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Brian Blank

@dbblank.bsky.social
234 followers 339 following 14 posts

Acts 4:13 Disciple, Husband, Girl Dad x 3, Son, Brother, Assoc Prof Finance @ Mississippi State in Empirical Corporate via Alabama, Roll Tide! & Tennessee PhD, @arsenalfc.bsky.social Fan, Scholarship: scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&…

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Reposted by Brian Blank
Marketplace @marketplace.org · 09/10/2026
The U.S. economy grew by 2.2% from April to June. That’s more than expected given the recent strain of higher gas prices.
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Checking out @heycg.bsky.social's new "Ratings Trends" tracker, nice at-a-glance interface and visuals: cfbtxt.com/ratings/tren...
screenshot of "CFB TXT 2026 Ratings Trends" webpage featuring line chart detailing ranking changes over the course of the season for SEC teams
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Emerging Signs that Asking Rents are Near a Bottom calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/emerging-s...
calculatedrisk.substack.com
Emerging Signs that Asking Rents are Near a Bottom
Every month I review rents and vacancy rates.
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
FEI ratings, supporting stats, and F+ ratings have been updated through Week 5 results, and FEI Week 6 game projections are up: bcftoys.com Preseason projection weights: 54% for teams that have played 3 FBS opponents; 43% (4 FBS opps); 33% (5 FBS opps); 25% (6 FBS opps)
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
7.61% 30-year fixed mortgage www.mortgagenewsdaily.com.
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The CFP if Résumé SP+ chose it after 5 weeks... 9 UCLA at 8 Nebraska -- 1 Alabama 12 JMU at 5 Notre Dame -- 4 Miami 11 LSU at 6 Utah -- 3 Georgia 10 Pitt at 7 Indiana -- 2 Texas
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CBS Philadelphia @cbsphiladelphia.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Eagles fans weren’t happy with Nick Sirianni’s coaching performance in the team’s 24-20 loss to the Rams. “What’s happening at halftime? Are we eating meatball subs?”
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Clearer: SEC race (Bama!), Heisman, G6 race (LOBOS!), American race (FAU!) Cloudier: 10-win B1G/SEC teams, ACC race (second spot), Norvell's hot seat?? Also: SP+ movement, Kentucky's comeback and an AMAAAAAAAZING FCS weekend WEEK 5 RECAP: www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
Connelly: Week 5 brought clarity, confusion to conference races
While Alabama muddied the SEC waters, the ACC picture got clearer -- or did it?
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RedditCFB @redditcfb.com · 03/10/2026
With Idaho's massive upset of #1 Montana State last night, all 3 Idaho schools have won their way onto the FBS #CFBImperialism map (however briefly) for the first time since it began in 2017. 2 games to be played today: Idaho State hosts NAU; Boise State hosts Utah State
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Big Sky Conference @bigskyconf.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
MIRACLE IN MOSCOW
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Amanda Mull @amandamull.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I have yet to see an angle that suggests the Virginia Tech kick wasn’t good
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
* Kamario vs. Keelon! Hell yes! * Iowa goes for the double * Which top-12 road teams lose? (Because some will lose!) * Enter Sandman and Ryan Field! * BIGGEST! UMASS HOME GAME! EVER (in FBS)! * Chaos superfecta! Playlist! THE WIAC'S BACK! WEEK 5 PREVIEW: www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
Connelly: Alabama, Ohio State among ranked teams on upset alert
Alabama, Ohio State and Florida all face ranked road tests. How can they get home with victories?
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Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
this is by far the best "I quit my AI job over safety concerns" essay yet because it is the first one that is able to talk about safety concerns in practical terms and that understands "safety" as a topic with extensive literature in analogous fields www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Two changes are urgently needed. First: AI companies need to rely more on the safety expertise that already exists in other fields. And second, before we create systems significantly more capable than the ones we have today, we need new science to ensure that more capable models (and their successors) will make safe choices when we aren’t looking.

Given today’s risks, frontier labs need to run like nuclear-power plants or busy airports, with layers of redundancy and careful, time-consuming planning, so that the occasional and inevitable human error does not open a door to disaster. Right now, AI companies don’t know how—but other people do. In a nuclear-power plant, the technical systems and rules people follow are set up so that, if equipment breaks or someone pushes the wrong button, we still won’t risk a meltdown. OpenAI and other labs are growing and deploying frontier AI with far less redundancy and rigor than this, even though the harm from an irreversible loss of control would be much greater than the harm from any single meltdown. Even short of a full loss of control, we could see autonomous swarms of AI agents that act without human permission. Imagine “rogue” agents that work like teams of hackers (for example, holding hospital computer systems for ransom) but never need to sleep.
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
* 8 guys could be No. 1 * Arch: impossible to grade (but definitely not top 8) * Life's tough for true freshmen (and John Mateer) * Bottom 3: all ACC I decided you guys haven't been mad enough at me lately, so I RANKED EVERY P4 STARTING QUARTERBACK. www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
QB rankings for all 68 Power 4 college football teams
We've seen four weeks of football. How has that changed our opinions about the top quarterbacks.
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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
NEW from me: Over the last 4 years, America has lost more than 200k jobs in creative fields like publishing, film, TV, or graphic design. It's the worst stretch for arts jobs outside of recessions. How much is AI to blame? And can the arts' business model survive?🧵 www.apricitas.io/p/ai-and-the...
apricitas.io
AI and the Fall? of the Creative Class
America is Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs in Media, Film & the Arts. How Much is AI to Blame?
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Marketplace @marketplace.org · 28/09/2026
The national debt is the highest it’s ever been. If we can’t get interest rates down, here’s what could happen to the debt by 2056.
marketplace.org
What happens to the deficit and national debt if interest rates stay high?
When interest rates rise, everyone — including the federal government — pays more to borrow. What does that mean for the economy in the long term?
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
7.5% 30 Year fixed. Ouch! www.mortgagenewsdaily.com
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
FEI ratings, supporting stats, and F+ ratings have been updated through Week 4 results, and FEI Week 5 game projections are up: bcftoys.com Preseason projection weights: 67% for teams that have played 2 FBS opponents; 54% (3 FBS opps); 43% (4 FBS opps); 33% (5 FBS opps)
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
lol, what could POSSIBLY go wrong... www.espn.com/college-foot...
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
JOLTS: "The number of job openings was little changed at 7.1 million in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires changed little at 5.2 million, while total separations were unchanged at 5.1 million."
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Average FEI game ratings through Week 4 ("How have you played to date?" considering game possession efficiency results and current opponent ratings): 1. Georgia 2. Utah 3. Notre Dame 4. Miami 5. Texas 6. Alabama 7. Florida 8. Ohio State 9. Indiana 10. BYU bcftoys.com/2026-gr
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
People are not confident about the economy ... www.conference-board.org/topics/consu... "The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® fell by 6.7 points to 81.9 (1985=100) in September, down from 88.6 in August." Well below consensus of 89.
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Georgia's explosive now! 3 teams are over 50% to win their conference! A&M and Oklahoma (and maybe Ole Miss??) are toast! Utah, MSU, UCLA and Nebraska are playoff contenders! You're gorgeous, UMass! And you HAVE to see the end of OBU-Harding! WEEK 4 RECAP COLUMN: www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
Connelly: What changed in college football during September
It's dangerous to lean on lessons learned in one month, but here's what we think we know so far.
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Pardeep Cattry @pcattry.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
while Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal publicly make their case to win the Ballon d'Or, Harry Kane is just out here trying to make his NFL kicker dreams happen (and drawing up the most bonkers scenario along the way)
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Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
talking about how the Premier League midtable starts at 3rd place and I start breaking out my fall outfits because I had to bundle up (which is also related to why this week's pods were delayed)
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Grace Robertson 🏳️‍⚧️ @graceonfootball.com · 25/09/2026
it's real. it's actually real. www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...
nytimes.com
Manchester City found guilty on almost all Premier League charges relating to financial breaches (Gift Article)
City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023.
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Michael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
two things I think are true -Man City should receive maximal punishment for their decades of bad faith and cover-up -it is mostly neither here nor there in evaluating the "fairness" of the Premier League, which is among the most unfair sports leagues in history
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Griffin Shelor @gshelor.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Well now I feel a bit better. Still a little bit concerned by how we struggled to break Brighton’s press, but I feel a bit better
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
End of day 7.45% 30 year fixed.
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Marketplace @marketplace.org · 24/09/2026
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rates just hit a two-year high, pushing some buyers to apply for adjustable-rate mortgages instead. Many people take out adjustable mortgages in the hopes that rates will drop before their loan shifts, and they’ll be able to refinance — but that can be a risky bet.
marketplace.org
More people are turning to adjustable-rate mortgages
The average rate on a 30-year fixed just climbed above 7.1% for the first time in more than two years. That's making cheaper, adjustable-rate mortgages more attractive to some buyers.
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Mike Goodman @themlg.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
If I gave up three shots for 0.26 xG I would simply not allow them to hit two bangers if I were Arsenal. Dunno why they didn’t run the no bangers tactic.
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Cindy aka Mrs. Celtics ☘️ @mrsceltics.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Polymarket partner LeBron James continuing to promote gambling 🤢
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Grace Robertson 🏳️‍⚧️ @graceonfootball.com · 22/09/2026
lmao
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"Brentford to the Champions League" was one of my Bold Predictions in August. Maybe I should have gone with "Brentford's gonna win the damn Premier League."
Premier League adjusted goal differential as of Sept. 20. Brentford shockingly leads the way.
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Lawler: Update on MBS Yields and Spreads calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/lawler-upd... Note: This is from housing economist Tom Lawler (and is free to read). Lawler has been pointing out that the GSEs’ holdings of Agency MBS have been declining and that the GSEs have taken on more risks.
calculatedrisk.substack.com
Lawler: Update on MBS Yields and Spreads
From housing economist Tom Lawler:
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
WEEK 4 SP+ PICKS Texas 29, Tennessee 28 LSU 27, A&M 23 Oregon 30, USC 29 Georgia 31, OU 18 Michigan 23.2, Iowa 22.9! Mizzou 27.1, Miss St 26.6! Indiana 35, Northwestern 14 Ohio State 37, Illinois 16 Utah 29, Iowa St 20 Bama 30, S Caro 21 Full list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
30-year mortgage rates at 7.19% will impact closings in 30 to 60 days. www.mortgagenewsdaily.com
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
WEEK 3 SP+ PICKS LSU 29, Ole Miss 22 Tex Tech 32, Houston 22 Louisville 27, SMU 26 Bama 32, FSU 16 Irish 41, Spartans 13 Dawgs 41, Hogs 16 A&M 36, Kentucky 16 UVA 30, WVU 20 Washington 50, EWU 5 #fünf All games here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Most positive change in FEI rating from preseason FEI through Week 2: +.36 UMass +.36 NDSU +.26 Mississippi St +.26 USC +.24 Nevada Most negative change: -.45 Oregon -.44 Rutgers -.31 WKU -.31 Clemson -.22 CMU
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Goldman: "We now expect a 25bp hike at the September FOMC meeting next week ... Additional hikes at later meetings are possible but are not our baseline. ... We continue to think that all of the overshoot of the 2% target can be attributed to one-time factors whose impact is likely to fade"
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
FEI ratings, supporting stats, and F+ ratings (combining FEI and SP+) have been updated through Week 1 results, and FEI Week 2 game projections are up: bcftoys.com
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
BofA after jobs report: "If Aug core PCE prints at 0.24% m/m or higher ... a decision not to hike could raise questions about the Fed's credibility, likely showing up in higher long-end yields." Market participants put the odds or a rate hike at 60%.
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Patrick De Haan @gasbuddyguy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
BREAKING: according to GasBuddy data, the live U.S. national average price of diesel has set a new record: $5.820/gal, surpassing the previous daily $5.819/gal all-time high that occurred June 17, 2022. (9/3/26 3:25pm ET)
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Brian Fremeau @bcfremeau.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
FEI ratings, supporting stats, and F+ ratings (combining FEI and SP+) have been updated through Week 0 results, and FEI Week 1 game projections are up: bcftoys.com
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Bill Connelly @espnbillc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I used SP+ to project what SHOULD happen (conference/CFP/title odds), then I grabbed random simulations to tell you what WILL happen. (Can't wait for "NDSU beats SEC champion Tennessee in the CFP.") One million sims = one million (increasingly wild) realities. www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
2026 college football simulations: CFP, conference title odds
Using SP+ projections, we ran 1 million simulations of the 2026 season, so we found something for everyone.
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
www.mortgagenewsdaily.com
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Marketplace @marketplace.org · 27/08/2026
1.8 million people are currently unemployed long-term. This number actually fell in July — which may sound like a good thing, but is actually due to the fact that fewer and fewer people are looking for work.
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Goldman: “Based on the details of the new home sales report, we lowered our Q3 GDP tracking estimate by 0.1pp to +2.2% (quarter-over-quarter annualized).” I’ll take the under on 2.2% in Q3
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George Pearkes @peark.es · 19/08/2026
slightly hawkish skew in the minutes *FED: MANY SAID HIKE LIKELY NEEDED IF INFLATION DIDN'T DECLINE *FED: PARTICIPANTS JUDGED INFLATION RISKS WERE SKEWED TO UPSIDE also: *FED: CHAIRMAN ASKED COMMITTEE FOR INPUT ON MEETING SCHEDULE
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Bill McBride @calculatedrisk.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Unemployment Claims: "In the week ending August 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 203,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 206,000 to 207,000." Slightly below expectations.
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