Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Hope yours is filled with family and friends…and time to reflect on those who gave their lives for us.
Thanks to them, we have much to be thankful for.
Starting with…despite what many think we’re NOT in a recession…
From the Guardian’s survey…
The vast majority of respondents, 72%, indicated they think inflation is increasing. In reality, the rate of inflation has fallen sharply from its post-Covid peak of 9.1% and has been fluctuating between 3% and 4% a year.
In April, the inflation rate went down from 3.5% to 3.4% – far from inflation’s 40-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022 – triggering a stock market rally that pushed the Dow Jones index to a record high.
And job creation has been pretty darn great.
Government works!
Remember the botched start-up of the ACA aka “ObamaCare” way back in 2014?
Well, like many new and really big change, its gotten a whole lot better. Almost 2/3rds of Americans view the ACA favorably.
For some, “Obamacare saved my life”…
Support for recovering addicts…
This is really good news…The Feds and California are partnering on a program that pays addicts continuing to remain sober. The program – “contingency management” –
is the gold standard for stimulant use disorder because you can win things for good behavior. But not a lot of places are providing it yet,” said PK Fonsworth, a psychiatric emergency room doctor and addiction psychiatrist in Los Angeles. (cite WaPo)
Research shows promise for contingency management. For instance, study participants achieve significant periods of sobriety, agree to long-term addiction treatment and even reduce risky sexual behavior.
The Biden administration is pushing more states to consider the approach, calling it a “proven treatment” that “remains underutilized.”
Kudos to CMS (Medicare and Medicaid) and the Golden State for the collaboration.
Last one sent too soon… People responding to the survey are referring to prices continuing to increase at rates well above normal and the Fed’s arbitrary 2% target. The rate of inflation coming down from 9 to 3.4% is not the same thing as prices coming down. Prices continue to go up much faster than they should, the predictable result of a debt-based money system nearing the end stage (a fascination of mine).
And, this is not a political response, as both parties are to blame.
Thanks Joe!!