investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Macy’s Unsecured Bonds Cashed 53% Since Feb 14. Can it Get Through this Crisis and Stay Relevant?

It has been living off its real estate portfolio of “ owned boxes ” for years by selling them .
Macy ’ s , the largest surviving department store in the US , and still clinging by its fingernails to the last rung of the top 10 ecommerce retailers in the US , down from 7th place in 2019 , may never reopen many of its stores that it hadn ’ t already decided to shutter before the crisis .
In 2019 , 26 % of its $ 24.5 billion in sales were online sales , up from 23 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10-K filing with the SEC .
In the second quarter ( February through April ) , as all its stores were closed on March 18 , the percentage of digital sales to total sales will surge .
But it won ’ t be enough .
Investors have lost faith , demonstrated amply by the crash of its 7.0 % senior unsecured 30-year bond due in February 2028 .
The bonds have been in deeply distressed territory since mid-March .
Since February 14 , they have collapsed by 53 % , to a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dollar , giving them a yield of 18.6 % ( chart via Finra-Morningstar ) : Macy ’ s is not out of cash .
At the end of its fiscal year on February 1 , it had $ 685 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand .
On March 20 , it said that it drew its entire credit line of $ 1.5 billion as “ proactive measure.
” So that would be close to a total of $ 2.2 billion in cash .
But part of the cash has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there is a decent chance these $ 2.2 billion and whatever else Macy ’ s may be able to pull out of its hat – more on that in a moment – will get it through the first part of 2021 without filing for bankruptcy .
This is shown by its $ 500 million in senior unsecured 3.45 % notes that are due on January 15 , 2021 .
These notes traded at 92.5 cents on the dollar today .
This indicates that the market still sees a decent chance of getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s never comforting for bondholders when the Chief Financial Officer of a company in distress suddenly departs .
But that ’ s what happened on April 7 , when Macy ’ s announced that CFO Paula Price would “ voluntarily depart , ” effective May 31 .
Macy ’ s is now scrambling to find a successor .
After her departure , she will stay on as an advisor for six months to smoothen out the transition , for $ 510,000 in advisory fees and other benefits worked out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instrumental in Macy ’ s decision to lay off “ the majority ” of its 123,000 employees after it had closed all its Macy ’ s , Bloomingdale ’ s and Bluemercury stores on March 18 .
Macy ’ s vendors , if they ’ re worried about getting paid for their merchandise and want to obtain credit insurance , face a new challenge : Two of the largest credit insurance providers , Coface SA and Euler Hermes Group SAS , have stopped writing policies to cover Macy ’ s , said people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Bloomberg today .
This is a sign that insurers have lost faith in Macy ’ s ability to pay its vendors .
This whole thing is going to be a mess .
If Macy ’ s stores reopen in the summer , the merchandise – the part it couldn ’ t sell online – will have been there for months .
With some things , that ’ s OK. With other things , it ’ s not .
But vendors might be getting skittish , now that credit insurance is harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vendors may begin to protect themselves , limiting their exposure and demanding shorter payment terms – the opposite of what Macy ’ s had announced in March , that it would be “ extending payment terms ” to stretch out its cash .
This will make it even harder for Macy ’ s to restock its stores with appropriate fresh merchandise before they reopen .
To stay out of bankruptcy court , Macy ’ s is now trying to pull a big rabbit out of the hat : borrow up to $ 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by merchandise , sources told CNBC and Bloomberg last week .
The sources said that $ 3 billion of the debt could be backed by inventories as collateral .
And that $ 1 billion to $ 2 billion could be backed by real estate .
Macy ’ s owns 342 of 775 stores it still operated as of February 1 .
None of these “ owned boxes , ” as it calls them , were encumbered by a mortgage , it said in its 10-K .
It also owns some other properties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s has been “ monetizing , ” as it calls it , this real estate portfolio through the sale of properties .
In one of the most expensive property markets in the US , San Francisco , Macy ’ s already sold three of its four stores : • 2016 : its 263,000 sq .
ft. Men ’ s Store on Stockton St. ( now being redeveloped into offices and mixed use ) a couple of blocks from Union Square , for $ 275 million .
• 2017 : its 280,000 sq .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an aging mall with plans to redevelop it , including possibly into housing ) for $ 41 million .
• 2019 : its historic 250,000-square-foot I. Magnin building at Union Square for $ 250 million .
By now , the proceeds from those sales have been used up .
Macy ’ s still owns its last remaining store in San Francisco , its flagship 700,000 square-foot store facing Union Square , the largest department store in the Bay Area .
Its other crown-jewel “ owned box ” is its Herald Square location in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the efforts to raise up to $ 5 billion said that it would not be used as collateral .
The remaining “ owned boxes ” are much less valuable , and some of them may have little value .
Macy ’ s has been living off its real-estate sales for years .
But it still has significant resources in its property portfolio that it could leverage , including , if push comes to shove , its San Francisco Union Square store and its Manhattan Harold Square store .
This comes in an era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mall properties across the US have lost about 30 % of their value since 2016 , and 20 % year-over-year in March .
With the total brick-and-mortar meltdown now under way , and with the new uncertainties of the health crisis going forward , and with the current issues in the commercial mortgage-backed securities ( CMBS ) market , selling retail properties is going to be tough ; using them as collateral for new debt might be easier .
Macy ’ s might burn through $ 2 billion in cash this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 million bond in January 2021 .
It also has to refinance a $ 450 bond in January 2022 .
And it will continue to burn cash in 2021 .
So the cash proceeds from the $ 4 billion or $ 5 billion in new debt , if Macy ’ s succeeds in selling it , may get it through 2021 .
But then what ?
It will be getting close to the end of its rope .
For a while longer , it can continue to burn its furniture to stay warm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sears Holdings , ruin its brand and collapse into worthless debris .
If Macy ’ s can use a bankruptcy filing sooner rather than later to shed most of its stores , keep a few flagship stores , lighten its debt load , and concentrate its remaining resources on building its online brand and fulfillment infrastructure , it might have a better chance of staying relevant as an internet brand — and forget the department store .

It has been living off its real estate portfolio of “owned boxes” for years by selling them.
Macy’s, the largest surviving department store in the US, and still clinging by its fingernails to the last rung of the top 10 ecommerce retailers in the US, down from 7th place in 2019, may never reopen many of its stores that it hadn’t already decided to shutter before the crisis.
In 2019, 26% of its $24.5 billion in sales were online sales, up from 23% a year earlier, according to its 10-K filing with the SEC. In the second quarter (February through April), as all its stores were closed on March 18, the percentage of digital sales to total sales will surge. But it won’t be enough.
Investors have lost faith, demonstrated amply by the crash of its 7.0% senior unsecured 30-year bond due in February 2028. The bonds have been in deeply distressed territory since mid-March. Since February 14, they have collapsed by 53%, to a new low on Tuesday of 54.1 cents on the dollar, giving them a yield of 18.6% (chart via Finra-Morningstar):
Macy’s is not out of cash. At the end of its fiscal year on February 1, it had $685 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand. On March 20, it said that it drew its entire credit line of $1.5 billion as “proactive measure.” So that would be close to a total of $2.2 billion in cash. But part of the cash has already been burned.
The bond market believes that there is a decent chance these $2.2 billion and whatever else Macy’s may be able to pull out of its hat – more on that in a moment – will get it through the first part of 2021 without filing for bankruptcy. This is shown by its $500 million in senior unsecured 3.45% notes that are due on January 15, 2021. These notes traded at 92.5 cents on the dollar today. This indicates that the market still sees a decent chance of getting paid face value in January, 2021.
It’s never comforting for bondholders when the Chief Financial Officer of a company in distress suddenly departs. But that’s what happened on April 7, when Macy’s announced that CFO Paula Price would “voluntarily depart,” effective May 31. Macy’s is now scrambling to find a successor. After her departure, she will stay on as an advisor for six months to smoothen out the transition, for $510,000 in advisory fees and other benefits worked out in the agreement.
Ms. Price was likely instrumental in Macy’s decision to lay off “the majority” of its 123,000 employees after it had closed all its Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury stores on March 18.
Macy’s vendors, if they’re worried about getting paid for their merchandise and want to obtain credit insurance, face a new challenge: Two of the largest credit insurance providers, Coface SA and Euler Hermes Group SAS, have stopped writing policies to cover Macy’s, said people with knowledge of the matter, according to Bloomberg today. This is a sign that insurers have lost faith in Macy’s ability to pay its vendors.
This whole thing is going to be a mess. If Macy’s stores reopen in the summer, the merchandise – the part it couldn’t sell online – will have been there for months. With some things, that’s OK. With other things, it’s not. But vendors might be getting skittish, now that credit insurance is harder to come by, or more expensive.
Vendors may begin to protect themselves, limiting their exposure and demanding shorter payment terms – the opposite of what Macy’s had announced in March, that it would be “extending payment terms” to stretch out its cash. This will make it even harder for Macy’s to restock its stores with appropriate fresh merchandise before they reopen.
To stay out of bankruptcy court, Macy’s is now trying to pull a big rabbit out of the hat: borrow up to $5 billion, secured by stores it owns and by merchandise, sources told CNBC and Bloomberg last week.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The sources said that $3 billion of the debt could be backed by inventories as collateral. And that $1 billion to $2 billion could be backed by real estate.
Macy’s owns 342 of 775 stores it still operated as of February 1. None of these “owned boxes,” as it calls them, were encumbered by a mortgage, it said in its 10-K. It also owns some other properties. For years already, Macy’s has been “monetizing,” as it calls it, this real estate portfolio through the sale of properties.
In one of the most expensive property markets in the US, San Francisco, Macy’s already sold three of its four stores:
2016: its 263,000 sq. ft. Men’s Store on Stockton St. (now being redeveloped into offices and mixed use) a couple of blocks from Union Square, for $275 million.
2017: its 280,000 sq. ft. store at the Stonestown Galleria (an aging mall with plans to redevelop it, including possibly into housing) for $41 million.
2019: its historic 250,000-square-foot I. Magnin building at Union Square for $250 million.
By now, the proceeds from those sales have been used up. Macy’s still owns its last remaining store in San Francisco, its flagship 700,000 square-foot store facing Union Square, the largest department store in the Bay Area.
Its other crown-jewel “owned box” is its Herald Square location in Manhattan. But the source that disclosed the efforts to raise up to $5 billion said that it would not be used as collateral. The remaining “owned boxes” are much less valuable, and some of them may have little value.
Macy’s has been living off its real-estate sales for years. But it still has significant resources in its property portfolio that it could leverage, including, if push comes to shove, its San Francisco Union Square store and its Manhattan Harold Square store.
This comes in an era when, according to Green Street Advisors, mall properties across the US have lost about 30% of their value since 2016, and 20% year-over-year in March. With the total brick-and-mortar meltdown now under way, and with the new uncertainties of the health crisis going forward, and with the current issues in the commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) market, selling retail properties is going to be tough; using them as collateral for new debt might be easier.
Macy’s might burn through $2 billion in cash this year. It has to refinance the $500 million bond in January 2021. It also has to refinance a $450 bond in January 2022. And it will continue to burn cash in 2021. So the cash proceeds from the $4 billion or $5 billion in new debt, if Macy’s succeeds in selling it, may get it through 2021. But then what?
It will be getting close to the end of its rope. For a while longer, it can continue to burn its furniture to stay warm, so to speak, and like Sears Holdings, ruin its brand and collapse into worthless debris.
If Macy’s can use a bankruptcy filing sooner rather than later to shed most of its stores, keep a few flagship stores, lighten its debt load, and concentrate its remaining resources on building its online brand and fulfillment infrastructure, it might have a better chance of staying relevant as an internet brand — and forget the department store.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--VP Wannabe Stacey Abrams is in PANIC Mode About Trump’s Likely Victory in November

Virginia Kruta from The Daily Caller reports , Failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Sunday that she would @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump might win reelection in 2020 .

Virginia Kruta from The Daily Caller reports, Failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said Sunday that she would not concede the possibility that President Donald Trump might win reelection in 2020.
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Read More/Source/Credit/FairUse:
dailycaller.com/2020/04/26/st…


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Millions Of Of Pigs, Chickens And Cattle Are Being Euthanized While The Media Warns “Shortages” Are

Millions Of Of Pigs, Chickens And Cattle Are Being Euthanized While The Media Warns “Shortages” Are Coming

More than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs during these coronavirus lockdowns so far , and this has created unprecedented demand at food banks all over the nation .
In many cities , vehicles start lining up at the food banks at the crack of dawn , and in some instances the lines have literally stretched for miles .
But at the same time , farmers all over America have been dumping millions of gallons of milk , disposing of millions of pounds of fresh vegetables , and putting farm animals to death at a rate that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters is reporting that “ millions of pigs , chickens and cattle will be euthanized ” because they can ’ t be sold .
Unlike other parts of the globe , we actually have plenty of food right now , but we can ’ t get much of that food to the people because so many food processing facilities have been shut down due to fear of COVID-19 .
What we are witnessing is nothing short of a tragedy .
Even though there are so many needy families all across America at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to waste what they have produced because food distribution pipelines have been brought to a standstill .
The following is how Forbes is describing the current state of affairs .
I have a feeling that we are going to end up deeply regretting letting so many resources go to waste during this time .
In Iowa piglets are being aborted by the thousands , in Minnesota tens of thousands of chickens are being gassed to death , and in Wisconsin farmers have been pouring countless gallons of good milk on to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is breathlessly warning us that “ shortages ” are coming .
With food processing plants closing all over the nation , our choices are going to become a lot more limited , and Tyson Foods is openly admitting that “ millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain ” … Tyson Foods is facing a new set of challenges .
In small communities around the country where we employ over 100,000 hard-working men and women , we ’ re being forced to shutter our doors .
This means one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As pork , beef and chicken plants are being forced to close , even for short periods of time , millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain .
As a result , there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed .
And Smithfield Foods has also released a very ominous statement… “ During this pandemic , our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice : continue to operate to sustain our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk , ” Smithfield Foods , the largest global pork producer owned by the Chinese WH Group , said in a statement on Friday .
“ It ’ s an awful choice ; it ’ s not one we wish on anyone.
” “ It is impossible to keep protein on tables across America if our nation ’ s meat plants are not running .
Across the animal protein industry , closures can have severe , perhaps disastrous , repercussions up and down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Beyond the implications to our food supply , our entire agricultural community is in jeopardy .
Farmers have nowhere to send their animals and could be forced to euthanize livestock , effectively burying food in the ground .
We have a stark choice as a nation : we are either going to produce food or not , even in the face of COVID-19.
” Ultimately , these big corporations are scared to death of being sued into oblivion by their workers if they stay open during this pandemic , and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be necessary for the federal government to step in .
President Trump has the authority to order meat processing facilities to stay open , and apparently that is exactly what he plans to do… This should greatly help matters , and I wish that it had been done sooner .
But for the economy as a whole , the outlook continues to be very bleak .
Fear of the coronavirus is going to keep many Americans from resuming normal activities for a long time to come , and that is going to absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , check out the results of this new poll… I was deeply alarmed when I read that .
There has never been a successful vaccine for any coronavirus in all of human history , and so those that are waiting for one may be waiting for a very , very long time .
Meanwhile , economic suffering is going to continue to escalate all over the nation .
In Arkansas , people were lining up at 5:30 AM on Tuesday at a food bank in the Little Rock area , and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an hour and a half ” … Everything that I have been warning about for so long is starting to happen , and this country is heading for incredibly challenging times .
Hopefully Trump ’ s executive order will be implemented smoothly and all of the meat processing plants will be forced to reopen .
But this is yet another example that shows how vulnerable our supply chains really are , and one has to wonder how we will fare when an even greater crisis comes along .

by Michael Snyder
More than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs during these coronavirus lockdowns so far, and this has created unprecedented demand at food banks all over the nation. In many cities, vehicles start lining up at the food banks at the crack of dawn, and in some instances the lines have literally stretched for miles. But at the same time, farmers all over America have been dumping millions of gallons of milk, disposing of millions of pounds of fresh vegetables, and putting farm animals to death at a rate that we have never seen before. In fact, Reuters is reporting that “millions of pigs, chickens and cattle will be euthanized” because they can’t be sold. Unlike other parts of the globe, we actually have plenty of food right now, but we can’t get much of that food to the people because so many food processing facilities have been shut down due to fear of COVID-19.
What we are witnessing is nothing short of a tragedy. Even though there are so many needy families all across America at this time, so many farmers are being forced to waste what they have produced because food distribution pipelines have been brought to a standstill. The following is how Forbes is describing the current state of affairs.
Dairy farmers are trying to decide between dumping their milk and selling their dairy cows for beef. Contract chicken growers on the Eastern Shore have been asked to “depopulate” nearly 2 million chickens. Hog farmers in Iowa and Minnesota are starting to euthanize their pigs. For contract and cooperative farmers—producers in the food system who are obligated to a larger entity—the options are limited.
I have a feeling that we are going to end up deeply regretting letting so many resources go to waste during this time.
In Iowa piglets are being aborted by the thousands, in Minnesota tens of thousands of chickens are being gassed to death, and in Wisconsin farmers have been pouring countless gallons of good milk on to the ground.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media is breathlessly warning us that “shortages” are coming.
With food processing plants closing all over the nation, our choices are going to become a lot more limited, and Tyson Foods is openly admitting that “millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain”…
Tyson Foods is facing a new set of challenges. In small communities around the country where we employ over 100,000 hard-working men and women, we’re being forced to shutter our doors. This means one thing – the food supply chain is vulnerable. As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed.
And Smithfield Foods has also released a very ominous statement…
“During this pandemic, our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice: continue to operate to sustain our nation’s food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk,” Smithfield Foods, the largest global pork producer owned by the Chinese WH Group, said in a statement on Friday. “It’s an awful choice; it’s not one we wish on anyone.” “It is impossible to keep protein on tables across America if our nation’s meat plants are not running. Across the animal protein industry, closures can have severe, perhaps disastrous, repercussions up and down the supply chain,” the statement said. “Beyond the implications to our food supply, our entire agricultural community is in jeopardy. Farmers have nowhere to send their animals and could be forced to euthanize livestock, effectively burying food in the ground. We have a stark choice as a nation: we are either going to produce food or not, even in the face of COVID-19.”
Ultimately, these big corporations are scared to death of being sued into oblivion by their workers if they stay open during this pandemic, and so that is why it is going to be necessary for the federal government to step in.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
President Trump has the authority to order meat processing facilities to stay open, and apparently that is exactly what he plans to do…
President Donald Trump plans to order meat-processing plants to remain open as the nation confronts growing food-supply disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak, a person familiar with the matter said. Trump plans to use the Defense Production Act to order the companies to stay open as critical infrastructure, and the government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance, according to the person.
This should greatly help matters, and I wish that it had been done sooner.
But for the economy as a whole, the outlook continues to be very bleak. Fear of the coronavirus is going to keep many Americans from resuming normal activities for a long time to come, and that is going to absolutely paralyze economic activity. If you doubt this, check out the results of this new poll…
Fewer than half of Americans plan to go to sports events, concerts, movies and amusement parks when they reopen to the public until there is a proven coronavirus vaccine, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday. That includes those who have attended such events in the past, an ominous sign for the sports and entertainment industries hoping to return to the spotlight after being shut down by the pandemic.
I was deeply alarmed when I read that.
There has never been a successful vaccine for any coronavirus in all of human history, and so those that are waiting for one may be waiting for a very, very long time.
Meanwhile, economic suffering is going to continue to escalate all over the nation. In Arkansas, people were lining up at 5:30 AM on Tuesday at a food bank in the Little Rock area, and all of the food “was gone within an hour and a half”…
The Arkansas Foodbank planned to hand out food for four hours on Tuesday, but the demand was so high that all the food was gone within an hour and a half, the charity said. Cars lined up at the Outlets of Little Rock mall, which hosted the event, as early as 5:30 a.m., when the food bank’s workers arrived to unload the trucks, Arkansas Foodbank CEO Rhonda Sanders said.
Everything that I have been warning about for so long is starting to happen, and this country is heading for incredibly challenging times.
Hopefully Trump’s executive order will be implemented smoothly and all of the meat processing plants will be forced to reopen.
But this is yet another example that shows how vulnerable our supply chains really are, and one has to wonder how we will fare when an even greater crisis comes along.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--In California, New York And Other Big States, The Multi-Stage “Reopenings” Will Take Many Months To

In California, New York And Other Big States, The Multi-Stage “Reopenings” Will Take Many Months To Fully Play Out

The fact that a number of states are preparing to “ reopen ” their economies has created a wave of optimism in recent days , and most Americans are assuming that things could start “ getting back to normal ” in just a matter of weeks .
But that is not true at all .
As you will see below , some of our biggest states are planning multi-stage “ reopenings ” that will unfold over many months .
And if a new wave of infections starts to erupt , they will just lock everything down again .
So even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not going to return to “ normal ” for the foreseeable future , and it is entirely possible that some restrictions could remain in place well into 2021 .
Let ’ s break this down one step at a time .
In California , Governor Newsom just announced that there will be a four stage “ reopening ” process in his state , and he is openly admitting that stage 3 is months away… The next phase , Stage 3 , is “ months , not weeks , away , ” Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care businesses like gyms , spas and salons , sports without live audiences , in-person religious services and other businesses where workers come in close contact with customers .
And the final phase , Stage 4 , will see the end of the stay-at-home order with the reopening of the “ highest risk parts of our economy ” being reopened , Newsom said on Twitter .
That includes concerts , convention centers and sports with live crowds .
If stage 3 is not going to arrive until “ months ” from now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
And considering the fact that California is home to so many professional sports teams , what is all of this going to mean for the NFL , the NBA and Major League Baseball ?
If the NFL season ends up getting delayed or canceled , I will be very upset about that .
Unfortunately , Newsom seems quite determined to stay the course , and he is promising that life will never fully return to normal for residents of his state “ until we get to immunity or a vaccine ” … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is extremely unlikely that “ herd immunity ” will be achieved in this country until 2021 at the earliest .
And there has never been a successful vaccine for any coronavirus in all of human history .
So if Newsom is serious , it appears that economic activity will be greatly depressed in the state of California for a long time to come .
Meanwhile , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is also telling residents of his state to expect a multi-stage “ reopening ” … And if cases in his state start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abundantly clear that he is more than ready to shut everything back down again… Needless to say , all of this is completely nuts , and it certainly feels like the inmates are running the asylum at this point .
No matter what we do , this virus is going to keep spreading , and most Americans are eventually going to get it .
These lockdowns can delay the inevitable , but they can ’ t stop it .
Unfortunately , decision makers all over America are completely paralyzed by fear of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some very strange outcomes .
For example , Harvard is already warning that the upcoming fall semester may be conducted “ without students on campus ” … We truly have become a nation of “ snowflakes ” , and fear of this virus is going to paralyze some portions of the nation for a long time to come .
But the truth is that we can ’ t keep Americans confined to their homes indefinitely .
As I pointed out yesterday , people are already starting to venture out of their homes more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lot of Americans are going to reach their “ breaking points ” if restrictions are not lifted soon… In all , 1,895 U.S. citizens over the age of 18 were surveyed earlier this month , and 72 % said they expect to reach a “ breaking point ” by mid-June if stay-at-home orders aren ’ t lifted .
In fact , 100 % of respondents said they would snap if this all lasts for longer than six months .
The survey was conducted between April 3rd and 6th , and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already hit their breaking point , with that number rising to 25 % within the next two weeks .
That would indicate that one in four Americans have likely reached wits ’ end by now .
Broken down by gender , 20 % of surveyed women had already reached their breaking point at the time of the survey , and 12 % of surveyed men said the same .
Half of women felt they ’ ll hit rock bottom within four weeks of the survey , and 76 % in two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a compromised immune system or are in some other high risk group , it is going to be important for you to continue to quarantine yourself .
But the rest of the country needs to get back to work .
More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits during this crisis so far , and a new Gallup survey discovered that about a third of all Americans have lost income due to the coronavirus… We are seeing so much suffering out there right now , and people deserve a chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report that was just released , 31 percent of all Americans have already “ cut spending on food ” during this crisis , and that is a very alarming number .
Yes , a lot more Americans are going to get sick , and a lot more Americans are going to die .
Sadly , this is going to happen no matter if we have lockdowns or not .
In fact , we won ’ t ever get to the point of “ herd immunity ” until most of the population catches this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take some time to happen .
But meanwhile , these lockdowns are causing our economy to come apart at the seams and the stage is being set for great civil unrest .
I understand that it would not be easy , but we need to try to move forward as a nation .
Unfortunately , the “ multi-stage reopenings ” that some of these governors have dreamed up will hold us back for many months to come and will greatly extend our economic suffering .
Elections have consequences , and the truth is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not even be trusted with mopping the floors at a local Dairy Queen .
But now they are the ones running the show , and the decisions that they are making are going to be very painful for all of us .

by Michael Snyder
The fact that a number of states are preparing to “reopen” their economies has created a wave of optimism in recent days, and most Americans are assuming that things could start “getting back to normal” in just a matter of weeks. But that is not true at all. As you will see below, some of our biggest states are planning multi-stage “reopenings” that will unfold over many months. And if a new wave of infections starts to erupt, they will just lock everything down again. So even in a best case scenario, life is not going to return to “normal” for the foreseeable future, and it is entirely possible that some restrictions could remain in place well into 2021.
Let’s break this down one step at a time. In California, Governor Newsom just announced that there will be a four stage “reopening” process in his state, and he is openly admitting that stage 3 is months away…
The next phase, Stage 3, is “months, not weeks, away,” Newsom said. That stage will encompass personal care businesses like gyms, spas and salons, sports without live audiences, in-person religious services and other businesses where workers come in close contact with customers. And the final phase, Stage 4, will see the end of the stay-at-home order with the reopening of the “highest risk parts of our economy” being reopened, Newsom said on Twitter. That includes concerts, convention centers and sports with live crowds.
If stage 3 is not going to arrive until “months” from now, when will we finally see stage 4?
And considering the fact that California is home to so many professional sports teams, what is all of this going to mean for the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball?
If the NFL season ends up getting delayed or canceled, I will be very upset about that.
Unfortunately, Newsom seems quite determined to stay the course, and he is promising that life will never fully return to normal for residents of his state “until we get to immunity or a vaccine”…
“We are not going back to the way things were until we get to immunity or a vaccine,” Newsom said. “We will base reopening plans on facts and data, not on ideology. Not what we want. Not what we hope.”
As I have discussed previously, it is extremely unlikely that “herd immunity” will be achieved in this country until 2021 at the earliest.
And there has never been a successful vaccine for any coronavirus in all of human history.
So if Newsom is serious, it appears that economic activity will be greatly depressed in the state of California for a long time to come.
Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is also telling residents of his state to expect a multi-stage “reopening”…
“We’re going to reopen in phases,” Cuomo said. “Look at the regional analysis, make a determination, and then monitor whatever you do. Phase one of reopening will involve construction and manufacturing activities, and within construction and manufacturing, those businesses that have a low risk.” Phase two would involved a business-by-business analysis, asking how essential — and how risky — that business is to reopen.
And if cases in his state start spiking again, Cuomo has made it abundantly clear that he is more than ready to shut everything back down again…
As New York prepares to let businesses reopen with the easing of the coronavirus pandemic, the state will have measures in place that will signal another outbreak of the disease and the need to curb activity once again, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. In particular, Mr. Cuomo said that if either the hospital system in an area of the state hits 70% of capacity or if the rate of transmission reaches 1.1—meaning for every person who has the virus, another 1.1 are infected—that would constitute what he called a “circuit breaker.”
Needless to say, all of this is completely nuts, and it certainly feels like the inmates are running the asylum at this point.
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No matter what we do, this virus is going to keep spreading, and most Americans are eventually going to get it. These lockdowns can delay the inevitable, but they can’t stop it.
Unfortunately, decision makers all over America are completely paralyzed by fear of this virus, and that is resulting in some very strange outcomes. For example, Harvard is already warning that the upcoming fall semester may be conducted “without students on campus”…
Harvard University announced Monday that, given the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is leaving the door open for a fall semester without students on campus. “We cannot be certain that it will be safe to resume all usual activities” by autumn, university provost Alan Garber wrote in a note to the school Monday. “Consequently, we will need to prepare for a scenario in which much or all learning will be conducted remotely.”
We truly have become a nation of “snowflakes”, and fear of this virus is going to paralyze some portions of the nation for a long time to come.
But the truth is that we can’t keep Americans confined to their homes indefinitely. As I pointed out yesterday, people are already starting to venture out of their homes more frequently, and one new survey indicates that a lot of Americans are going to reach their “breaking points” if restrictions are not lifted soon…
In all, 1,895 U.S. citizens over the age of 18 were surveyed earlier this month, and 72% said they expect to reach a “breaking point” by mid-June if stay-at-home orders aren’t lifted. In fact, 100% of respondents said they would snap if this all lasts for longer than six months. The survey was conducted between April 3rd and 6th, and at that time, 16% said they had already hit their breaking point, with that number rising to 25% within the next two weeks. That would indicate that one in four Americans have likely reached wits’ end by now. Broken down by gender, 20% of surveyed women had already reached their breaking point at the time of the survey, and 12% of surveyed men said the same. Half of women felt they’ll hit rock bottom within four weeks of the survey, and 76% in two months.
If you are elderly, have a compromised immune system or are in some other high risk group, it is going to be important for you to continue to quarantine yourself.
But the rest of the country needs to get back to work. More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits during this crisis so far, and a new Gallup survey discovered that about a third of all Americans have lost income due to the coronavirus…
Nearly one in three Americans have experienced a temporary layoff, permanent job loss, reduction in hours, or reduction of income as a result of the coronavirus situation. Eighteen percent have experienced more than one of these disruptions.
We are seeing so much suffering out there right now, and people deserve a chance to make a living. According to a report that was just released, 31 percent of all Americans have already “cut spending on food” during this crisis, and that is a very alarming number.
Yes, a lot more Americans are going to get sick, and a lot more Americans are going to die. Sadly, this is going to happen no matter if we have lockdowns or not.
In fact, we won’t ever get to the point of “herd immunity” until most of the population catches this virus, and that is going to take some time to happen.
But meanwhile, these lockdowns are causing our economy to come apart at the seams and the stage is being set for great civil unrest.
I understand that it would not be easy, but we need to try to move forward as a nation.
Unfortunately, the “multi-stage reopenings” that some of these governors have dreamed up will hold us back for many months to come and will greatly extend our economic suffering.
Elections have consequences, and the truth is that a lot of these governors should not even be trusted with mopping the floors at a local Dairy Queen. But now they are the ones running the show, and the decisions that they are making are going to be very painful for all of us.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--How this “Popular Bull-Market Strategy” Can Backfire – Big Time | Elliott Wave International

Many investors employ this widely publicized bull-market strategy during bear markets .
As you might imagine , it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ as you look at this chart of a major global stock market index .

Many investors employ this widely publicized bull-market strategy during bear markets. As you might imagine, it doesn’t work. Get insights as you look at this chart of a major global stock market index.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Alphabet earnings call writeup

Alphabet earnings call writeup

-very strong growth in cloud , specifically in their google suites offering ( analytics tools and shit for cloud ) .
Up 52 percent YOY • increase in searches but less commercial searches ( ex .
increase in “ sue bae titties ” , decrease in “ how much real estate can i buy for 10 $ ” ) no surprise there .
• 30 percent increase in google play downloads .
also noted was an increase in user engagement and average time spent on apps from gplay .
• youtube watching time increased during corona ( no surprise ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are now using it as a news source .
i grew up with youtube and never did , but i noticed that the whitehouse.gov/live feeds were all being hosted on youtube .
that ’ s pretty wild .
• sundar mentioned direct response advertising growth on youtube .
a quick google search makes it seem that its better than typical advertising because it mines your search history for patterns vs typical “ demographic searches ” traditional advertising uses .
• decreases in brand advertising .
no surprise here .
expected to pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their forward guidance .
• google is definitely seeing a macro shift to digital on things people were sitting on the fence on before ( example : virtual showrooms for real estate ) .
also noted a definite interest in WFH from hospital systems ( for their IT depts . )
etc .
• the CFO also mentioned they would be doing share repurchases ( always a good thing ) at a similar rate to q4 2019. so that ’ s about 6.4 billion dollars .
• Google decided to make google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the time being .
interesting because it seems that they are willing to sacrifice short term rev on this end for long term customer relations .
i wonder if amazon is doing anything similar .
could give them some headwinds in scaling against amzn .
• Overall , Corona took away from what was expected to be another strong quarter .
The biggest areas which Sundar focused on were google clouds as expected , but more the Gsuite , which is having very strong growth , notably more than their cloud services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves well to offer analytical tools to help businesses execute well .

by qwerty622
-very strong growth in cloud, specifically in their google suites offering (analytics tools and shit for cloud). Up 52 percent YOY
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increase in searches but less commercial searches (ex. increase in “sue bae titties”, decrease in “how much real estate can i buy for 10$”) no surprise there.
30 percent increase in google play downloads. also noted was an increase in user engagement and average time spent on apps from gplay.
youtube watching time increased during corona (no surprise) but what’s interesting is that people are now using it as a news source. i grew up with youtube and never did, but i noticed that the whitehouse.gov/live feeds were all being hosted on youtube. that’s pretty wild.
sundar mentioned direct response advertising growth on youtube. a quick google search makes it seem that its better than typical advertising because it mines your search history for patterns vs typical “demographic searches” traditional advertising uses.
decreases in brand advertising. no surprise here. expected to pick back up eventually .
some interesting notes on their forward guidance.
google is definitely seeing a macro shift to digital on things people were sitting on the fence on before (example: virtual showrooms for real estate). also noted a definite interest in WFH from hospital systems (for their IT depts.) etc.
the CFO also mentioned they would be doing share repurchases (always a good thing) at a similar rate to q4 2019. so that’s about 6.4 billion dollars.
Google decided to make google shopping free to list on for sellers for the time being. interesting because it seems that they are willing to sacrifice short term rev on this end for long term customer relations. i wonder if amazon is doing anything similar. could give them some headwinds in scaling against amzn.
Overall, Corona took away from what was expected to be another strong quarter. The biggest areas which Sundar focused on were google clouds as expected, but more the Gsuite, which is having very strong growth, notably more than their cloud services. it seems that they are positioning themselves well to offer analytical tools to help businesses execute well.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Robinhood CEO: “50% of our users are new investors and have been buying long on oversold stocks like

Robinhood CEO: “50% of our users are new investors and have been buying long on oversold stocks like American Airlines and Carnival Cruise”

One of the most successful investing strategies for decades has been to bet against retail .

One of the most successful investing strategies for decades has been to bet against retail.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--We are in the eye of the hurricane, the other side is going to be worse.

Volume is low , volatility is dropping and everyone seems to think the worst is behind us .
Quite the opposite is about to occur .
Investors are being blinded by a Fed who are building a wall of money to contain this credit crisis .
Printing trillions hoping this monstrosity of bad policy will be swiftly overlooked , and for the most part it has .
Never before have we seen the level of support the fed has been willing to give and investors think that is enough .
When the Fed backs you , you keep pumping .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance , I believe neither Mnuchin nor Powell know , or care about the actual consequences .
They ’ ve cast a wide net in hopes that they ’ ve solved every problem that will come their way in this crisis .
I ’ m not quite sure if they ’ re stupid , or if they ’ re drinking the same Kool-aid this admistration is pumping out .
We all know its bullshit and there is no way we see new highs by Q1 of next year .
BOTH Mnuchin and Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Mnuchin for embezzelment and fraud and Powell for accessory to it .
They make Bernanke and Paulson look like choir boys .
When the reality sets in , and everyone realizes there will be no V-shaped recovery , it will be too late .
The bets being placed now on a speedy recovery are the final nail in the coffin and this time , the fed will be completely out of ammo .
With rates stuck at 0 for the foreseeable future , and a deficit well beyond our means , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress again for extra powers akin to socialism .
There will be no recovery , no rebound , no making whole of the people .
This is the end of The Great Expansion .
The end of capitalism as we know it and most likely the beginning of the end of the United States as a world power and the end of the Dollar as the reserve currency .
Dark days ahead .
Should pale death , with treble dread , make the ocean caves our bed , God who hears the surges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul .

by critikalhd
Volume is low, volatility is dropping and everyone seems to think the worst is behind us.
Quite the opposite is about to occur.
Investors are being blinded by a Fed who are building a wall of money to contain this credit crisis. Printing trillions hoping this monstrosity of bad policy will be swiftly overlooked, and for the most part it has. Never before have we seen the level of support the fed has been willing to give and investors think that is enough. When the Fed backs you, you keep pumping. Because of the broad nature of the assistance, I believe neither Mnuchin nor Powell know, or care about the actual consequences. They’ve cast a wide net in hopes that they’ve solved every problem that will come their way in this crisis. I’m not quite sure if they’re stupid, or if they’re drinking the same Kool-aid this admistration is pumping out. We all know its bullshit and there is no way we see new highs by Q1 of next year. BOTH Mnuchin and Powell should be on the hook for this; Mnuchin for embezzelment and fraud and Powell for accessory to it. They make Bernanke and Paulson look like choir boys.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
When the reality sets in, and everyone realizes there will be no V-shaped recovery, it will be too late. The bets being placed now on a speedy recovery are the final nail in the coffin and this time, the fed will be completely out of ammo. With rates stuck at 0 for the foreseeable future, and a deficit well beyond our means, the fed will be forced to ask the Congress again for extra powers akin to socialism. There will be no recovery, no rebound, no making whole of the people.
This is the end of The Great Expansion. The end of capitalism as we know it and most likely the beginning of the end of the United States as a world power and the end of the Dollar as the reserve currency. Dark days ahead.
Should pale death, with treble dread, make the ocean caves our bed, God who hears the surges roll, deign to save the suppliant soul.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--How you do further juice a market if you’ve cut rates to zero and gone QE unlimited already?

US Economy Could Contract 30 % in Second Quarter , Warns Advisor Hassett The U.S. economy could contract at its @ @ @ @ @ Depression later this year due to the coronavirus crisis , warned Kevin Hassett , who @ @ @ @ @ as a senior economic advisor .
Almost 9 in 10 Concerned About Economic Collapse : @ @ @ @ @ percent of both Republicans and Democrats surveyed said they ’ re concerned about the economy @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next @ @ @ @ @ more difficult than the one we just went through .
The US Will Need to @ @ @ @ @ Takes Until 2022 A third of respondents in the CNBC Fed survey believe the economy @ @ @ @ @ restored until the second quarter of 2022 .

How you do further juice a market if you’ve cut rates to zero and gone QE unlimited already? — Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) April 28, 2020
The U.S. economy could contract at its worst rate since the Great Depression later this year due to the coronavirus crisis, warned Kevin Hassett, who recently rejoined the Trump administration as a senior economic advisor.
The survey found 89 percent of both Republicans and Democrats surveyed said they’re concerned about the economy collapsing during the pandemic.
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The CB Labor Differential fell a whopping 43.1pts in April, the largest 1M decline in history after breaking trend in Feb. In ‘89, ‘00 & ’07 this led to a prolonged collapse in US consumer confidence w/ lengthy equity bear mkts. Down-cycles lasted 33M w/ declines of 62pts on avg. pic.twitter.com/jJ4viiCwqj — Julien Bittel, CFA (@BittelJulien) April 28, 2020
(Wow)
Survey Finds 50 Million Americans Have Lost Their Job In Past 6 Weeks | Zero Hedge t.co/JU2ubgoqxy — Will Meade (@realwillmeade) April 28, 2020
There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through.
A third of respondents in the CNBC Fed survey believe the economy won’t be fully restored until the second quarter of 2022.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--China is a disaster for everything. Eat everything, pollute everything, steal everything, suppress e

China is a disaster for everything .
Eat everything , pollute everything , steal everything , suppress everything , lie @ @ @ @ @ it .
t.co/tEvXhDETgd

China is a disaster for everything. Eat everything, pollute everything, steal everything, suppress everything, lie about everything. Tired of it. t.co/tEvXhDETgd
— hks55 (@hks55) April 29, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Many New York and New Jersey residents are losing hope, and are out of cash.

NEW YORK ( CBSNewYork ) – Unemployment remains a major issue across the country .
Many New York and New @ @ @ @ @ , and are out of cash .
Adam D ’ Aleo has listened to the @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ we are experiencing high call volume ” recording more times than he @ @ @ @ @ was laid off at the beginning of April , he filed for unemployment benefits online @ @ @ @ @ in , he gets this notice : “ To complete the claim , call the @ @ @ @

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Unemployment remains a major issue across the country.
Many New York and New Jersey residents are losing hope, and are out of cash.
Adam D’Aleo has listened to the New York Department of Labor’s “we are experiencing high call volume” recording more times than he can count.
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“It’s embarrassing, I remember it,” D’Aleo said.
When he was laid off at the beginning of April, he filed for unemployment benefits online. Every time he logs in, he gets this notice: “To complete the claim, call the claims center.”
newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/04/27/delays-for-unemployment-no-food-people-talking-about-suicide/


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--It’s 2020 and Elon Musk still can’t build a car.

It 's 2020 and @ elonmusk still ca n't build a car .
t.co/JOJxnlwkUP

It's 2020 and @elonmusk still can't build a car. t.co/JOJxnlwkUP
— ben k (@Benshooter) April 28, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Your Freedoms Don’t Have to Be Muzzled Just Because You’re Wearing a Mask

Despite all appearances to the contrary , martial law has not been declared in America .
We still have rights .
The government may act as if its police state powers suppress individual liberties during this COVID-19 pandemic , but for all intents and purposes , the Constitution—especially the battered , besieged Bill of Rights—still stands in theory , if not in practice .
Indeed , while federal and state governments have adopted specific restrictive measures in an effort to lockdown the nation and decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 virus , the current public health situation has not resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as freedom of speech and the right of assembly .
Mind you , that ’ s not to say that the government has not tried its best to weaponize this crisis as it has weaponized so many other crises in order to expand its powers and silence its critics .
All over the country , government officials are using COVID-19 restrictions to muzzle protesters .
It doesn ’ t matter what the protest is about ( church assemblies , the right to work , the timing for re-opening the country , discontent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : this is activity the First Amendment protects vociferously with only one qualification—that it be peaceful .
Yet even peaceful protesters mindful of the need to adhere to social distancing guidelines because of this COVID-19 are being muzzled , arrested and fined .
For example , a Maryland family was reportedly threatened with up to a year in jail and a $ 5000 fine if they dared to publicly protest the injustice of their son ’ s execution by a SWAT team .
If anyone had a legitimate reason to get out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the Lemp family , whose 21-year-old son Duncan was gunned down in his bedroom during an early morning , no-knock SWAT team raid on his family ’ s home .
It was 4:30 a.m. on March 12 , 2020 , in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has most of the country under a partial lockdown and sheltering at home , when this masked SWAT team—deployed to execute a “ high risk ” search warrant for unauthorized firearms—stormed the suburban house where 21-year-old Duncan , a software engineer and Second Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19-year-old brother .
The entire household , including Lemp and his girlfriend , was reportedly asleep when the SWAT team directed flash bang grenades and gunfire through Lemp ’ s bedroom window .
Lemp was killed and his girlfriend injured .
No one in the house that morning , including Lemp , had a criminal record .
No one in the house that morning , including Lemp , was considered an “ imminent threat ” to law enforcement or the public , at least not according to the search warrant .
Now what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compelled to employ battlefield tactics in the pre-dawn hours of a day when most people are asleep in bed , not to mention stuck at home as part of a nationwide lockdown ?
According to police , they were tipped off that Lemp was in possession of “ firearms.
” So instead of approaching the house by the front door at a reasonable hour in order to investigate this complaint—which is what the Fourth Amendment requires—police instead strapped on their guns , loaded up their flash bang grenades and acted like battle-crazed warriors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that military weaponry flowing to domestic police departments .
This is what happens when you use SWAT teams to carry out routine search warrants .
This is what happens when you adopt red flag gun laws , which Maryland did in 2018 , painting anyone who might be in possession of a gun—legal or otherwise—as a threat that must be neutralized .
These red flag gun laws allow the police to remove guns from people merely suspected of being threats .
While in theory it appears perfectly reasonable to want to “ stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the problem arises is when you put the power to determine who is a potential danger in the hands of government agencies , the courts and the police .
Remember , this is the same government that uses the words “ anti-government , ” “ extremist ” and “ terrorist ” interchangeably .
This is the same government whose agents are spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments , behavioral sensing warnings , flagged “ words , ” and “ suspicious ” activity reports using automated eyes and ears , social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spies to identify potential threats .
This is the same government that keeps re-upping the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , which allows the military to arrest and detain American citizens with no access to friends , family or the courts if the government believes them to be a threat .
This is the same government that has a growing list—shared with fusion centers and law enforcement agencies—of ideologies , behaviors , affiliations and other characteristics that could flag someone as suspicious and result in their being labeled potential enemies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment .
If you believe in and exercise your rights under the Constitution ( namely , your right to speak freely , worship freely , associate with like-minded individuals who share your political views , criticize the government , own a weapon , demand a warrant before being questioned or searched , or any other activity viewed as potentially anti-government , racist , bigoted , anarchic or sovereign ) , you are most likely at the top of the government ’ s terrorism watch list .
Moreover , as a New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-government extremist ( a.k.a .
domestic terrorist ) in the eyes of the police if you are afraid that the government is plotting to confiscate your firearms , if you believe the economy is about to collapse and the government will soon declare martial law , or if you display an unusual number of political and/or ideological bumper stickers on your car .
Needless to say , if you happen to be passionate about the Constitution and a vocal critic of government corruption , you ’ ve already been flagged in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , too .
Now Lemp is dead and his family is devastated , outraged and desperate to make sense of what appears to be an insensible act of violence resulting in an inexcusable loss of life .
As usual in these kinds of shootings , government officials have not been forthcoming with details about the shooting : police have refused to meet with family members , the contents of the warrant supporting the raid have not been revealed , and bodycam footage of the raid has not been disclosed .
So in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence and demand answers about the shooting , Lemp ’ s family and friends planned to conduct an outdoor public demonstration—adhering to social distancing guidelines—only to be threatened with arrest , a year in jail and a $ 5000 fine for violating Maryland ’ s stay at home orders .
Yet here ’ s the thing : we don ’ t have to be muzzled and remain silent about government corruption , violence and misconduct just because we ’ re wearing masks and social distancing .
That ’ s not the point of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ?
While there is a moral responsibility to not endanger other lives with our actions , that does not mean relinquishing all of our freedoms .
Be responsible in how you exercise your freedoms , but don ’ t allow yourselves to be muzzled or your individual freedoms to be undermined .
Understandably , no one wants to talk about individual freedoms when tens of thousands of people the world over are dying , and yet we must .
The decisions we make right now—about freedom , commerce , free will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these in our communities , what it means to provide individuals and businesses with a safety net , how far we allow the government to go in “ protecting ” us against this virus , etc.—will haunt us for a long time to come .
At times like these , when emotions are heightened , fear dominates , common sense is in short supply , liberty takes a backseat to public safety , and democratic societies approach the tipping point towards mob rule , there is a tendency to cast those who exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , associate , assemble , protest , pursue a living , engage in commerce , etc . )
as foolishly reckless , criminally selfish , or outright villains .
Sometimes that is true , but not always .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , there is always a balancing test between individual freedoms and the communal good .
What we must figure out is how to strike a balance that allows us to protect those who need protecting without leaving us chained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We must find ways to mitigate against this contagion needlessly claiming any more lives and crippling any more communities , but let ’ s not lose our heads : blindly following the path of least resistance—acquiescing without question to whatever the government dictates—can only lead to more misery , suffering and the erection of a totalitarian regime in which there is no balance .

by John W. Whitehead
“If 2019 was the year of the street protest, of tear gas and rubber bullets, 2020 might be the year the street protest died, or perhaps fell into a deep sleep, and went online.”—Journalist Christopher Miller
Despite all appearances to the contrary, martial law has not been declared in America.
We still have rights.
Technically, at least.
The government may act as if its police state powers suppress individual liberties during this COVID-19 pandemic, but for all intents and purposes, the Constitution—especially the battered, besieged Bill of Rights—still stands in theory, if not in practice.
Indeed, while federal and state governments have adopted specific restrictive measures in an effort to lockdown the nation and decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the current public health situation has not resulted in the suspension of fundamental constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and the right of assembly.
Mind you, that’s not to say that the government has not tried its best to weaponize this crisis as it has weaponized so many other crises in order to expand its powers and silence its critics.
All over the country, government officials are using COVID-19 restrictions to muzzle protesters.
It doesn’t matter what the protest is about (church assemblies, the right to work, the timing for re-opening the country, discontent over police brutality, etc.): this is activity the First Amendment protects vociferously with only one qualification—that it be peaceful.
Yet even peaceful protesters mindful of the need to adhere to social distancing guidelines because of this COVID-19 are being muzzled, arrested and fined.
For example, a Maryland family was reportedly threatened with up to a year in jail and a $5000 fine if they dared to publicly protest the injustice of their son’s execution by a SWAT team.
If anyone had a legitimate reason to get out in the streets and protest, it’s the Lemp family, whose 21-year-old son Duncan was gunned down in his bedroom during an early morning, no-knock SWAT team raid on his family’s home.
Imagine it.
It was 4:30 a.m. on March 12, 2020, in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has most of the country under a partial lockdown and sheltering at home, when this masked SWAT team—deployed to execute a “high risk” search warrant for unauthorized firearms—stormed the suburban house where 21-year-old Duncan, a software engineer and Second Amendment advocate, lived with his parents and 19-year-old brother.
The entire household, including Lemp and his girlfriend, was reportedly asleep when the SWAT team directed flash bang grenades and gunfire through Lemp’s bedroom window.
Lemp was killed and his girlfriend injured.
No one in the house that morning, including Lemp, had a criminal record.
No one in the house that morning, including Lemp, was considered an “imminent threat” to law enforcement or the public, at least not according to the search warrant.
Now what was so urgent that militarized police felt compelled to employ battlefield tactics in the pre-dawn hours of a day when most people are asleep in bed, not to mention stuck at home as part of a nationwide lockdown?
According to police, they were tipped off that Lemp was in possession of “firearms.”
So instead of approaching the house by the front door at a reasonable hour in order to investigate this complaint—which is what the Fourth Amendment requires—police instead strapped on their guns, loaded up their flash bang grenades and acted like battle-crazed warriors.
This is the blowback from all that military weaponry flowing to domestic police departments.
This is what happens when you use SWAT teams to carry out routine search warrants.
This is what happens when you adopt red flag gun laws, which Maryland did in 2018, painting anyone who might be in possession of a gun—legal or otherwise—as a threat that must be neutralized.
These red flag gun laws allow the police to remove guns from people merely suspected of being threats.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
While in theory it appears perfectly reasonable to want to “stop dangerous people before they act,” where the problem arises is when you put the power to determine who is a potential danger in the hands of government agencies, the courts and the police.
Remember, this is the same government that uses the words “anti-government,” “extremist” and “terrorist” interchangeably.
This is the same government whose agents are spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies to identify potential threats.
This is the same government that keeps re-upping the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allows the military to arrest and detain American citizens with no access to friends, family or the courts if the government believes them to be a threat.
This is the same government that has a growing list—shared with fusion centers and law enforcement agencies—of ideologies, behaviors, affiliations and other characteristics that could flag someone as suspicious and result in their being labeled potential enemies of the state.
Let that sink in a moment.
If you believe in and exercise your rights under the Constitution (namely, your right to speak freely, worship freely, associate with like-minded individuals who share your political views, criticize the government, own a weapon, demand a warrant before being questioned or searched, or any other activity viewed as potentially anti-government, racist, bigoted, anarchic or sovereign), you are most likely at the top of the government’s terrorism watch list.
Moreover, as a New York Times editorial warns, you may be an anti-government extremist (a.k.a. domestic terrorist) in the eyes of the police if you are afraid that the government is plotting to confiscate your firearms, if you believe the economy is about to collapse and the government will soon declare martial law, or if you display an unusual number of political and/or ideological bumper stickers on your car.
Needless to say, if you happen to be passionate about the Constitution and a vocal critic of government corruption, you’ve already been flagged in a government database somewhere.
Likely, Lemp was, too.
Now Lemp is dead and his family is devastated, outraged and desperate to make sense of what appears to be an insensible act of violence resulting in an inexcusable loss of life.
As usual in these kinds of shootings, government officials have not been forthcoming with details about the shooting: police have refused to meet with family members, the contents of the warrant supporting the raid have not been revealed, and bodycam footage of the raid has not been disclosed.
So in order to voice their objections to police violence and demand answers about the shooting, Lemp’s family and friends planned to conduct an outdoor public demonstration—adhering to social distancing guidelines—only to be threatened with arrest, a year in jail and a $5000 fine for violating Maryland’s stay at home orders.
Yet here’s the thing: we don’t have to be muzzled and remain silent about government corruption, violence and misconduct just because we’re wearing masks and social distancing.
That’s not the point of this whole COVID-19 exercise, or is it?
While there is a moral responsibility to not endanger other lives with our actions, that does not mean relinquishing all of our freedoms.
Be responsible in how you exercise your freedoms, but don’t allow yourselves to be muzzled or your individual freedoms to be undermined.
Understandably, no one wants to talk about individual freedoms when tens of thousands of people the world over are dying, and yet we must.
The decisions we make right now—about freedom, commerce, free will, how we care for the least of these in our communities, what it means to provide individuals and businesses with a safety net, how far we allow the government to go in “protecting” us against this virus, etc.—will haunt us for a long time to come.
At times like these, when emotions are heightened, fear dominates, common sense is in short supply, liberty takes a backseat to public safety, and democratic societies approach the tipping point towards mob rule, there is a tendency to cast those who exercise their individual freedoms (to freely speak, associate, assemble, protest, pursue a living, engage in commerce, etc.) as foolishly reckless, criminally selfish, or outright villains.
Sometimes that is true, but not always.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, there is always a balancing test between individual freedoms and the communal good.
What we must figure out is how to strike a balance that allows us to protect those who need protecting without leaving us chained and in bondage to the police state.
We must find ways to mitigate against this contagion needlessly claiming any more lives and crippling any more communities, but let’s not lose our heads: blindly following the path of least resistance—acquiescing without question to whatever the government dictates—can only lead to more misery, suffering and the erection of a totalitarian regime in which there is no balance.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--There are too many coincidences surrounding the Wuhan lab – COVID theory.

The media immediately dismissed the theory that the coronavirus may have potentially leaked from a lab in Wuhan .
After doing some research and watching some videos , I came to the conclusion that this virus most likely leaked from a lab .
There were too many coincidences to ignore .
From the outset , skeptics would say that it is highly unlikely that a virus of this magnitude can leak from a lab and cause such damage .
However , China does have a history of negligence in laboratories , and was responsible for the SARS outbreak , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing .
These leaks happened multiple times .
• There were two bio labs located in the vicinity of the infamous Wuhan Seafood Market , believed to be the source of this virus , the Wuhan Center for Disease Control & Prevention ( WHCDC ) and the Wuhan Virology Institute .
Researchers at the WHCDC have been known to be studying bats on at least two occasions .
> WHCDC hosted animals in laboratories for research purpose , one of which was specialized in pathogens collection and identification 4- 6 .
In one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhinolophus affinis were captured in Hubei province , and other 450 bats were captured in Zhejiang province One of the researchers had to quarantine for 14 days .
The expert in collection was noted in the Author Contributions ( JHT ) .
Moreover , he was broadcasted for collecting viruses on nation-wide newspapers and websites in 2017 and 2019 7,8 .
He described that he was once attacked by bats and the blood of a bat shot on his skin .
He knew the extreme danger of the infection so he quarantined himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident , he quarantined himself again because bats peed on him .
He was once thrilled for capturing a bat carrying a live tick There is only one level 4 bio lab in China that is able to handle coronaviruses , and that lab is the Wuhan Virology Institute .
Researchers in that laboratory were studying SARS like coronavirus in bats .
On November 18th , a few weeks before the first case was officially diagnosed , the Wuhan Institute of Virology posted a job opening .
On December 24 , 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second job opening : Here are two studies conducted in this laboratory related to coronavirus .
If you need more evidence that this lab was studying coronaviruses , a state department cable warned of safety issues at the Wuhan Virology Institute ; There are many types of coronaviruses , how do we know that they were studying this type , the virus that can be transmitted to humans ?
It ’ s a big coincidence that researchers at a lab located near the Wuhan Seafood Market were deeply involved in studying coronaviruses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Xi Jinping called for a new biosecurity law to be accelerated .
He described it as a vital “ national security issue.
” A few weeks after China locked Wuhan down , the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the directive titled “ Instructions on strengthening biosecurity management in microbiology labs that handle advanced viruses like the novel coronavirus.
” Whistleblowers ’ warnings about this virus have disappeared .
Samples of the virus were deliberately destroyed under the instruction of Chinese authorities .
The Chinese laboratory that first published the coronavirus genome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by authorities The laboratory at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre was ordered to close for “ rectification ” on January 12 , a day after Professor Zhang Yongzhen ’ s team published the genome sequence on open platforms .
It closed temporarily the following day Why did the President of China feel the need to call for the acceleration of biosecurity laws during a pandemic ?
Why did the Ministry of Science and Technology issue directives as to how to handle coronaviruses ?
Why did China force scientists to destroy samples of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If this virus really originated from a seafood market , why in the world would Chins go to these extreme measures to suppress information ?
• China ’ s original story that the virus emerged from a wet market in Wuhan has a few big holes : According to a study , the first known patients had no connections to the seafood market .
China claimed that the virus originated in bats .
The Wuhan market did not sell bats .
A study by two scientists from China , Botato Xian and Lei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged that the coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan .
There are too many facts and coincidences that one must ignore to conceivably conclude that this virus really did originate in the Wuhan Seafood Market .
Disclaimer : This is a guest post and it doesn ’ t necessarily represent the views of IWB .

by winner2363
The media immediately dismissed the theory that the coronavirus may have potentially leaked from a lab in Wuhan. After doing some research and watching some videos, I came to the conclusion that this virus most likely leaked from a lab. There were too many coincidences to ignore.
From the outset, skeptics would say that it is highly unlikely that a virus of this magnitude can leak from a lab and cause such damage. However, China does have a history of negligence in laboratories, and was responsible for the SARS outbreak, where that virus leaked from a lab in Beijing. These leaks happened multiple times.
www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137
science.sciencemag.org/content/304/5671/659
For the third time in less than a year, an outbreak of SARS seems to have originated from a failure in laboratory containment. This latest incident, revealed in China late last week, is the most serious
There were two bio labs located in the vicinity of the infamous Wuhan Seafood Market, believed to be the source of this virus, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control & Prevention (WHCDC) and the Wuhan Virology Institute.
Researchers at the WHCDC have been known to be studying bats on at least two occasions.
>WHCDC hosted animals in laboratories for research purpose, one of which was specialized in pathogens collection and identification 4- 6. In one of their studies, 155 bats including Rhinolophus affinis were captured in Hubei province, and other 450 bats were captured in Zhejiang province
One of the researchers had to quarantine for 14 days.
The expert in collection was noted in the Author Contributions (JHT). Moreover, he was broadcasted for collecting viruses on nation-wide newspapers and websites in 2017 and 2019 7,8. He described that he was once attacked by bats and the blood of a bat shot on his skin. He knew the extreme danger of the infection so he quarantined himself for 14 days 7. In another accident, he quarantined himself again because bats peed on him. He was once thrilled for capturing a bat carrying a live tick
chanworld.org/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1581810860-447056518-Originsof2019-NCoV-XiaoB-Res.pdf
There is only one level 4 bio lab in China that is able to handle coronaviruses, and that lab is the Wuhan Virology Institute.
That’s a huge coincidence.
nypost.com/2020/02/22/dont-buy-chinas-story-the-coronavirus-may-have-leaked-from-a-lab
Researchers in that laboratory were studying SARS like coronavirus in bats. On November 18th, a few weeks before the first case was officially diagnosed, the Wuhan Institute of Virology posted a job opening.
“The main research directions of the research group: Taking bat as the research object, answer the molecular mechanism that can coexist with Ebola and SARS- related coronavirus for a long time without disease, and its relationship with flight and longevity. Virology, immunology, cell biology and multiple omics are used to compare the differences between humans and other mammals
www.whiov.cas.cn/105341/201911/t20191118_5438006.html
On December 24, 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Virology posted a second job opening:
“long-term research on the pathogenic biology of bats carrying important viruses has confirmed the origin of bats of major new human and livestock infectious diseases such as SARS and SADS, and a large number of new bat and rodent new viruses have been discovered and identified.”
www.whiov.cas.cn/105341/201911/t20191129_5446201.html
Here are two studies conducted in this laboratory related to coronavirus.
www.nature.com/articles/nature12711
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4810638
If you need more evidence that this lab was studying coronaviruses, a state department cable warned of safety issues at the Wuhan Virology Institute;
The first cable, which I obtained, also warns that the lab’s work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic
There are many types of coronaviruses, how do we know that they were studying this type, the virus that can be transmitted to humans?
Most importantly,” the cable states, “the researchers also showed that various SARS-like coronaviruses can interact with ACE2, the human receptor identified for SARS-coronavirus. This finding strongly suggests that SARS-like coronaviruses from bats can be transmitted to humans to cause SARS-like diseases
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses/
It’s a big coincidence that researchers at a lab located near the Wuhan Seafood Market were deeply involved in studying coronaviruses.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
On February. 14th, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a new biosecurity law to be accelerated. He described it as a vital “national security issue.”
Biosafety and biosecurity is vital to people’s health, national security and long-term stability of the country, and must therefore be included into the national security system. A systematic plan on risk control and management system must be formulated to comprehensively improve China’s governance capacity on biosafety and biosecurity. Legislation on a biosecurity law must be accelerated to establish the legal and institutional frameworks needed to ensure biosafety and biosecurity of the country.
www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1745270.shtml
A few weeks after China locked Wuhan down, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued the directive titled “Instructions on strengthening biosecurity management in microbiology labs that handle advanced viruses like the novel coronavirus.”
Whistleblowers’ warnings about this virus have disappeared.
Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang contracted the coronavirus after being silenced by local police. He died on February 7. Other citizen journalists and critics in China have been censored or arrested after sharing information about the outbreak. Some have disappeared or are under surveillance
www.businessinsider.com/china-coronavirus-whistleblowers-speak-out-vanish-2020-2
Samples of the virus were deliberately destroyed under the instruction of Chinese authorities.
Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chinese-scientists-destroyed-proof-of-virus-in-december-rz055qjnj
The Chinese laboratory that first published the coronavirus genome on Jan. 11 was inexplicably shut down by authorities
The Shanghai laboratory where researchers published the world’s first genome sequence of the deadly coronavirus that causes Covid-19 has been shut down.
The laboratory at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre was ordered to close for “rectification” on January 12, a day after Professor Zhang Yongzhen’s team published the genome sequence on open platforms. It closed temporarily the following day
.
www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3052966/chinese-laboratory-first-shared-coronavirus-genome-world-ordered
Why did the President of China feel the need to call for the acceleration of biosecurity laws during a pandemic?
Why did the Ministry of Science and Technology issue directives as to how to handle coronaviruses?
Why did China force scientists to destroy samples of this virus and suppress critical information?
Why did China silence numerous whistleblowers?
If this virus really originated from a seafood market, why in the world would Chins go to these extreme measures to suppress information?
China’s original story that the virus emerged from a wet market in Wuhan has a few big holes:
According to a study, the first known patients had no connections to the seafood market.
Research by Chinese experts published in the Lancet in January showed the first known patient, identified on Dec. 1, had no connection to the market, nor did more than one-third of the cases in the first large cluster. Also, the market didn’t sell bats
China claimed that the virus originated in bats.
The Wuhan market did not sell bats.
According to municipal reports and the testimonies of 31 residents and 28 visitors, the bat was never a food source in the city, and no bat was traded in the market
A study by two scientists from China, Botato Xian and Lei Xiao, was mysteriously withdrawn after they alleged that the coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.
chanworld.org/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/default_attachments/1581810860-447056518-Originsof2019-NCoV-XiaoB-Res.pdf
In addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host, the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. Safety level may need to be reinforced in high risk biohazardous laboratories
There are too many facts and coincidences that one must ignore to conceivably conclude that this virus really did originate in the Wuhan Seafood Market.
Disclaimer: This is a guest post and it doesn’t necessarily represent the views of IWB.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Why Is Coronavirus News Still So Inaccurate?

“ A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth is putting on its shoes ” The list of sensational headlines based on shoddy research just continues to grow .
Whether by commission , omission or plain old ignorance , our media is failing us — it ’ s not probing as critically and deeply as it should to ensure the information it brings us is valid .
Among several examples in today ’ s video , Chris scorches recent reports that covid-19 could not have been developed in a lab — reports that rely heavily on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of experience collaborating with Wuhan scientists working with coronaviruses ( including bats ) , BUT THIS WASN ’ T DISCLOSED .
Our big frustration here is that the reports we ’ re having to devote time to debunking in our daily videos shouldn ’ t be getting the air time they are this far into the coronavirus crisis .
Why are there still so many inaccuracies in today ’ s news ?
Collectively , the media should have sharpened its game in its pandemic reporting by now .
It should have seasoned vetting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Especially when the stakes of being wrong are remain so high .
Just another reason to say : It didn ’ t have to be this way .
Oh well , we ’ ll continue these daily critical thinking-based updates for as long as their needed .
Looks likes that ’ s going to be for a while…

by Chris Martenson of Peak Prosperity
“A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth is putting on its shoes”
The list of sensational headlines based on shoddy research just continues to grow. Whether by commission, omission or plain old ignorance, our media is failing us — it’s not probing as critically and deeply as it should to ensure the information it brings us is valid.
Among several examples in today’s video, Chris scorches recent reports that covid-19 could not have been developed in a lab — reports that rely heavily on an authority who just happens to have years of experience collaborating with Wuhan scientists working with coronaviruses (including bats), BUT THIS WASN’T DISCLOSED.
Our big frustration here is that the reports we’re having to devote time to debunking in our daily videos shouldn’t be getting the air time they are this far into the coronavirus crisis.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Why are there still so many inaccuracies in today’s news? Collectively, the media should have sharpened its game in its pandemic reporting by now. It should have seasoned vetting processes in place by this time.
Especially when the stakes of being wrong are remain so high.
Just another reason to say: It didn’t have to be this way.
Oh well, we’ll continue these daily critical thinking-based updates for as long as their needed. Looks likes that’s going to be for a while…
FULL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS HERE


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Covid-19 Job Crisis Explodes with Jonathan Bell

New York Based – Attorney Jonathan Bell is a Labor and Employment Attorney and the Founder of Bell Law Group @ @ @ @ @ interview , Jonathan Bell discusses : • Coronavirus Job Losses Could Total 47 Million While @ @ @ @ @ % • Potential Future Lawsuits Against Employers Over The Coronavirus • What are three ways @ @ @ @ @ change at the workplace ?
• How the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to @ @ @ @ @ other important topics .
Click Here to Listen to the Audio

from Financial Survival Network
New York Based – Attorney Jonathan Bell is a Labor and Employment Attorney and the Founder of Bell Law Group, PLLC. In this interview, Jonathan Bell discusses:
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Coronavirus Job Losses Could Total 47 Million While Unemployment Rate May Hit 32%
Potential Future Lawsuits Against Employers Over The Coronavirus
What are three ways that Coronavirus may create lasting change at the workplace?
How the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to the coronavirus
Companies’ Legal Obligations Around Coronavirus
Furlough Vs Fired
And many other important topics.
Click Here to Listen to the Audio


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Oil, Oil, Oil! Subprime Auto Loans Pop! Real Estate Bust! with John Rubino

John Rubino returns… Something was going to pop these bubbles and it just happened to be the Coronavirus .
Oil crashed again to $ 12 per bbl .
Diamond Offshore just went BK .
Offshore drilling is super costly and their oil has no market .
27 oil tankers off the coast of Long Beach and even more off the coast of Singapore .
We ’ re almost at the point where there ’ s no more storage capacity .
Until we start driving and flying again real soon .
Shale oil junk bonds are worthless .
The oil producing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have to borrow a ton of money that isn ’ t available .
Money center banks , hedge funds and pension funds are going to see massive losses .
It starts with oil and ends with Illinois .
States will go bankrupt .
Trump asked why we should bail out Blue States .
The number of things that blow up become catastrophic .
The Feds have no choice but to bail out everything and that ’ s the end of the dollar , as we know it .
There ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bang !
Click Here to Listen to the Audio

from Financial Survival Network
John Rubino returns… Something was going to pop these bubbles and it just happened to be the Coronavirus. Oil crashed again to $12 per bbl. Diamond Offshore just went BK. Offshore drilling is super costly and their oil has no market. 27 oil tankers off the coast of Long Beach and even more off the coast of Singapore. We’re almost at the point where there’s no more storage capacity. Until we start driving and flying again real soon. Shale oil junk bonds are worthless. The oil producing countries have either cut spending dramatically or they have to borrow a ton of money that isn’t available. Money center banks, hedge funds and pension funds are going to see massive losses. It starts with oil and ends with Illinois. States will go bankrupt. Trump asked why we should bail out Blue States. The number of things that blow up become catastrophic. The Feds have no choice but to bail out everything and that’s the end of the dollar, as we know it. There’s not a hedge fund left after the big bang!
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Click Here to Listen to the Audio


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--I’m terrified that we are going to reopen our economy too quickly at the expense of human lives.

I ’ m working hard to provide for my family .
I ’ ve never accepted a handout .
I ’ ve fortunate enough to say that I ’ ve never needed unemployment .
I ’ ve never filed an insurance claim .
If I need more money , I ’ ve been lucky enough to have opportunities to work harder or longer and get what I need .
Since schools have been closed , I ’ ve been a full time infant caregiver , a full time toddler entertainer and teacher , a full time homemaker , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been cut but my hours have not .
I ’ m scraping by .
23 hours a day are scheduled and chaotic .
I should be one of these people petitioning to the government to reopen Arizona .
I should be begging for normal again .
I ’ m terrified .
I ’ m immunocompromised .
I ’ m asthmatic .
I ’ m unsure what my odds are going to be if I should get sick .
But they ’ re worse than 100 % chance of staying alive .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , protecting ourselves and each other .
Protecting healthcare workers .
Protecting our children .
Protecting the government that isn ’ t working for us .
Fighting this disease with all we have .
We can get new jobs .
We can get more money .
We can work hard and do great things .
But we can ’ t do great things from the grave .
I feel like our leaders are all too willing to dig hundreds of thousands of graves just to give a little boost to the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their reelection super pacs .
I don ’ t want to be cannon fodder for the economy .
I don ’ t want you to be either .
We are in this together .
I care about your health because it ’ s your being healthy that keeps me and my family safe too .
Please .
Stay at home .
Stay safe .
It ’ s not time to reopen .
Not yet .
Listen to the experts .
Please .
I ’ m begging you .
If we open too soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have decided that we ( all of us ) do not matter .
Disclaimer : This is a guest post and it doesn ’ t necessarily represent the views of IWB .

by Luma44
I’m a father, a husband, a taxpayer, a full time employee.
I’m working hard to provide for my family.
I’ve never accepted a handout. I’ve fortunate enough to say that I’ve never needed unemployment. I’ve never filed an insurance claim. If I need more money, I’ve been lucky enough to have opportunities to work harder or longer and get what I need.
Since schools have been closed, I’ve been a full time infant caregiver, a full time toddler entertainer and teacher, a full time homemaker, and a full time employee. My pay has been cut but my hours have not. I’m scraping by. 23 hours a day are scheduled and chaotic.
I should be one of these people petitioning to the government to reopen Arizona. I should be begging for normal again.
But I’m not.
I’m terrified. I’m immunocompromised. I’m asthmatic. I’m unsure what my odds are going to be if I should get sick. But they’re worse than 100% chance of staying alive.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
We must remain closed, isolated, working from home, protecting ourselves and each other. Protecting healthcare workers. Protecting our children. Protecting the government that isn’t working for us. Fighting this disease with all we have.
This is America.
We can get new jobs. We can get more money. We can work hard and do great things.
But we can’t do great things from the grave.
I feel like our leaders are all too willing to dig hundreds of thousands of graves just to give a little boost to the stock market, or the economy, or their reelection super pacs. I don’t want to be cannon fodder for the economy. I don’t want you to be either.
We are in this together. I care about your health because it’s your being healthy that keeps me and my family safe too. Please. Stay at home. Stay safe. It’s not time to reopen. Not yet. Listen to the experts. Please.
I’m begging you. If we open too soon, it’s because our leaders have decided that we (all of us) do not matter.
Disclaimer: This is a guest post and it doesn’t necessarily represent the views of IWB.