Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, December 15-16, 2020

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, December 15-16, 2020 | site |




(Information contained in Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System press release dated: January 6, 2021)

The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday released the attached minutes of the Committee meeting held on December 15–16, 2020.

The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee ordinarily are made available three weeks after the day of the policy decision and subsequently are published in the Board's Annual Report. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these minutes are based solely on the information that was available to the Committee at the time of the meeting.

FOMC minutes can be viewed on the Board's website at http://www.federalreserve.gov/moneta...ccalendars.htm . Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee December 15-16, 2020: ...

Federal Communications Commission announces tentative Agenda for January Open Meeting | site |



(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] press release dated: December 23, 2020) Washington, December 23, 2020 - - —Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the tentative agenda for the January Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2021. Bureau, Office, and Task Force leaders will summarize the work their teams have done over the last four years in a series of presentations: Panel One – The Commission will hear presentations from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, International Bureau, Office of Engineering and Technology, and Office of Economics and Analytics. Panel Two – The Commission will hear presentations from the Wireline Competition Bureau and the Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force. Panel Three – The Commission will hear presentations from the Media Bureau and the Inc...

Federal Reserve Board and Federal Open Market Committee release Economic Projections from the December 15-16 FOMC Meeting| site |



(Information contained in Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System press release: December 16, 2020)

The attached tables and charts released on Wednesday summarize the economic projections made by Federal Open Market Committee participants in conjunction with the December 15-16 meeting.

Projections (PDF) | Accessible Materials...

Federal Reserve releases Illustrative Examples of New Charts that will be Included in the Federal Open Market Committee’s Quarterly Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) | site |


(Information contained in Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System press release: December 11, 2020)

The Federal Reserve on Friday released illustrative examples of new charts that will be included in the Federal Open Market Committee's quarterly Summary of Economic Projections (SEP). The new charts show FOMC participants' judgments of uncertainty and risks related to their projections of the change in real gross domestic product, the unemployment rate, personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation, and core PCE inflation. The first new illustrative chart shows the proportion of participants who indicated that the uncertainty surrounding their projections for each variable was higher or lower relative to the average level of uncertainty over the past 20...

American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association issue open Letter backing Science-based Covid-19 Vaccine Development | site |

URGING PUBLIC TO REMAIN VIGILANT UNTIL WIDESPREAD VACCINATION


(Information contained in American Hospital Association [AHA] press release: December 1, 2020)

AHA, AMA, ANA issue open letter backing science-based covid-19 vaccine development, URGING PUBLIC TO REMAIN VIGILANT UNTIL WIDESPREAD VACCINATION

CHICAGO – As COVID-19 vaccine development continues to progress, leading U.S. medical, nursing and health organizations today affirmed their commitment to ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and ultimately authorized through a rigorous scientific and regulatory process. The groups called on the American people to continue public health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 until the U.S. population has been broadly immunized against the illness. T...

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, November 4-5, 2020 | site |



(Information contained in Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System press release: November 25, 2020)

The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday released the attached minutes of the Committee meeting held on November 4-5, 2020.

The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee ordinarily are made available three weeks after the day of the policy decision and subsequently are published in the Board’s Annual Report. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these minutes are based solely on the information that was available to the Committee at the time of the meeting.

FOMC minutes can be viewed on the Board's website at http://www.federalreserve.gov/moneta...ccalendars.htm


Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee
November 4-5, 2020: HT...

U.S. Department of State issues Statement addressing Treaty on Open Skies | site |


(Information contained in U.S. Department of State press release: November 22, 2020)


Statement attributed to Cale Brown, Deputy Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State:

On May 22, 2020, the United States exercised its right pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article XV of the Treaty on Open Skies by providing notice to the Treaty Depositaries and to all States Parties of its decision to withdraw from the Treaty, effective six months from the notification date. Six months having elapsed, the U.S. withdrawal took effect on November 22, 2020, and the United States is no longer a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies....

American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and American Nurses Association issue Open Letter urging Public to Scale back Holiday Gatherings to Stop further COVID-19 Spread | site |




(Information contained in American Hospital Association press release: November 19, 2020)



AMA, AHA, ANA issue open letter urging public to scale back holiday gatherings to stop further COVID-19 spread


CHICAGO – Leading U.S. medical and health organizations today called on the American people to celebrate safely this holiday season by scaling back traditional gatherings to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 to friends and loved ones.

The open letter from the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and American Nurses Association is available here. The full text is below: An open letter to the American people: With Thanksgiving and the holiday season fast approaching...

U.S. Department of Transportation: United States and the United Kingdom Sign New Open Skies Agreement| site |



(November 17, 2020) - - On November 17, 2020 the U.S. Department of Transportation published the following information:

WASHINGTON – The United States and the United Kingdom today completed the signature of the Air Transport Agreement (the Agreement) between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed the Agreement for the United States. Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps signed the Agreement for the United Kingdom.



...

U.S. Office of Personnel Management announces the Start of Open Season for Federal Employees | site |




(November 10, 2020) - - Today, November 10, 2020, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management published the following information:

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began this year’s Federal Benefits Open Season, allowing enrollees to select their health, dental, vision, or flexible spending account benefits for the year 2021.

Beginning Monday, November 9, eligible Federal employees and retirees can elect to stay with their current plan or select a new one. Open Season ends Monday, December 14.

Enrollees can use OPM’s Plan Comparison Tool to compare the cost of different plans’ monthly premiums, deductibles, and annual out-of-pocket maximums. These tools make it easy for customers to learn their coverage options and make an informed decision for the coming year.

Visit...

Federal Communications Commission's Connected Care Pilot Program Application Window to open on November 6 | site |



Public Notice Outlines Application Submission Process and Eligible Services


(November 5, 2020) - - On November 5, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission published the following information: WASHINGTON, November 5, 2020—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today announced that the Connected Care Pilot Program application window will open on November 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET and will remain open for 30 days through December 7, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Public Notice also provides additional guidance concerning the application submission process, prerequisites for the submission of an application, and provides examples of services eligible for support. The Pilot Program will provide up to $100 million from the Universal Service Fund over a three-year period to support the provision of connected care services. “In the pas...

National Transportation Safety Board Moves Forward in Meeting Federal Data Strategy, Requirements for Open Data | site |



(October 13, 2020) - - Today, October 13, 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published the following information:

WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2020) — The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday the successful launch of its new public-facing database query system for NTSB investigations, safety recommendations and dockets across all of the NTSB’s investigative modes.

The new query system, Case Analysis and Reporting Online – or CAROL – not only helps users more easily access NTSB data, but it also changes the way the NTSB shares its information with other agencies. Previously, there were three distinct and separate query systems customers could use to access NTSB data; the docket query system, the aviation database query system, and the NTSB safety recommendations query system. That meant ...

Trump Administration Announces Historically Low Premiums and New Insulin Benefit as Medicare Open Enrollment Begins | site |



Medicare Parts A & B


(October 15, 2020) - - Today, October 15, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the following information: Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 2021 Medicare Open Enrollment is officially open and will run through December 7, 2020. More than 60 million people with Medicare can review health and drug plans, and make changes to their healthcare coverage for next year, based on their financial and medical needs, from the comfort of their homes. With Medicare Advantage (or private Medicare health plans) and Part D prescription drug plan premiums at historic lows – and hundreds of healthcare plans now offering $35 monthly co-pays for insulin – there are plenty of reasons to compare coverage options. As part of this year’s open enro...

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, September 15-16, 2020| site |



(October 7, 2020) - - Today, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System published the following information: The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday released the attached minutes of the Committee meeting held on September 15–16, 2020. A summary of economic projections made by Federal Reserve Board members and Reserve Bank presidents for the meeting is also included as an addendum to these minutes. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee ordinarily are made available three weeks after the day of the policy decision and subsequently are published in the Board's Annual Report. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these minutes and in the Summary of Economic Projections are based solely on the information that was available to the Committee at the time of the meeting. FOMC minutes ...

2021 Medicare Advantage and Part D Plan Information Now Available on Medicare.gov Ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment | site |


(October 1, 2020) - - Today, October 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the following information:

Following last week’s announcement of historically low premiums in Medicare Advantage, starting today, seniors can begin to compare their Medicare coverage options for 2021. CMS has released the 2021 benefit and cost-sharing information for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans on Medicare.gov. Additionally, for the first time, seniors will be able to find through Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov more than 1,600 prescription drug plans to choose from that will offer insulin at no more than a $35 monthly copay beginning in January. Average 2021 premiums for Medicare Advantage plans are expected to decline 34.2 percent from 2017 while plan choice, benefits, and enrollment continue to...