The Biden - Harris Era.

[runrussellrun]

Stop using absolutism verbage, if you don't want to consider yourself a know it all.

Says the guy who mocked me for telling you that I don't know squat about Covid----I just do what my doctor tells me.

And what did you call me for doing that? That's right, you called me a sheep.

Heal thyself.

Sure did........after you called me a dumb right wing mouth breather yada yada yada......ignoring all the covid survivors and our natual immunity.

Do yourself a favor there ,big guy. Contact your doctor and ask if covid survivors are really any of the "names" you want to sling our way. That covid survivors are "idiots" for NOT getting the emergency vaxx.

Your booze products have warning labels on them? Yup......just like the HEART warnings on the vaxx.

yup........we can cull you and yours wonderfully nice comments , directed at covid survivors. Go on, ask your doctor if they would recommend you get take the vaccine, NO exceptions. Please, ask.

So, yup........anyone that spews hate speech and attacks their neighbors, as if we are the problem (covid survivors )....nay, we don't exist. Just take the emergency vaxx.

Forgive me, if my observations are reading skills are flawed, and it's only in my head that the US vs THEM has mutated to making declarative statements . Especially about covid survivors. Stop writing them and you won't be called a sheeple.

What was Biden's record on same sex marriage, and the DOMA defense of marriage act ?

This is the guy, who lived his entire life hating on them homosexuals.........yeah......for Joe. Such a good guy.

[seacoaster]

seacoaster is not partisan.....so he says, but enjoys telling the other side they are.

Remember... seacoaster thinks he's on the "right side of history."

It's true, I do.

[Farfromgeneva]

We don't have left wing media on a large scale.

Media I such an abstract concept I don’t know how it could be labeled.

[a fan]

Stop using absolutism verbage, if you don't want to consider yourself a know it all.

Says the guy who mocked me for telling you that I don't know squat about Covid----I just do what my doctor tells me.

And what did you call me for doing that? That's right, you called me a sheep.

Heal thyself.

Sure did........after you called me a dumb right wing mouth breather yada yada yada......ignoring all the covid survivors and our natual immunity.

I did no such thing. Show me that quote. You don't get to make stuff up, sorry.

And since, as usual, you come on here looking for a fight, instead of looking for common ground.... you totally ignored my actual stance.

Here ya go:

My point is simple: do what your doctor tells you. Do that? I'm happy. If your doctor tells you "skip the vaccine, and take IVM", I'm cool with that. But we all know that's not what's happening with those who are skipping the vaccine.

Heck, we've asked our doctor about masking, too. There's a reason I pay this woman A LOT of money. I want her expertise.

We aren't qualified to make these decisions on our own. And I KNOW everyone believes this. Why? Because everyone who faces a life threatening illness heads to their doctor or hospital.....not to their laptop to see what "some guy on the internet" thinks.

Frustrated Dad.

So just stop picking fights when there isn't one to be had. I'm 100% behind the path you've taken. You consulted your Doc, and she told you that because of your situation, you shouldn't take the vaxx. Good for you. Really.

And btw, NO ONE is telling you otherwise-----whether it's Fauci, Trump, or Biden. You're looking for a fight that isn't there. No one wants you to go against your personal doctor's orders.

What it DOES mean, is that the rest of us who can get the vaccine should-----so that YOU can remain protected, as the months roll by since you got Covid. I'm looking out for YOU, my man, and anyone else who can't get the vaccine.

[MDlaxfan76]

seacoaster is not partisan.....so he says, but enjoys telling the other side they are.

Remember... seacoaster thinks he's on the "right side of history."

So do I...
Not sure why we'd want to be on the "wrong side"...

I don't know seacoaster's voting proclivities or registration, but he doesn't come across as a Dem partisan anymore than I do a GOP partisan though that's been the party that's received way over 90% of my votes and support over the past 4 decades.

How have you voted over the years tech and youth?

[MDlaxfan76]

seacoaster is not partisan.....so he says, but enjoys telling the other side they are.

Remember... seacoaster thinks he's on the "right side of history."

It's true, I do.

come to think of it, maybe some people actually take pride in the notion that they're "on the wrong side" of history??

[seacoaster]

Republicans cave on economic health in favor of performative acts for their "base:"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... wth-party/

"Thanks to President Biden’s vaccine mandate for employers — and the GOP’s response — Democrats have taken over the mantle of the pro-business, pro-economy, pro-growth party.

It is Democrats, after all, who have a plan to get the economy humming again, by controlling the coronavirus and thereby making it safe for Americans to work, shop, attend school and otherwise resume their pre-pandemic economic lives.

For the past decade, voters have usually said they trusted Republicans more than Democrats on the economy. This was a triumph of propaganda over experience, given how much better the economy has generally performed under Democratic presidents, on nearly every major metric — jobs, output growth, productivity, stock prices. To be fair, Democrats’ superior economic record to date has been primarily due to luck. But right now, Democrats deserve Americans’ economic faith because they are the only — yes, only — party actively working to help the economy recover from covid-19.

For a year and a half now, the virus has been in charge of the economy. Getting employment and other key metrics back on track requires curbing the virus’s spread. Under Biden’s leadership, Democrats have pleaded with Americans to voluntarily undertake the cheapest, most effective measure available for accomplishing this: getting vaccinated. Democrats have also urged adoption of other relatively inexpensive interventions, such as wearing masks in high-risk settings. These measures would relieve pressure on hospitals, help schools remain open (allowing parents to work), and generally make it safer and more attractive to engage in normal economic activities.

Republican politicians, however, have mostly opposed these common-sense policies.

Some have actively discouraged people from getting vaccinated, amplified conspiracy theories, and (in places including Florida and Texas) obstructed private companies from taking measures to reduce the spread of covid-19 within their own workplaces. These efforts, coupled with the spread of the more transmissible delta variant, have led to increased hospitalizations and deaths and slower job growth.

Some prominent Republicans, such as Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, have openly cheered on the carnage. Nevermind that GOP voters appear to be dying in higher numbers as a result.

Last week, Biden announced more aggressive actions to control the spread, including greater availability of covid-19 tests and vaccination mandates for federal workers. The most controversial measure affected the private sector: a forthcoming requirement for companies with at least 100 employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested weekly if they return to the workplace.

Republican politicians around the country have adopted a pro-covid-19, anti-economy response.

Biden’s rule doesn’t yet exist, but already GOP officials have pledged to challenge it in court. They claim they want to protect the economy from tyrannical government intervention. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), for instance, denounced Biden’s order as “an assault on private businesses.” This is pretty rich coming from Abbott, who has similarly “assaulted” private businesses — in his case, by forbidding firms that receive any public funds from implementing vaccine mandates.

Meanwhile, major business groups, including in Texas, do not appear to agree with Abbott’s assessment of Biden’s mandate.

“This will come as a relief to the business community, to have an order that requires all of them to move together,” the chief executive of the Greater Houston Partnership, the city’s largest business group, told my Post colleague David J. Lynch.

Similar statements of support have been released by major national industry associations, including the Business Roundtable and the American Apparel & Footwear Association. “Getting all eligible Americans vaccinated will, first and foremost, reduce hospitalizations and save lives,” said the president and chief executive of the National Association of Manufacturers. “But it is also an economic imperative in that our recovery and quality of life depend on our ability to end this pandemic.”

Why might companies welcome a government order that ties their hands? Because they know they’re better off if their workers, and the public more broadly, are vaccinated.

Higher vaccination rates reduce the risk of interruptions to operations and make customers feel safer. Imposing mandates unilaterally is perilous, though, because Republicans have turned it into a culture-war issue. Given labor shortages and the highly combustible political environment, employers (understandably) fear losing anti-vax workers to competitors.

Public support for employer vaccination mandates has generally been rising, perhaps changing the risk calculus for some firms — but not enough of them, and not fast enough. That’s why it’s helpful for the government to step in and play bad cop.

Undoubtedly some firms will challenge the (forthcoming) requirement. And it remains unclear how conservative courts may respond. But in the meantime, more businesses can start ordering reluctant workers to get shots, since the government has given them cover to do so. Goldman Sachs has forecast that Biden’s new vax-related requirements should boost employment into early 2022.

Increasing vaccination is the best, cheapest way to save lives and stimulate the economy. If Republicans won’t get on board with this pro-growth policy, the least they can do is get out of the way."

[MDlaxfan76]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

[seacoaster]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

The net of it is that GOP Performance Art is counter-business. As kids get sick, and schools shut down and go remote, the workforce will again have to migrate. Etc., etc.

[kramerica.inc]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

[youthathletics]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Controlling inflation, the Biden way?

[seacoaster]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Controlling inflation, the Biden way?

30% to 40%? Cosmo speaks much crazy talk. And free pro tip: there's a pandemic that sickening people and killing them.

Inflation? Work in progress:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... inflation/

"Prices rose 5.3 percent in August compared with a year ago, as inflation showed early signs of easing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that prices rose 0.3 percent in August compared with July.

The August data breaks an eight-month streak of rising or steady inflation — and is a welcome sign for policymakers at the Fed and the White House, who argue that inflation will start to cool down as the economy heals. Their expectation is that as supply chains catch up with consumer demand, prices will land closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target for inflation.

But there’s still plenty of uncertainty about whether the shift will stick.

Biden shifts pitch for economic plans as GOP escalates attacks over high prices

For starters, there’s no guarantee that inflation will continue to tick down. Policymakers within the Biden administration and the Fed say they need months of data to understand how the pandemic is affecting inflation, and for how long. Plus, prices for specific categories — such as meat, rent or used cars — won’t necessarily follow the same patterns.

Senior administration officials point to the month-to-month figures as their preferred snapshot of inflation, because that data can surface immediate trends and improvements to supply chains that have been backlogged for months. There were some encouraging hints that prices in hard-hit sectors were cooling down compared to earlier this summer.

For example, over the past year, prices for used cars and trucks have taken up a huge share of inflation, in large part due to chip shortages. Overall, prices for the vehicles are up nearly 32 percent compared with last year. But from July to August, prices for used cars and trucks fell 1.5 percent.

Similarly, prices for hotels and motels fell 3.3 percent from July to August. Airline fares fell 9.1 percent over the same period. Even rent, which some economists feared would keep rising as home values soared, rose only 0.3 percent over the previous month.

The data is likely to bolster Democrats’ arguments that more government spending won’t push inflation even higher. Republicans have chastised the White House and congressional Democrats for trying to pass another sprawling legislative package, saying it will heat up the economy even more. Conservatives also say the Federal Reserve should step in now to combat inflation by raising interest rates and yanking back support for the markets.

But part of Biden’s pitch is that his spending plans target rising prices in the long term. White House officials say that investing in stronger child-care options for families and physical infrastructure repairs, working-class families will see their everyday costs come down.

Many left-leaning economists and government officials say inflation is “transitory,” meaning it doesn’t reflect persistent, widespread price increases that pulse through the whole economy. But that message could be increasingly hard to grasp for millions of households facing steep price tags for groceries, used cars or gas right now.

How the delta variant stole Christmas: Empty shelves, long waits — and yes, higher prices

Plus, economists are closely monitoring people’s perceptions of inflation. If Americans expect the cost of goods and services to stay high, they may be more likely to buy furniture or plane tickets before the cost stings even worse. That cycle of behavior only pushes prices higher, making inflation expectations self-fulfilling.

A survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that Americans’ inflation expectations are at record highs. One year from now, people expect inflation will be at 5.2 percent, according to the August Survey of Consumer Expectations. The month before, that survey measure was 4.9 percent.

Biden’s vaccine push wins cautious business support as political opponents fume

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said the latest inflation figures were a “real victory for team transitory." He added that the cost of shelter — namely rental prices that didn’t escalate — also offered a dose of relief for Fed officials, even as the broader housing industry is still being shaped by the pandemic economy.

“If we are going to observe a broadening of inflation that puts at risk Fed policy and price stability, it’s going to be via the housing market, and that’s just not happening right now," Brusuelas said.

In the backdrop, the Fed is figuring out when to start pulling back on its support for the markets, namely $120 billion a month in bond purchases. That decision depends on when Fed leaders think “substantial further progress” has been made on both inflation and the job market, which is still down more than 5 million jobs compared with before the pandemic.

A growing number of Fed officials, including Chair Jerome H. Powell, think that bar has been met on inflation. Meanwhile, the economy added only 235,000 jobs in August, raising concerns that the labor market is losing its summertime momentum.

Economists and Fed watchers are eager for any updates on when the Fed will start to “taper” its asset purchases. Next week, Fed policymakers will convene for their September meeting and release a new crop of economic projections on inflation, the unemployment rate and more.

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told reporters Friday that she expects that inflation will fall closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target next year as supply chains clear up and businesses find creative ways to get their products. But much depends on the delta variant, vaccinations and how the recovery continues to take shape, she said.

“Will [inflation] move back down to 2 percent? That’s what I have penciled in for next year,” Mester said. “But I may be changing that when I sit down with the data next week and look really hard what the data are.”

[RedFromMI]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Won't be anywhere near 30-40%, as not that many will in the end hold out. (Look at the percentage of vaccinated adults - already in the 60-70% range nationwide). Also, if you work for a place with fewer than 100 workers, the OSHA rules do not apply.

And finally, for the "corporate" vaccine mandates - if testing is an option, than that will be taken instead. But when Delta Airlines told its unvaccinated employees they would be charged $200 extra per month for their health insurance compliance skyrocketed...

[kramerica.inc]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Controlling inflation, the Biden way?

30% to 40%? Cosmo speaks much crazy talk. And free pro tip: there's a pandemic that sickening people and killing them.

Inflation? Work in progress:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... inflation/

"Prices rose 5.3 percent in August compared with a year ago, as inflation showed early signs of easing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that prices rose 0.3 percent in August compared with July.

The August data breaks an eight-month streak of rising or steady inflation — and is a welcome sign for policymakers at the Fed and the White House, who argue that inflation will start to cool down as the economy heals. Their expectation is that as supply chains catch up with consumer demand, prices will land closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target for inflation.

But there’s still plenty of uncertainty about whether the shift will stick.

Biden shifts pitch for economic plans as GOP escalates attacks over high prices

For starters, there’s no guarantee that inflation will continue to tick down. Policymakers within the Biden administration and the Fed say they need months of data to understand how the pandemic is affecting inflation, and for how long. Plus, prices for specific categories — such as meat, rent or used cars — won’t necessarily follow the same patterns.

Senior administration officials point to the month-to-month figures as their preferred snapshot of inflation, because that data can surface immediate trends and improvements to supply chains that have been backlogged for months. There were some encouraging hints that prices in hard-hit sectors were cooling down compared to earlier this summer.

For example, over the past year, prices for used cars and trucks have taken up a huge share of inflation, in large part due to chip shortages. Overall, prices for the vehicles are up nearly 32 percent compared with last year. But from July to August, prices for used cars and trucks fell 1.5 percent.

Similarly, prices for hotels and motels fell 3.3 percent from July to August. Airline fares fell 9.1 percent over the same period. Even rent, which some economists feared would keep rising as home values soared, rose only 0.3 percent over the previous month.

The data is likely to bolster Democrats’ arguments that more government spending won’t push inflation even higher. Republicans have chastised the White House and congressional Democrats for trying to pass another sprawling legislative package, saying it will heat up the economy even more. Conservatives also say the Federal Reserve should step in now to combat inflation by raising interest rates and yanking back support for the markets.

But part of Biden’s pitch is that his spending plans target rising prices in the long term. White House officials say that investing in stronger child-care options for families and physical infrastructure repairs, working-class families will see their everyday costs come down.

Many left-leaning economists and government officials say inflation is “transitory,” meaning it doesn’t reflect persistent, widespread price increases that pulse through the whole economy. But that message could be increasingly hard to grasp for millions of households facing steep price tags for groceries, used cars or gas right now.

How the delta variant stole Christmas: Empty shelves, long waits — and yes, higher prices

Plus, economists are closely monitoring people’s perceptions of inflation. If Americans expect the cost of goods and services to stay high, they may be more likely to buy furniture or plane tickets before the cost stings even worse. That cycle of behavior only pushes prices higher, making inflation expectations self-fulfilling.

A survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that Americans’ inflation expectations are at record highs. One year from now, people expect inflation will be at 5.2 percent, according to the August Survey of Consumer Expectations. The month before, that survey measure was 4.9 percent.

Biden’s vaccine push wins cautious business support as political opponents fume

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said the latest inflation figures were a “real victory for team transitory." He added that the cost of shelter — namely rental prices that didn’t escalate — also offered a dose of relief for Fed officials, even as the broader housing industry is still being shaped by the pandemic economy.

“If we are going to observe a broadening of inflation that puts at risk Fed policy and price stability, it’s going to be via the housing market, and that’s just not happening right now," Brusuelas said.

In the backdrop, the Fed is figuring out when to start pulling back on its support for the markets, namely $120 billion a month in bond purchases. That decision depends on when Fed leaders think “substantial further progress” has been made on both inflation and the job market, which is still down more than 5 million jobs compared with before the pandemic.

A growing number of Fed officials, including Chair Jerome H. Powell, think that bar has been met on inflation. Meanwhile, the economy added only 235,000 jobs in August, raising concerns that the labor market is losing its summertime momentum.

Economists and Fed watchers are eager for any updates on when the Fed will start to “taper” its asset purchases. Next week, Fed policymakers will convene for their September meeting and release a new crop of economic projections on inflation, the unemployment rate and more.

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told reporters Friday that she expects that inflation will fall closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target next year as supply chains clear up and businesses find creative ways to get their products. But much depends on the delta variant, vaccinations and how the recovery continues to take shape, she said.

“Will [inflation] move back down to 2 percent? That’s what I have penciled in for next year,” Mester said. “But I may be changing that when I sit down with the data next week and look really hard what the data are.”

What percentage is unvaccinated? Wasn't it floating around 30-40%?

[MDlaxfan76]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Not sure you understand what's actually happening Kram.

For instance, the Delta move got nearly all of their workforce vaccinated, tiny exceptions. Simply got them over the hump.
All working.

I know for a certainty that the cruise lines wanted desperately to be able to require all workers and passengers to be vaccinated, making it far more likely that people would actually pay to go on cruises, and with higher occupancy.

I'm going to a business conference next week, wouldn't go unless all were required to be vaccinated and masked while there. One of the largest sponsors has decided to not send their people because airlines are not yet requiring vaccinations, and people are misbehaving with masks on planes...so they're not doing any corporate air travel yet...but would if there was a vaccine requirement. I've heard from quite a few others that they're also not going for the same reasons.

Not because there are vaccine mandates, but because there aren't sufficient such.

So, yes, getting to high vaccination level and getting Covid way down, hospitalizations way down, will be very pro-business.

I'd agree that it's unusual for the GOP to have boxed themselves into such an anti-economy, anti-business position but here we are.

[RedFromMI]

The total percentage of unvaccinated may be near that level (30-40%), but the point is that not anywhere near all of those will refuse to get vaccinated. Look at what happened in MS where the Delta variant breakout pushed more into vaccination...

Incentives can work - and keeping your job is a good incentive. When we had a measles outbreak 10-15 years ago at my university, the school required for someone my age to either prove I had experienced the disease (with documentation) or get vaccinated for it. I had the disease, but never saw a doctor in person, so it was either get vaccinated, take a test to prove immunity (then $$$), or lose my job. I got vaccinated...

Pretty simple decision.

[MDlaxfan76]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Controlling inflation, the Biden way?

30% to 40%? Cosmo speaks much crazy talk. And free pro tip: there's a pandemic that sickening people and killing them.

Inflation? Work in progress:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... inflation/

"Prices rose 5.3 percent in August compared with a year ago, as inflation showed early signs of easing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that prices rose 0.3 percent in August compared with July.

The August data breaks an eight-month streak of rising or steady inflation — and is a welcome sign for policymakers at the Fed and the White House, who argue that inflation will start to cool down as the economy heals. Their expectation is that as supply chains catch up with consumer demand, prices will land closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target for inflation.

But there’s still plenty of uncertainty about whether the shift will stick.

Biden shifts pitch for economic plans as GOP escalates attacks over high prices

For starters, there’s no guarantee that inflation will continue to tick down. Policymakers within the Biden administration and the Fed say they need months of data to understand how the pandemic is affecting inflation, and for how long. Plus, prices for specific categories — such as meat, rent or used cars — won’t necessarily follow the same patterns.

Senior administration officials point to the month-to-month figures as their preferred snapshot of inflation, because that data can surface immediate trends and improvements to supply chains that have been backlogged for months. There were some encouraging hints that prices in hard-hit sectors were cooling down compared to earlier this summer.

For example, over the past year, prices for used cars and trucks have taken up a huge share of inflation, in large part due to chip shortages. Overall, prices for the vehicles are up nearly 32 percent compared with last year. But from July to August, prices for used cars and trucks fell 1.5 percent.

Similarly, prices for hotels and motels fell 3.3 percent from July to August. Airline fares fell 9.1 percent over the same period. Even rent, which some economists feared would keep rising as home values soared, rose only 0.3 percent over the previous month.

The data is likely to bolster Democrats’ arguments that more government spending won’t push inflation even higher. Republicans have chastised the White House and congressional Democrats for trying to pass another sprawling legislative package, saying it will heat up the economy even more. Conservatives also say the Federal Reserve should step in now to combat inflation by raising interest rates and yanking back support for the markets.

But part of Biden’s pitch is that his spending plans target rising prices in the long term. White House officials say that investing in stronger child-care options for families and physical infrastructure repairs, working-class families will see their everyday costs come down.

Many left-leaning economists and government officials say inflation is “transitory,” meaning it doesn’t reflect persistent, widespread price increases that pulse through the whole economy. But that message could be increasingly hard to grasp for millions of households facing steep price tags for groceries, used cars or gas right now.

How the delta variant stole Christmas: Empty shelves, long waits — and yes, higher prices

Plus, economists are closely monitoring people’s perceptions of inflation. If Americans expect the cost of goods and services to stay high, they may be more likely to buy furniture or plane tickets before the cost stings even worse. That cycle of behavior only pushes prices higher, making inflation expectations self-fulfilling.

A survey released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that Americans’ inflation expectations are at record highs. One year from now, people expect inflation will be at 5.2 percent, according to the August Survey of Consumer Expectations. The month before, that survey measure was 4.9 percent.

Biden’s vaccine push wins cautious business support as political opponents fume

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said the latest inflation figures were a “real victory for team transitory." He added that the cost of shelter — namely rental prices that didn’t escalate — also offered a dose of relief for Fed officials, even as the broader housing industry is still being shaped by the pandemic economy.

“If we are going to observe a broadening of inflation that puts at risk Fed policy and price stability, it’s going to be via the housing market, and that’s just not happening right now," Brusuelas said.

In the backdrop, the Fed is figuring out when to start pulling back on its support for the markets, namely $120 billion a month in bond purchases. That decision depends on when Fed leaders think “substantial further progress” has been made on both inflation and the job market, which is still down more than 5 million jobs compared with before the pandemic.

A growing number of Fed officials, including Chair Jerome H. Powell, think that bar has been met on inflation. Meanwhile, the economy added only 235,000 jobs in August, raising concerns that the labor market is losing its summertime momentum.

Economists and Fed watchers are eager for any updates on when the Fed will start to “taper” its asset purchases. Next week, Fed policymakers will convene for their September meeting and release a new crop of economic projections on inflation, the unemployment rate and more.

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told reporters Friday that she expects that inflation will fall closer to the Fed’s 2 percent annual target next year as supply chains clear up and businesses find creative ways to get their products. But much depends on the delta variant, vaccinations and how the recovery continues to take shape, she said.

“Will [inflation] move back down to 2 percent? That’s what I have penciled in for next year,” Mester said. “But I may be changing that when I sit down with the data next week and look really hard what the data are.”

What percentage is unvaccinated? Wasn't it floating around 30-40%?

You're missing that the workers get off their butts and get vaccinated. Very high compliance when the incentives are like Delta's.

But they also have the choice (under the OSHA rules) to be tested frequently. They can opt for that and continue to work. some may take that option.

A tiny few will quit and go work for a small business with no such requirements.

[runrussellrun]

Interesting pro-business, pro-economy positioning opportunity for the Dems.

At least in this regard, that argument has merit.

Removing 30-40% of the potential workforce via corporate vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, doesn't seem entirely "pro business" to me.

Neither does the travel restrictions effecting the supply chain/goods pipeline. And I wonder how the airline industry feels about having 40% fewer potential customers now?

Do the Dems want to get people back to work or make more people dependent upon the government for handouts like unemployment/business subsidies?

Not sure you understand what's actually happening Kram.

For instance, the Delta move got nearly all of their workforce vaccinated, tiny exceptions. Simply got them over the hump.
All working.

I know for a certainty that the cruise lines wanted desperately to be able to require all workers and passengers to be vaccinated, making it far more likely that people would actually pay to go on cruises, and with higher occupancy.

I'm going to a business conference next week, wouldn't go unless all were required to be vaccinated and masked while there. One of the largest sponsors has decided to not send their people because airlines are not yet requiring vaccinations, and people are misbehaving with masks on planes...so they're not doing any corporate air travel yet...but would if there was a vaccine requirement. I've heard from quite a few others that they're also not going for the same reasons.

Not because there are vaccine mandates, but because there aren't sufficient such.

So, yes, getting to high vaccination level and getting Covid way down, hospitalizations way down, will be very pro-business.

I'd agree that it's unusual for the GOP to have boxed themselves into such an anti-economy, anti-business position but here we are.

Umm....the article sayz Delta had a 4% increase in vaxx employees after this $200 mandate. At the time of the story, Delta was at 78% vaccinated. Not a big jump, 4%.

Maybe Delta should figure out their overseas travel rules. Iceland in particular. Plenty of forged vaxx "passports" heading into foreign lands.

Blood test......enough of this emergency trump vaccine. Trump did approve the vaccine. fact. (he can fire people, remember afan

[runrussellrun]

The total percentage of unvaccinated may be near that level (30-40%), but the point is that not anywhere near all of those will refuse to get vaccinated. Look at what happened in MS where the Delta variant breakout pushed more into vaccination...

Incentives can work - and keeping your job is a good incentive. When we had a measles outbreak 10-15 years ago at my university, the school required for someone my age to either prove I had experienced the disease (with documentation) or get vaccinated for it. I had the disease, but never saw a doctor in person, so it was either get vaccinated, take a test to prove immunity (then $$$), or lose my job. I got vaccinated...

Pretty simple decision.

Incentive work?

Like telling the American public that all will be well when you get the vaxx....only, still wear masks and social distance. Unless you are hugging Gavin Newsom or at a Napa valley wine fundraiser.

facts.

why do people LOVE people so much defend this behavior.

Speaks volumes. People still respect "do you know why Chelsea is so ugly"......

[seacoaster]

The total percentage of unvaccinated may be near that level (30-40%), but the point is that not anywhere near all of those will refuse to get vaccinated. Look at what happened in MS where the Delta variant breakout pushed more into vaccination...

Incentives can work - and keeping your job is a good incentive. When we had a measles outbreak 10-15 years ago at my university, the school required for someone my age to either prove I had experienced the disease (with documentation) or get vaccinated for it. I had the disease, but never saw a doctor in person, so it was either get vaccinated, take a test to prove immunity (then $$$), or lose my job. I got vaccinated...

Pretty simple decision.

Cosmo, what Red said. /\