The soft landing seems to have stuck, inflation has been frustratingly persistent, rate cuts will be slower to arrive than many thought, and small cracks are showing up in the growth outlook. The big picture: That is where the U.S. economy stands as we pass the midpoint of 2024 — a year in which things have not gone quite according to plan, but the overall balance of conditions is, for now, favorable for both workers and investors. But the job market has kept chugging along, and financial markets have taken the diminished rate cut outlook in stride. • A series of elevated inflation numbers in the first three months ... (full story)