Ms. Cutler packed a lot between those first and last comments and we'll get to some of that next week. On this the first day of summer, we revert (almost) to what these pages used to be, simple quotes. But, of course, we can't resist one or two observations of our own.
One is that Ms. Cutler's current, very practical habit is the embodiment of some old advice, to wit,
"The key to economic forecasting: forecast frequently."
And each day seems to reinforce the wisdom of such habits. This morning, for example, it was still the case that
Vice President Pence would be speaking at the Wilson Center next week - on Monday in fact - in an address that was destined to be critical of China's human rights policies, from the Uighurs to Hong Kong. This afternoon's headlines are telling a different story:
"Pence to Delay China Human-Rights Speech ahead of Trump-Xi Talks."
That was from Bloomberg. There were dozens along the same lines. A Reuter's article on this development included these explanations from a White House official:
There is room for progress, and even if incremental, we didn't want to step on that potential. ...
Following the positive conversation with President Xi, the president and the (vice president) thought it would be more appropriate to give the speech after the G20.
Presumably, the Vice President's speech will be the same whenever it is given. And China will not be happy. That said, a spoon full of sugar - some easing of the trade tensions - could help the medicine go down. It would certainly help both economies.
Enjoy the Weekend!
