US Economy As Obama Administration Winds Down -- November 17, 2016

US housing starts: surge to 9-year high in October, 2016.

• groundbreaking jumped 25% 
• seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.32 million units
• highest level since August, 2007
• biggest increase since 1982
• starts increased in all four region of the US
• single-family home building jumped almost 11%

Jobless claims: sink to 43-year low as labor market tightens.

• plummeted an astounding 19,000 to 235,000
• lowest level since November, 1973
• forecast: jobless claims rising to 257,000
• net swing from forecast (+ 3,000) to actual (- 19,000) = 22,000
• when swings are this huge, there is a usually a story -- which is seldom reported 
• if reported, it generally reflects the view of the author, not any real analysis
• hard to believe the analysts would be that far off
• four-week average fell 6,500 to 253,500

Inflation? The Fed, and US savers looking for a bit of good news.

• consumer prices in US increase for third consecutive month
• inflation moving closer to the Federal Reserve's goal
• CPI climbed 0.4% in October; gained 0.3% in September
• the numbers exclude what most Americans spend most on, in any given week: food and gasoline 

Maine: tight labor market -- going after immigrants, refugees.

• Maine: oldest median age in the nation
• one of only two states where deaths outnumbered births between July, 2014, and July, 2015 (the other state: West Virginia)
• by 2024: Maine could see a net decrease of 28% of people between 35 and 64 -- and a loss of one electoral vote (down to the minimum of 3)

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US Presidents Not Subject To Conflict-Of-Interest Laws

Heard on MSNBC. Not fact-checked.

Blind trusts not required.

Liquidation of family businesses not required.

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Monet Painting Sells For Record Amount

Data points from The Wall Street Journal:

• "Grainstack"
• $81.4 million
• expected to sell for $45 million
• seller: "famed" Denver stock picker Tom Marsico bought it fourteen years ago, in 2002, for roughly $12 million
• five collectors bid for it
• 1891 canvas; anonymous bidder over the telephone
• previous Monet record: $80.4 million; "Water Lily Pond," eight years ago