Notes Today:

• There’s little evidence that herd immunity is helping Sweden combat the coronavirus, according to the country’s top epidemiologist. (642 deaths per 1M Pop.)

• Reuters: The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index dropped to a reading of 96.1 this month from 101.4 in October. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index falling to a reading of 98 in November. The index was at 132.6 in February.

  

• Reuters: Despite consumer trepidation about the future, the housing market continues to boom. The pandemic has fueled a migration from city centers to suburbs and other lower-density areas as Americans seek more space for home offices and schooling.

• A separate report on Tuesday showed the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-metro-area house price index jumped 6.6% from a year ago in September after rising 5.3% in August.

• (Reuters) - Germany’s gross domestic product grew by a record 8.5% in the third quarter as Europe’s largest economy partly recovered from an unprecedented plunge caused by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring, the statistics office said on Tuesday.

And what's the strongest stock on NASDAQ today? Well its (FCEL) Fuel Cell Energy up 76.9%

Hydrogen bubble, short squeeze, climate motivation, or the next greatest thing in transportation? Perhaps all of the above?

The wealth gap persists: As seen in the figure below, Black and Hispanic family wealth has fluctuated relative to white family wealth from 1989 to 2020. Despite the ups and downs, the sizable gaps (represented by low ratios) have changed very little.

 Roku, perhaps also worth a graph today.

 Disney’s Mouse is looking happy😊

And GSAEmily is  ignoring the Democratic demand for a briefing..

Stonewalling transition,  is an act of willful sabotage to millions of Americans!

Can this individual really get away with endangering millions of lives scot-free ?

Well, what do you know? She’s come around – must have been this post!😏

 Notes Today:

• (Wired) - The FDA has scheduled its final review of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for December 10. If they are granted emergency use authorization, distribution could begin within hours. But both vaccines quickly lose potency if they aren’t stored and transported at “ultra-cold” temperatures, which will make distributing them to small and isolated rural areas—where many vulnerable Americans live—a delicate operation. Pharmaceutical companies and other packaging manufacturers are working on tech solutions to bridge that gap.

• (Reuters) - Trump’s last-minute push to allow drilling in a pristine part of Alaska’s Arctic will be an early target for the next administration, according to Senator Tom Udall, a contender to lead the Interior Department under Joe Biden. 

• (Reuters) - Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn have started developing hydrogen-powered fuel cell trains and a filling station which will be trialled in 2024 with view to replace diesel engines on German local rail networks. 

• Putin says he is not ready to endorse Biden. I’m not sure this dude gets a vote. 

• (WP) In a last-minute change before leaving office, the Trump regime finalized a rule Wednesday that will allow the U.S. Forest Service to log and otherwise manage 2,800 acres of forest in the West without an environmental review. 

• Bloomberg reports: households across the US are once again filling grocery carts brimful in the second round of panic buying. 

• It is refreshing when you read something about the US government (upcoming) and it makes you calmer instead of upsetting you. Have not experienced that in years.

• John Kerry:  America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is. I'm proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis as the President's Climate Envoy.

 Gold fell to new 4-month low below important support ..

South Korea Stock Market at record high.

South Korea has 30,733 Virus cases and 505 death (10 per million pop. The US has 791 per million pop.) and is set to enforce tougher virus curbs starting Tuesday to prevent another wave of the pandemic. 

America has 2.61 physicians per 1,000 people, ranking it 26th out of 35 countries in an OECD database. Not all of these professionals are best suited to meet the current crisis due to age and overspecialization. Bloomberg: 

 BTW Soy Stock to Use Ratio 

 Arizona is out of ICU beds.

You can’t escape breathing, eating and drinking microplastics even if you climbed Mount Everest to avoid it.

Bears Are Disappearing..

 Soybeans performing as advertised..

 Quick Overview is up to date

St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index falls to -0.8328 in the week ended Nov. 13, its lowest level since May 2019 (0=normal stress). For more on how the index is constructed, see FRED: ow.ly/tnET50CpA19

 China's Containerized Freight Index  is at 6 year height

 Some Very Depressing Charts: