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Overall Economic Activity: Economic activity was about flat or up slightly since the previous report, down from the modest average pace of growth in the prior Beige Book period...Interest rates and inflation continued to weigh on activity, and many contacts expressed greater uncertainty or increased pessimism concerning the outlook...Inflation pushed low-to-moderate income consumers to substitute increasingly to lower-priced goods. Travel and tourism contacts, by contrast, reported moderate gains in activity, as restaurants and high-end hospitality venues enjoyed robust demand. Higher interest rates further dented home sales, which declined at a moderate pace overall but fell steeply in some districts; apartment leasing started to slow, as well. more »

Jo Freeman Reviews: "The ones who bowed the furthest and fastest were the ones who wanted most to see and be seen with Trump; to call and be called, to hear their names in the media coupled with his. The fact that the masses loved DJT didn’t make it any easier for those who wanted his approval to hold onto a modicum of self-respect. Disagreement with Trump would lead to disparagement, and that could lead to defeat. That’s why so many Republican MCs decided it was time to retire. Two years after Trump took office, almost half of House Republicans were gone or going. A lot, but not all, were defeated in the 2018 election. By then most of Trump’s initial appointments were also gone. Sycophancy was insufficient for survival." more »

"The CFPB has found that consumer reporting companies and some furnishers have failed to conduct reasonable investigations of consumer disputes and to spend the time necessary to get to the bottom of inaccuracies. These failures can affect, among other things, people’s eligibility for loans and interest rates, for insurance, and for rental housing and employment. “One wrong piece of information on a person’s credit report can have destructive consequences that follow a consumer for years,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “Companies that fail to properly address consumer disputes in accordance with the law may face serious consequences.” more »

CraftTexas 2022 is the eleventh in a series of juried exhibitions showcasing the best in Texas-made contemporary craft. Juried by Andres Payan Estrada, the curator of public engagement at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles, CA, this year’s show includes 40 pieces by nearly 30 artists, highlighting works that speak to personal stories of struggle and resilience, while challenging expectations of contemporary craft. Filling both the main and front gallery spaces at HCCC, the exhibition includes a wide variety of artworks and installations, with a particularly strong showing of work created from fiber, metal, and mixed media. more »