Here's the levels, and the 12-month growth rates in both time series. They're roughly consistent, though, as you point out, there's more variability in the household survey measure. 12-month growth rates are a little low, but not so bad relative to pre-COVID.

Great conference!

What does it mean to "secure" investment?" If this means measured investment, then of course that's not true, if you care to use your powers to integrate-by-eyeball in this chart. But presumably by "securing," Bessent means the future investment in his mind.

1/What a lot of nonsense. I looked up "viable" just to make sure I've got all the subtleties. Meaning: "capable of working successfully." So, by that measure, it's the United States of America that has become non-viable. With that idiot running around wrecking things, this thing...

In England, a banger is something else altogether. Pictured is bangers and mash with onions.

Where's the "disconnect?" PCE inflation averages a little lower than CPI inflation, given how these measures are constructed. Otherwise, nothing unusual going on, as far as I can tell.

The foot dragging doesn't make sense. Unless something alarming happens on the inflation front, the Fed should be cutting until the get in the neighborhood of 3% (though I don't have a lot of confidence about the appropriate endpoint).

3/