The Fed's Next Move May Be No Move at All

Although Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced that the employment situation was "strong" ... there seems to have been quite a change in the rate forecast ... as BBC reports that the Fed announced approach changed from 2 rate increases this year ... to none at all! Why? Slower economic growth is forecast ... and we even have some economists giving the view that the next Fed move might actually be a cut!How surprised were market participants? The opening line of this morning's Daily Shot report was: "The FOMC delivered a bazooka!" That being said, markets opened with a slight loss this morning (now flat) and investors must be wondering just what the Fed saw that resulted in their taking on a more dovish stance.I didn't mean to include so many articles about cannabis this morning ... but there certainly were a lot of different headlines among the news feeds I review that I did find interesting. Frankly, I don't know if it is psychological or not ... but claims (per second and third article below) are that cannabis use - due to the CBD component, I believe - could be helping older Americans hold on to jobs longer (by reducing arthritic pain).What seems apparent is that we need to front-burner studies on this ... as the claims are so fantastic that we deserve to find out what really holds merit ... before we spend tons of money on products for which positive effects are simply rumor and hearsay.And no one won yesterday's Powerball lottery ...which is up to $625 million for the next drawing! I did something crazy and found a website where you can see if your numbers ever won. The last time I had even 3 numbers? April of 1999! I am such a loser ... such a sucker ... yet I continue to waste money, play and dream on.On a final note, I am finishing my taxes this weekend and need help.Does anyone know an accountant who is not afraid of jail?

... as of 9:47AM today ...Probably the most interesting few words in the weekly jobless number commentaryis "the number of Americans filing applications ... fell more than expected." ( CNBC)... for unemployment does not seem to be big national worry at the moment. And for retirees wanting to continue working? A possibly-biased article claims cannabis can help( MarketWatch)... and here is further commentarysupporting the article above ( EurekaAlert)... as many will need to work in what they would like to be their retirement years. Lack of savings ... and an aging population... certainly seems to be a formula for problems ( Forbes)Do you have a few extra minutes today? You might want to check your router ... as hacking and cybercrime seems to be on the rise... and you might want to make sure you're protected ( USAToday)I made previous mention of medicinal cannabis ... and it now appears CVS will get into the act to a degree and put some CBD-based products on the shelf( CNBC)... but it is important to separate the different strains ... as too much use of one type of cannabiscould lead to some psychological issues ( CNN)Are you a tea drinker? You might want to cool down your drink a bit... as there seems to be a correlation between hot tea and throat cancer. Yikes! ( CNN)