We're going to tell a story with a single chart today. We've compared Arizona's first wave trough with its second wave trough in the following chart, where we've estimated the number of excess COVID cases Arizona has counted as a result of the Biden-Harris administration's border migration crisis. Click the image for a larger version.

The good news shown in the chart is that the number of new COVID cases in Arizona appears to be stabilizing, ending what had been a slowly rising trend.

For more background on the border migration crisis' effect on COVID in Arizona, follow the most recent links in the series listed below!

As for the border migration crisis itself, the Biden-Harris administration has reversed itself by resuming construction of a border wall project in Texas. At this time, there's no indication of a similar restart of border wall construction projects in Arizona.

Previously on Political Calculations

Here is our previous coverage of Arizona's experience with the coronavirus pandemic, presented in reverse chronological order.

• COVID-19 and the 2021 Border Migration Crisis in Arizona
• Improving COVID Trends Bottom and Flatline in Arizona
• Surge of Migrants, Lifting of Business Capacity Limits Change Arizona COVID Trends
• COVID-19 in Retreat in Arizona With Vaccines Gaining Traction
• The Ebb and Flow of COVID-19 in Arizona's ICUs
• Arizona's Plunging COVID-19 Caseloads and the Vaccines
• Arizona Enters Downward Trend for COVID-19 After Second Peak
• Arizona Passes Second COVID-19 Peak
• A Tale of Two States and the Coronavirus
• COVID-19 Questions, Answers, and Lessons Learned from Arizona
• The Deadly Intersection of Anti-Police Protests and COVID-19
• 2020 Campaign Events Drive Surge in Arizona COVID Cases
• Arizona Arrives at Critical Junction for Coronavirus Cases
• Arizona To Soon Reach A Critical Junction For COVID-19
• Getting More Than Care from Arizona's COVID ICU Beds
• Arizona's Decentralized Approach to Beating COVID
• Going Back to School with COVID-19
• Arizona Turns Second Corner Toward Crushing Coronavirus
• Arizona's Coronavirus Crest in Rear View Mirror
• The Coronavirus Turns a Corner in Arizona
• A Delayed First Wave Crests in the U.S. and a Second COVID-19 Wave Arrives
• The Coronavirus in Arizona
• A Closer Look at COVID-19 Deaths in Arizona
• The New Epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S.
• How Long Does a Serious COVID Infection Typically Last?
• How Deadly is the COVID-19 Coronavirus?
• Governor Cuomo and the Coronavirus Models
• How Do False Test Outcomes Affect Estimates of the True Incidence of Coronavirus Infections?
• How Fast Could China's Coronavirus Spread?

References

We've continued following Arizona's experience during the coronavirus pandemic because the state's Department of Health Services makes detailed, high quality time series data available, which makes it easy to apply the back calculation method to identify the timing and events that caused changes in the state's COVID-19 trends. This section links that that resource and many of the others we've found useful throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Arizona Department of Health Services. COVID-19 Data Dashboard: Vaccine Administration. [Online Database]. Accessed 25 April 2021.

Stephen A. Lauer, Kyra H. Grantz, Qifang Bi, Forrest K. Jones, Qulu Zheng, Hannah R. Meredith, Andrew S. Azman, Nicholas G. Reich, Justin Lessler. The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application. Annals of Internal Medicine, 5 May 2020. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-0504.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios. [PDF Document]. Updated 10 September 2020.

More or Less: Behind the Stats. Ethnic minority deaths, climate change and lockdown. Interview with Kit Yates discussing back calculation. BBC Radio 4. [Podcast: 8:18 to 14:07]. 29 April 2020.

How much of the U.S. stock market is owned by foreigners?

According to the U.S. Treasury department, foreigners owned $9.17 trillion worth of U.S. equities through the end of the second quarter of 2020, which is the equivalent of 35.7% of the total market capitalization of the S&P 500 (Index: SPX) at that time. That represents a slight increase over last year's figures. The following chart presents the raw numbers:

In 2002, foreigners owned just $1.4 trillion, or the equivalent of 15% of the S&P 500's market cap at that time. In between, the share of U.S. equities held by foreigners rose steadily to peak at 36.5% in 2015, but has declined in recent years. In the next chart, we've shown how the foreign-held share of U.S. equities, which we're representing as the market cap of the S&P 500 has changed from 2002 through 2020.

References

Standard and Poor. S&P 500 Earnings and Estimate Report. [Excel Spreadsheet].

U.S. Department of the Treasury. Report on Foreign Portfolio Holdings of U.S. Securities at End-June 2020. [PDF Document]. 30 April 2021.

China is, by far and away, the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere.

That factoid was recently driven home by the Rhodium Group's latest report on the topic, updating their annual data through the 2019 calendar year. The following chart indicates the share of net CO₂ emissions by the world's top emitting countries or regions:

The Rhodium group estimates that China's net carbon emissions exceeded the output of the 34 developed nations that make up the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The chart above represents something of a snapshot in time of the pre-coronavirus pandemic world of 2020, which saw CO₂ emissions fall in many developed countries around the world.

But not in China, according to the Rhodium Group's preliminary 2020 estimate:

Based on preliminary energy and economic data, we estimate that China’s GHG emissions increased by 1.7% in 2020. While this is well below the 3.3% emissions growth that China averaged over the past decade, it is a worrying sign that the world’s largest GHG emitter’s focus on a fossil-fueled industrial recovery is at odds with its long-term goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2060.

By contrast, the Rhodium Group's preliminary estimates indicate a 10.3% decline in net U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, putting the U.S. below its 1990 level of emissions. That figure is consistent with a new year-over-year estimated reduction of 10.4% for just U.S. fossil fuel generated CO₂ emissions during 2020.

Pointing to the link between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth, China's economy is estimated to have grown by 2.1% while the U.S. economy shrank by 3.5% in real terms from 2019 to 2020.

The April 2021 jobs report was disappointing, to say the least. Instead of reporting that at least one million Americans had returned to work in April 2021 with the lifting of state and local government lockdowns in high population states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported number of additional working Americans rose by about one-fourth of that widely expected number. Which of course meant that stock prices rose on the disappointment!

It's somewhat counterintuitive, but stock prices rose on the much worse than expected news because it means the Federal Reserve will keep its "super-easy" monetary policies in effect for longer. Prior to the report, stock prices kept running toward the lower end of the redzone forecast range on our alternative futures chart, mainly because the expectation of rising inflation would mean the Fed would be forced to move away from its super-easy policies much sooner than they would want to rein in rapidly escalating prices.

This is also a good time to review the full forecast performance of our latest redzone forecast. Our need to provide these forecasts is driven by the dividend futures-based model's use of historic stock prices as the base reference points from which it projects future stock prices. When those historic prices involve high levels of volatility, the echo of that volatility affects the model's projections.

To get around that seeming limitation, we identify the period in which the volatility echo affects the model's projections and pick points on opposite sides of it, one before it begins and one after it ends. We then connect the dots with a straight line and draw in a red-shaded range on either side of it to reflect the amount of 'typical' volatility we expect to see.

The trick in doing all this is to pick the right starting and ending points. For the nearly-just-completed redzone forecast range, we anchored a point associated with the expectations for 2020-Q2 in the "before" range, and selected a point associated with the expectations for 2020-Q4 on the future end of the forecast range. In terms of the dividend futures-based model, we assumed investors would begin the forecast range being by focusing on the current quarter of 2021-Q2 in setting stock prices, then would shift their forward-looking focus out to the more distant future of 2021-Q4 some eleven weeks later.

As we mentioned several weeks ago however, it became clear investors were holding their forward-looking focus on 2020-Q2 rather than shifting it. In the following animated chart, we compare what our results were during the eleven week period of the redzone forecast range, and what our results would have been if we had assumed investors would keep their attention only on 2021-Q2 instead:

This is one of the longest periods in which we've attempted to push the limits of what we can do in forecasting stock prices. With our original assumption that investors would start the redzone forecast period focused on 2021-Q2 and shift that focus to 2021-Q4 by its end, 85% of the S&P 500's daily closing values fall within the range, and 15% fall below it. As our redzone forecasts go, this latest example is one of the worst we've done.

But the alternate hypothesis of investors focusing only on the expectations associated with 2021-Q2 in setting current day stock prices would have seen the S&P 500 fall within its projected range on 95% of the trading days, with just 5% falling below the range.

Looking forward, we think the trajectory of the S&P 500 is likely to undershoot the dividend futures-based model's standard projections in the weeks ahead, mainly because the spector of inflation has been let loose. Even if the Federal Reserve keeps its "super-easy" policies, the longer that situation continues, the more expectations among investors will grow that the Fed will be forced to change course.

Which brings us to our summary of the major market-moving news of the week that was, where you'll find exactly where we found the Fed's current policies described as "super-easy"!

Monday, 3 May 2021

• Signs and portents for the U.S. economy:
• Oil rises over 1% as demand hopes bolster sentiment
• Fed minions focusing on race, want to keep riding COVID stimulus train:
• Fed's Powell says economic recovery clouded by racial, education gaps
• NY Fed's Williams says brighter outlook not enough to affect monetary policy
• Bigger inflation developing all over:
• Euro zone factories raced ahead in April, prices jumped - PMI
• ECB minions looking forward to getting off the COVID stimulus train:
• ECB can start phasing out emergency stimulus when vaccinations pick up - de Guindos
• 'Reopening' stocks give S&P 500, Dow strong footing, tech names lag

Tuesday, 4 May 2021

• Signs and portents for the U.S. economy:
• U.S. factory orders rebound in March; business spending on equipment strong
• Is it over yet? Still no recession end date as U.S. economy hums along
• Treasury Secretary Yellen: Rates may have to rise somewhat to keep economy from overheating (cnbc.com)
• Yellen says she sees no inflation problem after rate hike comments roil Wall Street
• Fed minions sending mixed messages:
• Fed's Daly: not time to talk taper yet
• Fed's Kaplan says jury is out about inflation outlook
• Fed's Kashkari says full U.S. employment 'may take a few years'
• Positive recovery signs in Eurozone:
• Europe's first quarter earnings growth expectations surge further
• Nasdaq ends sharply lower in tech sell-off
• Stock markets fall 0.5% in minutes, leaving traders perplexed

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

• Signs and portents for the U.S. economy:
• U.S. service sector slows modestly in April: ISM survey
• U.S. private payrolls post biggest gain in seven months as labor market recovery gains steam
• Fed minions say bond buying not distorting economy, want to keep doing it:
• NY Fed's Williams says central bank’s bond buying doesn’t appear to be creating imbalances in financial sector: WSJ
• Economy may be stronger than Fed officials recently projected, Bowman says
• Fed's Evans says he doesn't see labor market overheating
• Fed's Evans says patience is key, in no hurry to talk QE taper
• Fed's Evans says policy likely on hold for some time
• Fed's Rosengren says conditions for tapering could be reached later this year
• Fed's Rosengren says it is premature to talk about tapering
• Fed's Mester: Will be 'deliberately patient' regarding inflation
• Fed's Clarida says not time to talk taper, doesn't see economy overheating
• ECB minions now counting on recovery:
• Vaccines, lockdown lifts were factored into last ECB forecasts: Lane
• Dow ends at record high, Nasdaq falls as tech slides

Thursday, 6 May 2021

• Signs and portents for the U.S. economy:
• U.S. productivity rebounds in first quarter
• U.S. weekly jobless claims drop below 500,000; layoffs lowest since 2000
• Biden says 25% to 28% corporate tax rate could pay for investments
• Fed says stock market boom, 'ebullient' investors warrant caution
• Fed minions say will keep stimulating economy by buying bonds, no matter what:
• Fed says stock market boom, 'ebullient' investors warrant caution
• Fed's Mester says policy will remain accommodative for some time
• Fed's Bostic: Million-plus jobs figure for April would not trigger bond debate
• Central bank minions plotting how to get out of bond buying business:
• The great exit: central banks line up to taper emergency stimulus
• Bank of England sees faster economic rebound, slows its bond buying
• Fed's Kaplan wants taper talk 'sooner rather than later'
• Dow ends at record high after upbeat jobless claims report

Friday, 7 May 2021

• Signs and portents for the U.S. economy:
• U.S. job growth far below expectations in April amid labor shortages
• Instant View: U.S. April payrolls gain much smaller than expected
• U.S. hiring takes big step back as businesses scramble for workers, raw materials
• U.S. Chamber calls for end to $300-a-week jobless aid to ease labor shortage
• Fed minions policy described as "super-easy", will continue:
• Fed's super-easy policy likely to stick after weak jobs report
• Richmond Fed's Barkin: Low job growth sign of bottleneck in supply of workers
• Positive recovery signs in countries that buy lots of goods from China:
• China posts rapid trade growth in April as recovery races ahead
• S&P 500, Dow end at record highs as weak jobs data eases rate worries

What was positive and negative in the past week's markets and economics news? Barry Ritholtz outlines how he read the week's market news over at The Big Picture!

From time to time, the Inventions in Everything team surveys product pitches on Kickstarter just to get a sense of the innovation zeitgeist. We're looking for the uniting themes inventors and designers have zeroed in on to solve what they've identified as common problems, which their potential consumers have also bought into by pledging enough for their project to launch.

We've found three such innovations for this edition, with the common uniting theme of solving problems encountered by the environmentally conscious while drinking beverages on the go. Let's start by introducing HUNU, a collapsible coffee cup that fits in your pocket:

Hunu was originally kickstarted a year ago by Vince Dickson and Megan Williams with a goal of £2,500 to launch, which ultimately collected over 85 times than in pledges from 6,730 backers. This year, they successfully kickstarted the HUNU+, which includes 16 or 20 ounce versions of their collapsible coffee cup.

That's all well and good, but what if your jam involves cold drinks. The kind that are best consumed on the go through a plastic straw. Only you don't want to deal with a plastic straw.

That's the market the inventors and team behind FinalStraw, the world's first collapsible, reusable straw sought to tap through their 2018 Kickstarter campaign.

Originally seeking $12,500 to launch the FinalStraw, the KickStarter campaign ultimately collected nearly $1.9 million from some 38,443 backers.

The final innovation we're featuring in this edition is still being kickstarted as of our original publication date, but has already surpassed its $10,000 goal, so it will launch! Meet JoGo, the coffee brewing straw!

Nick Yehle and Joey Jones' design is based on the bombilla filtered straws they encountered on a trip to South America for drinking maté, which they've refined to work with coffee and other beverages.