One month after the October Beige book found "little change" in the US economy even as the outlook turned decidedly gloomier, moments ago the Fed released the latest, November, Beige Book in which we find just why the outlook darkened: according to the Fed, economic activity in the US "slowed" since the previous report, with four Districts reporting modest growth, two indicating conditions were flat to slightly down, and half (or six) noting slight declines in activity. The slowdown was visible across both Fed mandates: price increases moderated across districts (though prices remained elevated) the Beige Book ... (full story)