lowest amount of average appreciation were Iowa at $17,000 and North Dakota at $19,000. That's it for today. Check the show notes for links. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!I'd also like to recommend a new book called “The Wise Investor” by RealWealth co-founder Rich Fettke. He wrote the book as an entertaining way to share what he's learned about creating wealth both financially and personally. The protagonist is a man who realizes his life is nothing like he had planned and sets off to change that. The reader is swept along for the ride. It's a quick read, and is currently available as a Kindle book on Amazon. The hard cover and audio versions are coming out in August but you can pre-order them now. You can also read more about the book here. (at realwealth.com/grow)Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-lifts-rates-by-most-in-three-decades-anticipates-policy-rate-rising-to-3-8-by-end-of-2023-11655316254?mod=mw_latestnews2 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-fed-aggressively-raises-rates-here-are-4-takeaways-from-jerome-powells-press-conference-11655340311?mod=economy-politics3 -https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html4 -https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-housing-starts-plunge-in-may-11655383118?mod=u.s.-economic-calendar5 -https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms6 -https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/06/17/surging-mortgage-rates-spook-house-hunters7 -https://www.housingwire.com/articles/maxex-report-shows-arms-doubled-in-may/?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20HousingWire%20Daily&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=216674568&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--7Is5ehx6QK5u6f15i-lFl9EfIiIrNoDk029qwgACHkfo3hZfA7lCOZovmqBlflCXrRa7iSat3Dq_i5TwJHWqKqwqWlQ&utm_content=216674568&utm_source=hs_email8 -https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/06/10/homeowners-see-12-month-equity-gain-of-64k

And...we're back, and in less than a month, remarkably!  Tune in as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss (1) the latest seditious conspiracy indictment arising out of January 6th, (2) the Navarro contempt of Congress charge, (3) the latest developments in the lawsuits challenging the Texas and Florida social media content-moderation laws, and (4) enforcement of Commerce Department licensing rules designed to prevent certain US-made aircraft from being taken to Russia (or Belarus) and the way this resulted in what ultimately will be a $400m loss for Roman Abramovich.  That, plus more aimless Mets and Star Wars chit-chat than any reasonable person possible could want....