investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--The Government’s Case Against Michael Flynn Is Falling Apart

On October 17th , a document in the case of USA v. Michael T. Flynn was docketed ( placed onto the court ’ s calendar for consideration ) , which could free Mr. Flynn , and which might even lead to a transformation of the American criminal-justice system .
The legal case against Flynn can not be truthfully understood unless and until the political battle that motivated it is adequately described : Flynn had been the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency ( DIA ) under U.S. President Barack Obama until 2014 , when Obama acrimoniously forced him out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 days of Donald Trump ’ s Presidency as the new U.S. National Security Advisor .
The FBI , which still remained headed by the Obama appointee , James Comey , forced Flynn to quit on 13 February 2017 .
Comey wanted Flynn to testify against the new President — he wanted Flynn to say that in 2016 the Trump campaign had been conniving with the Russian Government .
The FBI in late December reviewed intercepts of communications between the Russian ambassador to the United States and retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but has not found any evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government , U.S. officials said .
The calls were picked up as part of routine electronic surveillance of Russian officials and agents in the United States , which is one of the FBI ’ s responsibilities , according to the U.S. officials , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss counterintelligence operations .
“ Question 1 : Did Trump ’ s campaign encourage Russia ’ s alleged hacking to hurt his rival Hillary Clinton and help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leverage over him ?
” “ Question 2 : Why did the Obama administration wait so long to deal with Russia ’ s apparent hacking ?
” “ Question 3 : What discussions has the Trump team had with Russian officials about future relations ?
” In relation to # 3 , he reported that : According to a senior U.S. government official , Flynn phoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times on Dec. 29 , the day the Obama administration announced the expulsion of 35 Russian officials as well as other measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did Flynn say , and did it undercut the U.S. sanctions ?
The Logan Act ( though never enforced ) bars U.S. citizens from correspondence intending to influence a foreign government about “ disputes ” with the United States .
Regarding Ignatius ’ s “ Question 2 , ” might Obama have held off so late in his Presidency to do this , in order to maximize the public pressure upon his successor to avoid any attempt to reverse Obama ’ s anti-Russian policies ?
Wheeler ’ s commentary upon that column closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Clearly , Ignatius ’ source on the Flynn call with Kislyak advanced the story in a direction that led to Flynn ’ s firing .
What else were Ignatius ’ source or sources for the this story trying to lead reporting to ?
” ( This would have entailed Obama ’ s CIA Director , John Brennan . )
Flynn hadn ’ t phoned Kislyak in order to “ influence a foreign government about ‘ disputes ’ with the United States , ” but instead to express condolences for the shoot-down over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been carrying a choir there to perform , and in order to express the hope for better U.S.-Russian relations — things that an incoming U.S. National Security Advisor is entirely within his rights , and even duties , to do .
( i ) On or about December 29 , 2016 [ NOTE : this was when Trump was already the President-elect , not a mere Presidential candidate ] , FLYNN did not ask the Government of Russia ’ s Ambassador to the United States ( “ Russian Ambassador ” ) to refrain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day ; and FLYNN did not recall the Russian Ambassador subsequently telling him that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of his request ; and ( ii ) On or about December 22 , 2016 , FLYNN did not ask the Russian Ambassador to delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution ; and that the Russian Ambassador subsequently never described to FLYNN Russia ’ s response to his request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true , and , “ You are asking my client to lie ” to assert otherwise , and , “ If you have something [ which indicates to the contrary of Flynn ’ s statement ] , show us.
” It still hasn ’ t been shown to the public .
In this case , high-ranking FBI officials orchestrated an ambush-interview of the new president ’ s National Security Advisor , not for the purpose of discovering any evidence of criminal activity — they already had tapes of all the relevant conversations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the purpose of trapping him into making statements they could allege as false .
This is no paranoid “ conspiracy ” delusion , as the government implies .
It is well documented by the evidence already made public , which was long known to the government — yet withheld from the defense — until after Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty and in clear violation of Brady v. Maryland and its progeny .
This includes a still undisclosed discussion by the lead agent to use news of the “ Steele dossier ” as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the FBI Director ’ s calculated decision ( contrary to FBI/DOJ protocol ) not to notify the White House Counsel that the FBI wanted to speak with a key member of the President ’ s staff ; a strategically-planned personal call from FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe , designed to prevent Mr. Flynn from seeking the advice of counsel or notifying the Department of Justice ; planning and rehearsing tactics calculated to keep Mr. Flynn “ relaxed ” and “ unguarded ” so as not to alert him to the significance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agent Strzok and his paramour , Lisa Page — McCabe ’ s Special Counsel — disclosing the deep personal involvement of these officials and others in an enterprise without a legitimate law enforcement objective .
The government works hard to persuade this Court that the scope of its discovery obligation is limited to facts relating to punishment for the crime to which Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty .
However , the evidence already produced or in the public record reveals far larger issues are at play : namely , the integrity of our criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on October 17th , and here are its highlights : This case presents a question of great importance to NACDL because the vast majority of criminal prosecutions resolve by guilty plea .
… Existing trial penalties ( e.g.
, enhanced charges , sentencing increases ) , however , present not just the risk , but the reality that innocent defendants plead guilty to especially grave charges in order to avoid the risk of a greater term of imprisonment .
Such defendants should not be threatened with perjury or contempt of court for doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher sentence as a result of going to trial , many innocent defendants will take the certainty of a lower sentence rather than elect to proceed to trial , where conviction rates are high .
The resulting trial penalty , or the gap between the sentence received through a plea bargain versus going to trial , underscores exactly why some innocent defendants must and do plead guilty .
The criminal contempt sanction is a poor fit .
A coerced , or even potentially coerced , act of perjury generally does not equate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plea-bargaining system ’ s core justification — efficiency — does not concern itself with the truth-seeking function that a jury trial entails .
… The contempt sanction better fits those acts of disruption in the courtroom or intransigence … that preclude the administration of justice .
… I .
THE FEDERAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS A SYSTEM OF PLEAS .
In 2012 , the Court highlighted that “ [ n ] inety-seven percent of federal convictions and ninety-four percent of state convictions [ were ] the result of guilty pleas.
” … Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend .
According to the United States Sentencing Commission , 97.6 % of federal convictions are obtained through a guilty plea , and only 2.4 % of cases go to trial .
… The figures are not much different in this district : 95.2 % of convictions result from guilty pleas , and 4.8 % from trial .
… Accordingly , plea bargaining “ is not some adjunct to the criminal justice system ; it is the criminal justice system.
” … Trials serve a specific and laudable purpose in our criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can satisfy a jury of the defendant ’ s peers that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and to “ so state [ ] , publicly , in its verdict.
” Id .
Further , pre-trial motions contesting legal theories , constitutional violations , and evidentiary matters are vital to the development of the law .
… The prosecutor ’ s arsenal contains sufficient tools to ensure that a defendant who does not enter a guilty plea at the outset of a case will face an increased sentence .
Prosecutors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges on top of each other , and they have discretion to allege facts that trigger mandatory minimum sentences .
… The gap between the sentence that can be bargained for in a plea has widened so far from the sentence that will be received after trial as to become “ an overwhelming influence ” in defendants ’ weighing of a plea offer .
… Amicus curiae ’ s statistical analysis of the Sentencing Commission ’ s 2015 data files shows that the “ average sentence for fraud was three times as high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who pled guilty.
” Id .
at 17 .
For burglary , breaking and entering , and embezzlement , the average sentence was nearly eight times as high for the defendant who went to trial .
See id .
Accordingly , “ individuals who choose to exercise their Sixth Amendment right to trial face exponentially higher sentences if they invoke the right to trial and lose.
” … The federal criminal justice system has long recognized that a defendant may simultaneously proclaim his innocence and enter into a plea bargain .
… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea bargaining was constitutionally permissible , it noted that it “ would have serious doubts ” about the practice “ if the encouragement of guilty pleas by offers of leniency substantially increased the likelihood that defendants , advised by competent counsel , would falsely condemn themselves.
” … It is a sad and incontrovertible fact that our criminal justice system forces innocent people to plead guilty .
… Perjury Is Not A Contempt Of Court .
It has been settled for a hundred years that ordinary perjury is not a contempt of court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration of justice ” at common law or under the contempt statute .
… Perjury is not a contempt of court but only an ordinary crime , subject to prosecution in the exclusive discretion of the Executive Branch .
… If Judge Sullivan rules in accord with that brief , then Michael Flynn will be a free man , though perhaps overburdened to pay huge legal costs which the Democrats have thrust upon him .
However , if Judge Sullivan rules against it , then there might follow a titanic Constitutional battle over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can continue for much longer in America .
On January 24 , 2017 , Flynn agreed to be interviewed by agents from the FBI.139 During the interview , which took place at the White House , Flynn falsely stated that he did not ask Kislyak to refrain from escalating the situation in response to the sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama Administration.140 Flynn also falsely stated that he did not remember a follow-up conversation in which Kislyak stated that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s all there is .
Nowhere in the hundreds of pages of the Mueller Report is the actual evidence — in this matter , Flynn ’ s transcript with the FBI — presented .
That ’ s how deep the issues in the prosecution of Michael T. Flynn actually go .
These are issues that go to the core of what America is , and will be .

Eric Zuesse, originally posted at Strategic Culture
On October 17th, a document in the case of USA v. Michael T. Flynn was docketed (placed onto the court’s calendar for consideration), which could free Mr. Flynn, and which might even lead to a transformation of the American criminal-justice system.
The legal case against Flynn cannot be truthfully understood unless and until the political battle that motivated it is adequately described:
Flynn had been the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under U.S. President Barack Obama until 2014, when Obama acrimoniously forced him out. Flynn then served for only the first 22 days of Donald Trump’s Presidency as the new U.S. National Security Advisor. The FBI, which still remained headed by the Obama appointee, James Comey, forced Flynn to quit on 13 February 2017. Comey wanted Flynn to testify against the new President — he wanted Flynn to say that in 2016 the Trump campaign had been conniving with the Russian Government.
Washington Post bannered Apparently, the FBI’s Comey didn’t, at the very start of Trump’s Presidency, feel that a winnable case could be presented against Flynn. On 23 January 2017, thebannered “FBI reviewed Flynn’s calls with Russian ambassador but found nothing illicit” , and reported that,
The FBI in late December reviewed intercepts of communications between the Russian ambassador to the United States and retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn — national security adviser to then-President-elect Trump — but has not found any evidence of wrongdoing or illicit ties to the Russian government, U.S. officials said.
The calls were picked up as part of routine electronic surveillance of Russian officials and agents in the United States, which is one of the FBI’s responsibilities, according to the U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss counterintelligence operations.
However, soon, Comey changed his mind, and he apparently reversed his opinion about whether a winnable case against Flynn existed. (Perhaps this change was due to the increasing frictions between Comey and Trump, which caused Trump to fire Comey on 9 May 2017. Comey might have been disappointed at not being retained into the new Administration. Eight days later, on May 17th, the crescendo of Democratic Party and news-media criticisms against the President for doing that, resulted in the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointing Comey’s friend Robert Mueller as Special Counsel to investigate whether Trump had been conniving with Russia’s Government.)
Washington Post bannered For some reason, Flynn, though he was the former head of the DIA, either didn’t know that “routine electronic surveillance of Russian officials and agents in the United States … is one of the FBI’s responsibilities,” or else he didn’t think that when he was speaking to Russian officials, there was anything illegal in it or in what he was saying in those conversations. These conversations were taking place less than a month before he was to become America’s new National Security Advisor, and everyone knew that Obama’s National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, Flynn’s immediate predecessor in that capacity, was rushing to make as difficult as possible the types of changes that Flynn — and also Trump — were advocating, in regard to policies toward Russia. The entire Obama Administration were then in overdrive to prevent any such policy-changes. For example, on 29 December 2016, thebannered “Obama administration announces measures to punish Russia for 2016 election interference” , and reported that, “Taken together, the sanctions and expulsions announced Thursday were the most far-reaching U.S. response to Russian activities since the end of the Cold War.”
WP itself might have helped to bring about that change. Their columnist, David Ignatius, whom even the Establishmentarian Democratic Party blogger Marcy Wheeler acknowledged to be Theitself might have helped to bring about that change. Their columnist, David Ignatius, whom even the Establishmentarian Democratic Party blogger Marcy Wheeler acknowledged to be “a mouthpiece for the IC [Intelligence Community] (and especially CIA)” , headlined on 12 January 2017, “Why did Obama dawdle on Russia’s hacking?” and Ignatius posed some questions that turned out to be prophetic about the Democratic Party’s subsequent handling of these matters:
“Question 1: Did Trump’s campaign encourage Russia’s alleged hacking to hurt his rival Hillary Clinton and help him, and does Russia have any leverage over him?”
“Question 2: Why did the Obama administration wait so long to deal with Russia’s apparent hacking?”
“Question 3: What discussions has the Trump team had with Russian officials about future relations?”
In relation to #3, he reported that:
According to a senior U.S. government official, Flynn phoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times on Dec. 29, the day the Obama administration announced the expulsion of 35 Russian officials as well as other measures in retaliation for the hacking. What did Flynn say, and did it undercut the U.S. sanctions? The Logan Act (though never enforced) bars U.S. citizens from correspondence intending to influence a foreign government about “disputes” with the United States.
Regarding Ignatius’s “Question 2,” might Obama have held off so late in his Presidency to do this, in order to maximize the public pressure upon his successor to avoid any attempt to reverse Obama’s anti-Russian policies?
Wheeler’s commentary upon that column closed with a question of her own: “Clearly, Ignatius’ source on the Flynn call with Kislyak advanced the story in a direction that led to Flynn’s firing. What else were Ignatius’ source or sources for the this story trying to lead reporting to?” (This would have entailed Obama’s CIA Director, John Brennan.)
Flynn hadn’t phoned Kislyak in order to “influence a foreign government about ‘disputes’ with the United States,” but instead to express condolences for the shoot-down over Syria of a Russian plane that had been carrying a choir there to perform, and in order to express the hope for better U.S.-Russian relations — things that an incoming U.S. National Security Advisor is entirely within his rights, and even duties, to do.
(i) On or about December 29, 2016 [NOTE: this was when Trump was already the President-elect, not a mere Presidential candidate], FLYNN did not ask the Government of Russia’s Ambassador to the United States (“Russian Ambassador”) to refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day; and FLYNN did not recall the Russian Ambassador subsequently telling him that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of his request; and
(ii) On or about December 22, 2016, FLYNN did not ask the Russian Ambassador to delay the vote on or defeat a pending United Nations Security Council resolution; and that the Russian Ambassador subsequently never described to FLYNN Russia’s response to his request.
(Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2))
Flynn subsequently said that he had been forced by Mueller to accept that Agreement, or else Flynn, and maybe his son , would likely be sentenced to long prison terms as punishment for Flynn’s having lied to the FBI. (Mueller was promising far milder punishment if Flynn would just plead guilty and agree to testify against the President.)
Though vague paraphrases of what the alleged lies by Flynn were have been published (such as here ), the general public hasn’t been provided access to the specific statements, the alleged lies, for which he had been charged. Ever since 27 June 2019, Flynn has been saying that he hadn’t said anything to the FBI that he knew to be false at the time he said it . The transcripts of his conversation(s) with the FBI have not been released; and, even more importantly, the transcripts of Flynn’s conversations with Russia’s Ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, haven’t been released. (As Flynn’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, told the Government’s prosecuting attorney, Brandon L. van Grack, on 27 June 2019, “He did not knowingly make the statements that he knew [at the time] to be wrong.” The reply by van Grack was “very heated,” saying, “Without willfully/knowingly [making false statements] it doesn’t make this an offense.” And, “First time your client or counsel [Powell herself] has made any statement like what you are saying. … Want to be clear — you are saying that he did not make any [knowingly] false statements?”
Ms. Powell replied that this was true, and, “You are asking my client to lie” to assert otherwise, and, “If you have something [which indicates to the contrary of Flynn’s statement], show us.” It still hasn’t been shown to the public.
She had been Flynn’s lawyer for only 15 days: Flynn had fired his original lawyers, the Washington Establishment law firm of Covington & Burling, on June 12th, and it was they who had advised him to accept the guilty plea. Ms. Powell, who is an anti-Establishment, non-megacorporate, independent lawyer , had privately been advising him not to accept the plea-deal; and, now, Flynn replaced the Establishment team, and appointed her to represent him.
In this case, high-ranking FBI officials orchestrated an ambush-interview of the new president’s National Security Advisor, not for the purpose of discovering any evidence of criminal activity — they already had tapes of all the relevant conversations about which they questioned Mr. Flynn — but for the purpose of trapping him into making statements they could allege as false.
This is no paranoid “conspiracy” delusion, as the government implies. It is well documented by the evidence already made public, which was long known to the government — yet withheld from the defense — until after Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty and in clear violation of Brady v. Maryland and its progeny. This includes a still undisclosed discussion by the lead agent to use news of the “Steele dossier” as “a pretext to interview some people”; the FBI Director’s calculated decision (contrary to FBI/DOJ protocol) not to notify the White House Counsel that the FBI wanted to speak with a key member of the President’s staff; a strategically-planned personal call from FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, designed to prevent Mr. Flynn from seeking the advice of counsel or notifying the Department of Justice; planning and rehearsing tactics calculated to keep Mr. Flynn “relaxed” and “unguarded” so as not to alert him to the significance of the conversation; anxious text messages between Agent Strzok and his paramour, Lisa Page — McCabe’s Special Counsel — disclosing the deep personal involvement of these officials and others in an enterprise without a legitimate law enforcement objective.
The government works hard to persuade this Court that the scope of its discovery obligation is limited to facts relating to punishment for the crime to which Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty. However, the evidence already produced or in the public record reveals far larger issues are at play: namely, the integrity of our criminal justice system.
Flynn formally withdrew his guilty plea on 29 January 2020 . In his statement to the court, he made clear that “I realize my statement and determination to assert my innocence means the prosecutors, who already seek to imprison me, may retaliate further by seeking additional charges against me and dramatically increasing the penalty I face.”
The pro-war, neoconservative, Brookings Institution’s, Lawfare Blog (law in the service of international conquest — law for warfare), posted, on 1 May 2020 , the most complete summary, till that time, of the case against Flynn, with links to all of the then publicly available source-documents. However, what may turn out to have been the biggest developments in the case have occurred between then and now.
New York Times bannered, on that day, Washington Post headlined On 7 May 2020, Trump’s U.S. Attorney General, William Barr, dropped the Justice Department’s criminal case against Flynn. The Democratic Party’s media were outraged. Thebannered, on that day, “Editorial: Don’t Forget, Michael Flynn Pleaded Guilty, Twice” , and said: “To review: Mr. Barr is now saying he cannot prove charges to which Mr. Flynn has twice pleaded guilty in court — and for which there is ample evidence.” On 10 June 2020, theheadlined “Flynn committed perjury, and DOJ request to toss his conviction was ‘corrupt,’ ‘politically motivated,’ court-appointed adviser argues” , and reported that the judge in the Flynn case, Emmett Sullivan, had appointed a prosecutor to oppose the Executive Branch — the President — and, “Michael Flynn committed perjury, and his guilty plea of lying to the FBI should not be dismissed, a court-appointed adviser argued to a federal judge Wednesday, calling the Justice Department’s attempt to undo the conviction corrupt, politically motivated and ‘a gross abuse of prosecutorial power’.” Dropping a prosecution was ‘a gross abuse of prosecutorial power,’ this court-appointed prosecutor alleged. Normally, abuse of prosecutorial power is done not in order to set the defendant free but to get him convicted; but, in the Flynn case, Judge Sullivan’s chosen prosecutor of Flynn was saying that what the Executive Branch was doing by dropping charges was “a gross abuse of prosecutorial power.” The Constitutionally authorized — the U.S. Justice Department’s — prosecutor dropping the case against that defendant is “a gross abuse of prosecutorial power,” he said. Overwhelmingly, America’s press backed that viewpoint: they didn’t care about the Constitution (they didn’t care about its separation of powers clauses), in this particular case. The Constitution should be violated in Flynn’s case, they said — but they didn’t even mention the Constitution: they simply ignored it.
actual prosecutor who was advising the judge, the court-appointed prosecutor was, himself, only an amicus curiae, a “friend of the court,” himself, advising the judge. When Judge Sullivan ruled “that amicus curiae shall address whether the Court should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury,” Sullivan might have become shocked when he then received on June 9th an opposite of what the incompetent judge had likely expected to come from such an organization as the NACDL. (Normally, criminal defense lawyers are arguing against, not for, prosecutorial discretion — they argue against allowing prosecutors free sway.) However, since there was noprosecutor who was advising the judge, the court-appointed prosecutor was, himself, only an amicus curiae, a “friend of the court,” himself, advising the judge. When Judge Sullivan ruled “that amicus curiae shall address whether the Court should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury,” Sullivan might have become shocked when he then received on June 9th an “AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT” — quite theof what the incompetent judge had likely expected to come from such an organization as the NACDL. (Normally, criminal defense lawyers are arguing against, not for, prosecutorial discretion — they argue against allowing prosecutors free sway.)
This brief, slamming what Sullivan’s chosen prosecutor had said, is a brilliantly argued case, which, if the incompetent judge goes against it, might produce even greater embarrassment to him than merely an appeals-court’s overturning his subsequent ruling, but it would also produce a big Constitutional problem, which even the extremely right-wing U.S. Supreme Court might be reluctant to back Sullivan on. And, if this matter does reach the Supreme Court, then a ruling that would go against Judge Sullivan on it would endanger the system that handles almost all criminal trials in the U.S., which system is ‘justice’ by plea-bargains, instead of “justice” by the Constitutionally demanded trials-by-jury. American criminal ‘justice’ (its reality, which is comparable to court-systems in recognized dictatorships — not to its myth, which is taught in schools) could then fall apart, even more than the prosecution of Michael Flynn will. Therefore, highlights of this potentially historic amicus curiae brief will be presented here.
The brief was docketed on October 17th, and here are its highlights:
This case presents a question of great importance to NACDL because the vast majority of criminal prosecutions resolve by guilty plea. … Existing trial penalties (e.g., enhanced charges, sentencing increases), however, present not just the risk, but the reality that innocent defendants plead guilty to especially grave charges in order to avoid the risk of a greater term of imprisonment. Such defendants should not be threatened with perjury or contempt of court for doing so. …
Because defendants face a higher sentence as a result of going to trial, many innocent defendants will take the certainty of a lower sentence rather than elect to proceed to trial, where conviction rates are high. The resulting trial penalty, or the gap between the sentence received through a plea bargain versus going to trial, underscores exactly why some innocent defendants must and do plead guilty.
The criminal contempt sanction is a poor fit. A coerced, or even potentially coerced, act of perjury generally does not equate to criminal contempt of a court. And the plea-bargaining system’s core justification — efficiency — does not concern itself with the truth-seeking function that a jury trial entails. …
The contempt sanction better fits those acts of disruption in the courtroom or intransigence … that preclude the administration of justice. …
ARGUMENT
I. THE FEDERAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS A SYSTEM OF PLEAS.
In 2012, the Court highlighted that “[n]inety-seven percent of federal convictions and ninety-four percent of state convictions [were] the result of guilty pleas.” … Last year’s statistics bear out this trend. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, 97.6% of federal convictions are obtained through a guilty plea, and only 2.4% of cases go to trial. … The figures are not much different in this district: 95.2% of convictions result from guilty pleas, and 4.8% from trial. … Accordingly, plea bargaining “is not some adjunct to the criminal justice system; it is the criminal justice system.” …
One proffered justification for the plea-bargaining system is that it functions as “an indispensable solution for an overwhelmed structure.” … [But] Why Innocent People Plead Guilty, N.Y. Rev. Books (Nov. 20, 2014), www.nybooks.com/ articles/2014/11/20/why- innocent-people-plead-guilty. … The system gives prosecutors enormous leverage to pressure criminal defendants. … A defendant who refuses to plead to a lesser offense may face at trial a more serious charge that has a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of a decade or longer. … “[L]onger sentences exist on the books largely for bargaining purposes.” … As Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has explained, “our criminal justice system is almost exclusively a system of plea bargaining, negotiated behind closed doors and with no judicial oversight.” See Rakoff, supra. [But]
Trials serve a specific and laudable purpose in our criminal justice system: to ensure that the prosecution can satisfy a jury of the defendant’s peers that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and to “so state[], publicly, in its verdict.” Id. Further, pre-trial motions contesting legal theories, constitutional violations, and evidentiary matters are vital to the development of the law. …
The prosecutor’s arsenal contains sufficient tools to ensure that a defendant who does not enter a guilty plea at the outset of a case will face an increased sentence. Prosecutors are able to choose among charges or stack charges on top of each other, and they have discretion to allege facts that trigger mandatory minimum sentences. …
The gap between the sentence that can be bargained for in a plea has widened so far from the sentence that will be received after trial as to become “an overwhelming influence” in defendants’ weighing of a plea offer. …
Amicus curiae’s statistical analysis of the Sentencing Commission’s 2015 data files shows that the “average sentence for fraud was three times as high for defendants who went to trial versus those who pled guilty.” Id. at 17. For burglary, breaking and entering, and embezzlement, the average sentence was nearly eight times as high for the defendant who went to trial. See id. Accordingly, “individuals who choose to exercise their Sixth Amendment right to trial face exponentially higher sentences if they invoke the right to trial and lose.” …
The federal criminal justice system has long recognized that a defendant may simultaneously proclaim his innocence and enter into a plea bargain. … When the Supreme Court initially held that plea bargaining was constitutionally permissible, it noted that it “would have serious doubts” about the practice “if the encouragement of guilty pleas by offers of leniency substantially increased the likelihood that defendants, advised by competent counsel, would falsely condemn themselves.” …
It is a sad and incontrovertible fact that our criminal justice system forces innocent people to plead guilty. …
Perjury Is Not A Contempt Of Court.
It has been settled for a hundred years that ordinary perjury is not a contempt of court because perjury does not “obstruct the administration of justice” at common law or under the contempt statute. … Perjury is not a contempt of court but only an ordinary crime, subject to prosecution in the exclusive discretion of the Executive Branch. …
If Judge Sullivan rules in accord with that brief, then Michael Flynn will be a free man, though perhaps overburdened to pay huge legal costs which the Democrats have thrust upon him. However, if Judge Sullivan rules against it, then there might follow a titanic Constitutional battle over whether ignoring the U.S. Constitution so blatantly can continue for much longer in America.
openly in support of such targeted prosecutorial fishing expeditions, such as have put so high a percentage of blacks and browns, and of poor people in general, behind bars. In such a country as this, what hope is there for individuals who can’t afford to hire adequate legal counsel? (Flynn has already spent more than $5 million on his defense, and he’s still not done.) The Democrat, Marcy Wheeler, at her Empty Wheel blog , opposes that brief, by asserting “the sworn declaration Flynn submitted as part of his attempt to withdraw his guilty plea, which DOJ’s recent excuses for blowing up his prosecution increasingly rely on, also conflicts with what Flynn said to the grand jury as well as evidence submitted in this docket, which shows notes from Covington recording Flynn telling lies about his engagement with Turkey.” However, she is there advocating a fishing expedition to find something that’s unrelated to the Mueller investigation in order to imprison Flynn on such other matters unless he will accept the guilty plea and testify against Trump. Black and brown people, and all poor people, should know that the Democratic Party has now come outin support of such targeted prosecutorial fishing expeditions, such as have put so high a percentage of blacks and browns, and of poor people in general, behind bars. In such a country as this, what hope is there for individuals who can’t afford to hire adequate legal counsel? (Flynn has already spent more than $5 million on his defense, and he’s still not done.)
On January 24, 2017, Flynn agreed to be interviewed by agents from the FBI.139 During the interview, which took place at the White House, Flynn falsely stated that he did not ask Kislyak to refrain from escalating the situation in response to the sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama Administration.140 Flynn also falsely stated that he did not remember a follow-up conversation in which Kislyak stated that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of Flynn’s request.141
That’s all there is. Nowhere in the hundreds of pages of the Mueller Report is the actual evidence — in this matter, Flynn’s transcript with the FBI — presented.
How can a criminal-prosecution system that consists more than 95% of coercive plea-bargains, and only under 5% of trials-by-jury, switch to 100% trials-by jury — how can it go from under 5% Constitutional, to 100% Constitutional? Or: is democracy now impossible in the U.S.? Certainly, the myth of there being in America a transparent system of justice, in which the public gets reasonably easy access to the evidence on a given case, is a total lie. What exists instead is merely a black box, filled with secrets and lies, which serve only the already-powerful.
Economist magazine headlined an article, on 9 November 2017, There is also great irony in this situation: The Democratic Party, which claims to support the poor against the rich, is here advocating for the plea-bargaining system, which is especially unjust against the poor and protective of the rich. The sheer hypocrisy of that is astounding. Even Britain’s normally very Establishmentarianmagazine headlined an article, on 9 November 2017, “The troubling spread of plea-bargaining from America to the world” . But such a sentiment has now become too progressive for either one of America’s two billionaire-controlled Parties. They both support plea-bargaining, though it’s against the U.S. Constitution, and America leads the world in it.
The present writer is not advocating for the Republican Party, which openly flaunts its championing of the super-rich and its contempt against the poor, but the Democratic Party’s hypocrisy doesn’t make it any the better. And both Parties are enemies of the U.S. Constitution. Both are unAmerican. Both represent opposite sides of the same U.S. Establishment. That Establishment’s history is described here . They are enemies of what America’s Founders stood for. Neither side of this Establishment (neither the Democratic Party’s billionaires nor the Republican Party’s billionaires) represents America’s Founders — the group of individuals who actually wrote the U.S. Constitution . That country — that Constitution (with its Amendments) — is long-since gone, replaced, now, by this U.S.-counter-Revolutionary (i.e., anti-American, pro-King-George-III) Establishment.
That’s how deep the issues in the prosecution of Michael T. Flynn actually go. These are issues that go to the core of what America is, and will be.
—————


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Editorializing the Internet: Paypal Cuts off Epik over “Financial Risk Issues”

BREAKING – PayPal terminates account of Internet hosting company `` Epik '' – the web host of the Proud Boys @ @ @ @ @ and many more .

BREAKING – PayPal terminates account of Internet hosting company "Epik" – the web host of the Proud Boys, Gab & Bitchute, and many more.
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) October 24, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--CA new crazy rules for you right own home for Christmas. Never thought I’d see this in America

Deciding how many people can come into your home , masks in your home , how many of your family @ @ @ @ @ , how your dishes need to be served and packed , can only last two @ @ @ @ @ only sing if your wearing a mask and need to sing below a normal speaking @ @ @ @ @ NY , cops can look thru your windows and decide you have many people in @ @ @ @ @ in trouble .

Deciding how many people can come into your home, masks in your home, how many of your family can go to the park, how your dishes need to be served and packed, can only last two hours.
And you can only sing if your wearing a mask and need to sing below a normal speaking voice.
“Mandatory requirements for Gatherings”
Unreal.
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Meanwhile over in NY, cops can look thru your windows and decide you have many people in your home and get you in trouble.
youtu.be/I00Oetm0d0Y
h/t Typoqueen00


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Reddit straight up shadow banning accounts talking about Biden

Here are a few I ’ ve found so far .

by IceOmen
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Here are a few I’ve found so far.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Gerald Celente – Lockdowns The Big Issue in 2020 Election, Trump the Winner in November

Gerald Celente , a top trends researcher and Publisher of The Trends Journal says the biggest issue in the 2020 election is the lockdowns .
Celente says , “ It ’ s not just here , but it ’ s around the world .
This is unprecedented in world history .
They locked down Paris again .
.
.
.
Ireland is on full lockdown again .
.
.
.
I estimate 38 % are opposed to this lockdown , and that is the core vote .
The other ones do as they are told .
They are not fighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the fighters , and they are going to vote very strongly .
This is why I believe Trump is going to win .
‘ It ’ s the economy , stupid ’ was the line they used in the 1992 Presidential race .
That was the Clinton campaign slogan .
.
.
and ‘ it ’ s the economy , stupid ’ – again.
” Celente also likes physical gold and silver .
He says the massive money printing caused by the CV19 pandemic is going to drive them both much higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money printing is going to cause severe economic problems such as the world has never seen .
”

Gerald Celente, a top trends researcher and Publisher of The Trends Journal says the biggest issue in the 2020 election is the lockdowns. Celente says, “It’s not just here, but it’s around the world. This is unprecedented in world history. They locked down Paris again. . . . Ireland is on full lockdown again. . . . I estimate 38% are opposed to this lockdown, and that is the core vote. The other ones do as they are told. They are not fighters. You have about 38% that are the fighters, and they are going to vote very strongly. This is why I believe Trump is going to win. ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ was the line they used in the 1992 Presidential race. That was the Clinton campaign slogan . . . and ‘it’s the economy, stupid’– again.”
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Celente also likes physical gold and silver. He says the massive money printing caused by the CV19 pandemic is going to drive them both much higher. Celente also predicts, “Massive money printing is going to cause severe economic problems such as the world has never seen .”


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--November Volatility (VIX) Futures Are High, as Market Is Hedging against US Elections Risks

Michael A. Gayed , a portfolio risk manager and a market analyst , reports that the market is preparing to hedge against the uncertainty of the US elections .
The Market Is Hedging against the US Elections Risk Michael A. Gayed , a portfolio risk manager and a market analyst , reports that the market is preparing to hedge against the uncertainty that will hit the market in November when the US presidential elections are held .
Analysts point out that volatility always grows ahead of elections .
However , this time the situation is aggravated by a very high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one hand , Trump is supported by extremely few people in the United States , and on the other , as statistics show , in 2016 he had even fewer supporters , but this did not become an obstacle on the way to victory in the elections .
But Now Volatility Is Low However , at the moment the situation with market volatility is exactly the opposite .
According to Helene Meisler , an analyst and a columnist for DailyMoney.com , reports that over the past 10 trading sessions , the VIX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater than 1 .
The put/call futures ratio reflects the market sentiment for the asset .
If this ratio is small , then investors believe in a bullish trend .
If the ratio is greater than 0.7-1 , it means that investors are preparing for the fall of the asset .
However , in this case , this is more positive information , since the belief in a decrease in volatility actually means increased confidence in the stability of the market and the absence of sharp movements .
As a rule , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change in the trend in the market , which often causes panic among investors .

by Peter Smith
Michael A. Gayed, a portfolio risk manager and a market analyst, reports that the market is preparing to hedge against the uncertainty of the US elections.
The Market Is Hedging against the US Elections Risk
Michael A. Gayed, a portfolio risk manager and a market analyst, reports that the market is preparing to hedge against the uncertainty that will hit the market in November when the US presidential elections are held.
According to him, demand for futures on the VIX index, which tracks market volatility, peaked in November, far exceeding investors’ interest in futures for the remaining months. We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
$VIX futures are peaking in November as uncertainty over the US election is expected to result in volatility, especially if there is a disputed result #stocks #markets #economy #investing #financialservices #trump #biden #trumphascovidMichael A. Gayed via Twitter
twitter.com/leadlagreport/status/1314189398943109122 Image Source: Twitter @leadlagreport
Analysts point out that volatility always grows ahead of elections. However, this time the situation is aggravated by a very high level of uncertainty, since, on the one hand, Trump is supported by extremely few people in the United States, and on the other, as statistics show, in 2016 he had even fewer supporters, but this did not become an obstacle on the way to victory in the elections.
But Now Volatility Is Low
However, at the moment the situation with market volatility is exactly the opposite. According to Helene Meisler, an analyst and a columnist for DailyMoney.com, reports that over the past 10 trading sessions, the VIX put/call options ratio has almost always been greater than 1.
Image Source: Twitter @hmeisler
The put/call futures ratio reflects the market sentiment for the asset. If this ratio is small, then investors believe in a bullish trend. If the ratio is greater than 0.7-1, it means that investors are preparing for the fall of the asset.
However, in this case, this is more positive information, since the belief in a decrease in volatility actually means increased confidence in the stability of the market and the absence of sharp movements. As a rule, it is the increase in volatility that heralds a change in the trend in the market, which often causes panic among investors.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Fast Approaching: A “Crack-up Boom” Of The Fed’s Making

“ We can ’ t do it , unless we raise taxes.
” These are words that one hardly ever @ @ @ @ @ can this be ?
How can they run a military empire , a humongous welfare @ @ @ @ @ and make promises that can never be kept ?
It ’ s the unconstitutional Fed @ @ @ @ @ and all fantasies ultimately crash on the shores of reality .
The great economist Ludwig @ @ @ @ @ “ crack-up boom.
” You should know what it is , and how to protect @ @ @ @ @

by Ron Paul of Ron Paul Liberty Report
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“We can’t do it, unless we raise taxes.” These are words that one hardly ever hears from Washington. How can this be? How can they run a military empire, a humongous welfare state, bailout everyone, and make promises that can never be kept? It’s the unconstitutional Fed that created this fantasy, and all fantasies ultimately crash on the shores of reality. The great economist Ludwig von Mises spoke of the “crack-up boom.” You should know what it is, and how to protect yourself before it arrives.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Trump issues sweeping order stripping job protections from tens of thousands of federal employees

President Donald Trump has fired his biggest broadside yet this week against a federal bureaucracy he has moved to remake @ @ @ @ @ would remove job security from an estimated tens of thousands of civil servants .
The @ @ @ @ @ , strips long-held civil service protections from employees whose work involves policymaking , allowing them @ @ @ @ @ cause or recourse , much like the political appointees who come and go with each @ @ @ @ @ attorneys , regulators , public health experts and many others in senior roles would lose @ @ @ @ @ in some cases , union representation , at agencies across the government .
The White @ @ @ @ @ many jobs would be swept into a class of employees with fewer civil service rights @ @ @ @ @ and union leaders estimated anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands in a @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump has fired his biggest broadside yet this week against a federal bureaucracy he has moved to remake with an executive order that would remove job security from an estimated tens of thousands of civil servants.
The directive, issued late Wednesday, strips long-held civil service protections from employees whose work involves policymaking, allowing them to be dismissed with little cause or recourse, much like the political appointees who come and go with each administration.
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Federal scientists, attorneys, regulators, public health experts and many others in senior roles would lose rights to due process and in some cases, union representation, at agencies across the government. The White House declined to say how many jobs would be swept into a class of employees with fewer civil service rights, but civil service experts and union leaders estimated anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands in a workforce of 2.1 million.
www.stripes.com/trump-issues-sweeping-order-stripping-job-protections-from-tens-of-thousands-of-federal-employees-1.649559


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--CNN tells viewers its illegal to read Wikileaks emails: “Remember, it’s illegal to possess” WikiLeak

CNN tells viewers its illegal to read Wikileaks emails: “Remember, it’s illegal to possess” WikiLeaks Clinton emails, but ‘it’s different for the media,’ says CNN’s Chris Cuomo

When politicians are corrupt and possibly being blackmailed it ’ s more of an issue than it otherwise would be @ @ @ @ @ the media to serve its role in society anymore either .

by Orangutan
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When politicians are corrupt and possibly being blackmailed it’s more of an issue than it otherwise would be. Can’t trust the media to serve its role in society anymore either.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Facebook (FB), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and 2 Other Companies Are in Charge of All the Growth

Facebook (FB), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and 2 Other Companies Are in Charge of All the Growth of the S&P 500

5 tech companies stimulated the whole growth of S & P 500 during the whole year .
The Dominance of Tech Giants on the Market According to the data by the Market Ear , return of all S & P 500 companies , except the 5 largest ones , namely Apple , Microsoft , Amazon , Facebook and Alphabet , have negative returns YTD .
The market capitalization of these 5 tech giants , on the contrary , grew by 42 % compared to the beginning of the year , thereby pulling up the rest of the index so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This gap is due to the fact that technology giants benefitted the most from the isolation and pandemic , as the demand for their services has decreased .
Besides , these corporations relied more heavily on advanced foreign economies that were able to cope with the coronavirus faster and more successfully than the one of the United States .
Smaller companies tend to be more focused on the US domestic market .
However , the biggest companies in the S & P 500 are now in trouble .
September turned out to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as their shares fell by between 8 % and 16 % , according to Michael A. Gayed .
Despite the recovery in the S & P 500 after the correction on September 30 , the AAII report showed that the overwhelming majority of investors isconfident in a bearish trend , with over 40 % of those polled voting for it .
Bulls , by contrast , account only for a quarter of the respondents .
Nevertheless , it is worth to mention that the views of investors have changed over the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on September 23 was 46 % , which happened after the biggest weekly percentage-point decline since June 2020 , according to The Market Ear .

by Sergey Diakov
5 tech companies stimulated the whole growth of S&P 500 during the whole year.
The Dominance of Tech Giants on the Market
According to the data by the Market Ear, return of all S&P 500 companies, except the 5 largest ones, namely Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet, have negative returns YTD.
Image Source: themarketear.com
The market capitalization of these 5 tech giants, on the contrary, grew by 42% compared to the beginning of the year, thereby pulling up the rest of the index so that its capitalization increased by 6%.
The Reasons for Success
This gap is due to the fact that technology giants benefitted the most from the isolation and pandemic, as the demand for their services has decreased. We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Besides, these corporations relied more heavily on advanced foreign economies that were able to cope with the coronavirus faster and more successfully than the one of the United States. Smaller companies tend to be more focused on the US domestic market.
However, the biggest companies in the S&P 500 are now in trouble. September turned out to be the worst month ever for these companies, as their shares fell by between 8% and 16%, according to Michael A. Gayed.
Despite the recovery in the S&P 500 after the correction on September 30, the AAII report showed that the overwhelming majority of investors isconfident in a bearish trend, with over 40% of those polled voting for it. Bulls, by contrast, account only for a quarter of the respondents.
Nevertheless, it is worth to mention that the views of investors have changed over the week, because the number of bearish-minded respondents on September 23 was 46%, which happened after the biggest weekly percentage-point decline since June 2020, according to The Market Ear.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--The Top 10 Tech Stocks to Buy Before the 2020 Election

With all of that in mind , here are 10 tech stocks to buy for 2021 : Except for intel @ @ @ @ @ listed provide reasonable growth to investors .
These tech stocks will not go away under @ @ @ @ @ companies keep innovating and achieving goals .
The only stock that I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ is not going into the right direction .

With all of that in mind, here are 10 tech stocks to buy for 2021:
Google (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD)
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB)
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)
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Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM)
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM)
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Except for intel, all the tech stocks listed provide reasonable growth to investors. These tech stocks will not go away under a recovery economy. These companies keep innovating and achieving goals. The only stock that I don’t agree is intel because it is not going into the right direction.
finance.yahoo.com/news/top-10-tech-stocks-buy-161523185.html


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Potentially debunking the “highest surge of Covid with 80,000 new cases” story being pushed

Yesterday the news was flooded with reports on how the U.S is seeing the largest surge in cases since June with 80,000 , however this may not be entirely accurate .
Over the past few months we ’ ve seen reports of large spikes in cases in individual states , only to find out weeks later that these were due to either backlogs of data or computer glitches , many times resulting several thousands of older cases being added .
It is very possible that this is what is happening here , as 4 states ( or cities ) have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these “ new cases ” are actually backlogged data .
I imagine more reports from states revealing this current spike is a result of backlogged will pop up in the coming weeks .
Furthermore , I am willing to bet that this could be intentional and is being done for political purposes .
Covid has become a major election talking point , and voters seeing a massive spike could sway their vote .
As of now , these are the states/cities officially reporting backlogged data being included in this current spike… Alabama 2,565 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June… Los Angeles – 2000 of the “ new cases ” were backlogged from August Louisianna – 400 of the “ new cases ” were backlogged from September

by KorrectDaRekard
Yesterday the news was flooded with reports on how the U.S is seeing the largest surge in cases since June with 80,000, however this may not be entirely accurate. Over the past few months we’ve seen reports of large spikes in cases in individual states, only to find out weeks later that these were due to either backlogs of data or computer glitches, many times resulting several thousands of older cases being added. It is very possible that this is what is happening here, as 4 states (or cities) have already come forward and stated many of these “new cases” are actually backlogged data. I imagine more reports from states revealing this current spike is a result of backlogged will pop up in the coming weeks. Furthermore, I am willing to bet that this could be intentional and is being done for political purposes. Covid has become a major election talking point, and voters seeing a massive spike could sway their vote.
As of now, these are the states/cities officially reporting backlogged data being included in this current spike…
Alabama 2,565 of the new cases were backlogged from June…
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Los Angeles – 2000 of the “new cases” were backlogged from August
Louisianna – 400 of the “new cases” were backlogged from September
North Dokata 800 new cases were Backlogged


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Energy and Oil ETFs – XLE/XOP – The outlook and sentiment for Traditional Energy vs Green Energy – P

Energy and Oil ETFs – XLE/XOP – The outlook and sentiment for Traditional Energy vs Green Energy – Possible potential for those with High Risk Tolerance

“ The only thing certain about oil is uncertainty.
” – Dr. Subroto , then Secretary-General of OPEC .
After the clean energy post there were some asking about oil/traditional energy .
This post will probably be more controversial , but here are still many out there that believe oil/gas will continue to have a future .
So this post will focus only on the energy ETF : XLE .
Also , XOP and USO will be briefly discussed at then end .
Individual holdings will not be discussed , this will be left up to individual research .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have very high risk and volatility tolerance this market sector should be avoided !
For most normal investments it is always important to keep a long-term window on your mind , however in this case , with cleaner energy sources poised to slowly replace traditional energy , it would be wise to be mindful about the potential gradual decline of these ETFs/market sector .
With this being said however , oil forecasters ( just like market forecasters ) have been so wrong so many times in the past 30 years .
Whenever it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , it does the opposite .
As the world transitions to cleaner resources many countries will continue to lean heavily on oil/natural gas to bridge over .
Interestingly , Germany actually increased their consumption of traditional energy sources as they have gradually weaned off their nuclear power plants in their plans to transition to greener sources ( What do you guys think about nuclear power as a clean resource ? )
.
This bridge period will keep these sources relevant for some years to come .
Additionally there are many other factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , such as : wars , internal OPEC conflicts , an increased number of drivers in developing nations , an increased need for cheaper energy in developing nations , the use of oil in many products and services still , a rise in air travel ( especially after COVID ) , etc .
There are many reasons that oil/coal/natural gas will/won ’ t remain relevant .
( If anyone has any additional insight or an interesting note please let us know !
I don ’ t want this to be too long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what XLE aims to do and it ’ s holdings .
XLE tracks a market-cap-weighted index of the S & P500 , because of this it is only composed of US companies .
Its primary aim is to provide high liquid exposure to the US giants of the oil and gas industries .
The holdings consist of many companies we are all familiar with , examples : Chevron , Exxon Mobil , Conoco , Phillips 66 , Valero , and so on .
Currently it has 27 holdings .
Like everything else , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallied to the mid-40s by mid-summer and has been falling since .
However , at this point , the average volume is on a decline , this indicates that the number of sellers might be lower , this could lead to price stabilization around the ~ $ 30 mark .
Here is where investors with a high risk tolerance could consider buying in .
The assumption ( refer to the quote up top ) here is that oil and gas demand will pick up next year .
According to some estimates the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , a reverse side to this are predictions for second infection wave that slows the economic recovery .
Again , if you do not like volatility then do not consider this position .
A note about the dividend yield : Yes , XLE does have a high dividend yield at 7 % , however , the payout amounts have fluctuated greatly .
This is a given considering the fact that oil went negative in April .
Due to this ETF ’ s heavy concentration in one particular sector and the given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look elsewhere for a stable high dividend yield if that is your interest .
The majority of this is being left to individual research .
This post would be too long to talk about all the players .
A noteworthy mention though is that many of these large oil and gas companies are not blind about the eventual decline of oil and gas ( a time window for this decline is obv up to speculation ) , and many are trying to reinvent themselves or reposition themselves to enter into the green markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevance .
Just some thought juice .
XOP is often compared to XLE , please note the difference : XOP provides an equal-weight approach to oil/gas exploration & production .
Due to this the fund has higher exposure to the number of small- and midcaps increasing it ’ s volatility .
It is also very heavily weighted towards Exploration and Crude .
This ETF is more affected by crude oil futures and has been hit partiularly hard due to its small and mid caps not being able to weather COVID and negative oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to track the daily price movements of West Texas Intermediate .
If you compare the 5 year price of oil to the 5 year price of USO you can see how USO drastically underperforms against its benchmark .
Additionally , this ETF deals heavily in futures contracts , which normally isn ’ t an issue unless the price for whatever they bought crashes ( Like oil did in April ) .
So in the short term they are hemorrhaging money and then having to reinvest back in at higher prices .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you want exposure to Oil/Crude Oil , XLE , XOP , or just energy stocks might be a better option .
This post I am sure will be controversial .
So again , this can not be stressed enough , unless you have high risk tolerance or a positive outlook for Oil and Gas , avoid these funds/market sector .
If anyone has any constructive arguments for or against oil/gas , please comment !
It is always great to hear about everyone ’ s perspective , especially if they are well versed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I am just a dude that likes investing , researching , and sharing ETFs and Stocks , I do hold very small positions in XLE just because I believe there may be some positive swings in the future , but that is just my personal opinion .
Point is – PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH , especially since I am not an advisor and this is certainly not holistic , there is a lot going on behind the scenes for oil and gas .
Subsidies , taxes , regulations and all that weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have their implications .
And , as always thankyou for reading .
Have a good day everyone !
Disclaimer : This information is only for educational purposes .
Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article .
Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision .

by 036Gooddaysir036
Introduction:
“The only thing certain about oil is uncertainty.” – Dr. Subroto, then Secretary-General of OPEC.
After the clean energy post there were some asking about oil/traditional energy. This post will probably be more controversial, but here are still many out there that believe oil/gas will continue to have a future.
So this post will focus only on the energy ETF: XLE. Also, XOP and USO will be briefly discussed at then end. Individual holdings will not be discussed, this will be left up to individual research. Let it be said upfront – Unless you have very high risk and volatility tolerance this market sector should be avoided!
For most normal investments it is always important to keep a long-term window on your mind, however in this case, with cleaner energy sources poised to slowly replace traditional energy, it would be wise to be mindful about the potential gradual decline of these ETFs/market sector. With this being said however, oil forecasters (just like market forecasters) have been so wrong so many times in the past 30 years. Whenever it is predicted that oil will do one thing, it does the opposite.
As the world transitions to cleaner resources many countries will continue to lean heavily on oil/natural gas to bridge over. Interestingly, Germany actually increased their consumption of traditional energy sources as they have gradually weaned off their nuclear power plants in their plans to transition to greener sources (What do you guys think about nuclear power as a clean resource?). This bridge period will keep these sources relevant for some years to come.
Additionally there are many other factors than will affect the prices in the future, such as: wars, internal OPEC conflicts, an increased number of drivers in developing nations, an increased need for cheaper energy in developing nations, the use of oil in many products and services still, a rise in air travel (especially after COVID), etc. There are many reasons that oil/coal/natural gas will/won’t remain relevant. (If anyone has any additional insight or an interesting note please let us know! I don’t want this to be too long here)
Alrighty so…
XLE: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund
Let’s break down what XLE aims to do and it’s holdings. XLE tracks a market-cap-weighted index of the S&P500, because of this it is only composed of US companies. Its primary aim is to provide high liquid exposure to the US giants of the oil and gas industries. The holdings consist of many companies we are all familiar with, examples: Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Conoco, Phillips 66, Valero, and so on. Currently it has 27 holdings.
Top sectors:
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Oil & Gas Refining and Marketing – 59.10%
Oil & Gas Exploration and Production – 20.55%
Oil & Gas Transportation Services – 10.79%
Oil Related Services and Equipment – 9.57%
Currently numbers for XLE:
Current Price – $30.54
52-Week High – $62.44
52-week Low – $22.88
Like everything else, XLE dropped to lows in March, rallied to the mid-40s by mid-summer and has been falling since. However, at this point, the average volume is on a decline, this indicates that the number of sellers might be lower, this could lead to price stabilization around the ~$30 mark. Here is where investors with a high risk tolerance could consider buying in. The assumption (refer to the quote up top) here is that oil and gas demand will pick up next year. According to some estimates the world demand for oil next year will increase, however, a reverse side to this are predictions for second infection wave that slows the economic recovery. Again, if you do not like volatility then do not consider this position.
A note about the dividend yield: Yes, XLE does have a high dividend yield at 7%, however, the payout amounts have fluctuated greatly. This is a given considering the fact that oil went negative in April. Due to this ETF’s heavy concentration in one particular sector and the given volatility, it might be better to look elsewhere for a stable high dividend yield if that is your interest.
A Note about the Individual Companies:
The majority of this is being left to individual research. This post would be too long to talk about all the players. A noteworthy mention though is that many of these large oil and gas companies are not blind about the eventual decline of oil and gas (a time window for this decline is obv up to speculation), and many are trying to reinvent themselves or reposition themselves to enter into the green markets (or other markets) to maintain relevance. Just some thought juice.
A Note about XOP and USO:
XOP is often compared to XLE, please note the difference: XOP provides an equal-weight approach to oil/gas exploration & production. Due to this the fund has higher exposure to the number of small- and midcaps increasing it’s volatility. It is also very heavily weighted towards Exploration and Crude. This ETF is more affected by crude oil futures and has been hit partiularly hard due to its small and mid caps not being able to weather COVID and negative oil.
USO is an ETF that is designed to track the daily price movements of West Texas Intermediate. If you compare the 5 year price of oil to the 5 year price of USO you can see how USO drastically underperforms against its benchmark. Additionally, this ETF deals heavily in futures contracts, which normally isn’t an issue unless the price for whatever they bought crashes (Like oil did in April). So in the short term they are hemorrhaging money and then having to reinvest back in at higher prices. The main takeaway from this would be – If you want exposure to Oil/Crude Oil, XLE, XOP, or just energy stocks might be a better option.
Takeaway/Final Thoughts:
This post I am sure will be controversial. So again, this cannot be stressed enough, unless you have high risk tolerance or a positive outlook for Oil and Gas, avoid these funds/market sector. If anyone has any constructive arguments for or against oil/gas, please comment! It is always great to hear about everyone’s perspective, especially if they are well versed in the particular industry.
Additionally guys, I am just a dude that likes investing, researching, and sharing ETFs and Stocks, I do hold very small positions in XLE just because I believe there may be some positive swings in the future, but that is just my personal opinion. Point is – PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH, especially since I am not an advisor and this is certainly not holistic, there is a lot going on behind the scenes for oil and gas. Subsidies, taxes, regulations and all that weren’t even mentioned buy they absolutely have their implications. And, as always thankyou for reading. Have a good day everyone!
Disclaimer: This information is only for educational purposes. Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article. Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Birth rates will drop, people will stay single for longer and women will sexualise themselves more:

Birth rates will drop, people will stay single for longer and women will sexualise themselves more: Scientists predict how society will change in a post-COVID world.

In turn , the team suggest , this trend could lead to a ‘ large-scale backslide toward “ traditional ” @ @ @ @ @ women end up dependant on their men as ‘ breadwinners ’ — and related shifts @ @ @ @ @ ‘ A consequence of the pandemic , therefore , could be a reduction in tolerance @ @ @ @ @ , ’ the researchers wrote .
These could include , they added , less acceptance @ @ @ @ @ , legal abortion , and rights for sexual minorities —who violate traditional gender roles and @ @ @ @ @ ’ Furthermore , Professor Haselton said , economic inequality could see many women sexualise themselves @ @ @ @ @ with each other for desirable men .

In turn, the team suggest, this trend could lead to a ‘large-scale backslide toward “traditional” gender norms’ — where women end up dependant on their men as ‘breadwinners’ — and related shifts further into social conservatism.
‘A consequence of the pandemic, therefore, could be a reduction in tolerance across a range of issues,’ the researchers wrote.
These could include, they added, less acceptance for ‘non-monogamous mating arrangements, legal abortion, and rights for sexual minorities —who violate traditional gender roles and are also stereotyped as promiscuous.’
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Furthermore, Professor Haselton said, economic inequality could see many women sexualise themselves more in order to compete with each other for desirable men.
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8872719/Post-COVID-Birth-rates-drop-people-stay-single-longer-scientists-predict.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--TAR. FEATHERS. Government Cameras Hidden on Private Property? Welcome to Open Fields.

Seated at his kitchen table , finishing off the remains of a Saturday breakfast , Hunter Hollingsworth ’ s world was rocked by footsteps on his front porch and pounding at the door , punctuated by an aggressive order : “ Open up or we ’ ll kick the door down.
” Surrounded on all sides of his house , and the driveway blocked , Hollingsworth was the target of approximately 10 federal and state wildlife officials packing pistols , shotguns and rifles .
And what was Hollingsworth ’ s crime ?
Drugs , armed robbery , assault , money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2018 , the Tennessee landowner removed a game camera secretly strapped to a tree on his private land by wildlife officials in order to monitor his activity without apparent sanction or probable cause .
Repeat : Hollingsworth ’ s residence was searched by U.S. government and state officials , dressed to the nines in assault gear , seeking to regain possession of a trail camera—the precise camera they had surreptitiously placed on his private acreage after sneaking onto his property at night , loading the camera with active SD and SIM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 ’ high up a tree—all without a warrant .

via agweb:
Seated at his kitchen table, finishing off the remains of a Saturday breakfast, Hunter Hollingsworth’s world was rocked by footsteps on his front porch and pounding at the door, punctuated by an aggressive order: “Open up or we’ll kick the door down.”
Surrounded on all sides of his house, and the driveway blocked, Hollingsworth was the target of approximately 10 federal and state wildlife officials packing pistols, shotguns and rifles. And what was Hollingsworth’s crime? Drugs, armed robbery, assault, money laundering? Not quite.
Months prior, in 2018, the Tennessee landowner removed a game camera secretly strapped to a tree on his private land by wildlife officials in order to monitor his activity without apparent sanction or probable cause. Repeat: Hollingsworth’s residence was searched by U.S. government and state officials, dressed to the nines in assault gear, seeking to regain possession of a trail camera—the precise camera they had surreptitiously placed on his private acreage after sneaking onto his property at night, loading the camera with active SD and SIM cards, and zip-tying the device roughly 10’ high up a tree—all without a warrant.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Brits to be Vaccinated before Christmas and ministers introducing new laws to bypass EU approval for

Brits to be Vaccinated before Christmas and ministers introducing new laws to bypass EU approval for jab!

• Email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff , seen by The Mail on Sunday , reveals Health Service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas • In memo to staff earlier this month , Glen Burley , chief executive of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust , in Warwickshire , wrote : ‘ Our Trust , alongside NHS organisations nationally , has been told to be prepared to start a Covid-19 staff vaccine programme in early December ’ • It can also be disclosed that the Government has introduced new laws that would allow UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effective jab is ready before end of post-Brexit transition period on December 31 Plans are being drawn up for frontline NHS staff to receive a coronavirus vaccine within weeks , as the Government moves to accelerate the timetable for a mass roll-out .
An email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff , seen by The Mail on Sunday , reveals the Health Service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas .
It can also be disclosed that the Government has introduced new laws that would allow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if a safe and effective jab is ready before the end of the post-Brexit transition period on December 31 .
The move will boost optimism that a ‘ game-changing ’ vaccine will soon allow Boris Johnson to relax the social restrictions which have crippled the country since March .
In his memo to staff earlier this month , Glen Burley , chief executive of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Warwickshire , wrote : ‘ Our Trust , alongside NHS organisations nationally , has been told to be prepared to start a Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ The latest intelligence states a coronavirus vaccine should be available this year with NHS staff prioritised prior to Christmas .
’

Email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff, seen by The Mail on Sunday, reveals Health Service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas
In memo to staff earlier this month, Glen Burley, chief executive of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, in Warwickshire, wrote: ‘Our Trust, alongside NHS organisations nationally, has been told to be prepared to start a Covid-19 staff vaccine programme in early December’
It can also be disclosed that the Government has introduced new laws that would allow UK to bypass EU approval process if safe and effective jab is ready before end of post-Brexit transition period on December 31
Plans are being drawn up for frontline NHS staff to receive a coronavirus vaccine within weeks, as the Government moves to accelerate the timetable for a mass roll-out.
An email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff, seen by The Mail on Sunday, reveals the Health Service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas.
It can also be disclosed that the Government has introduced new laws that would allow the UK to bypass the EU approval process if a safe and effective jab is ready before the end of the post-Brexit transition period on December 31.
The move will boost optimism that a ‘game-changing’ vaccine will soon allow Boris Johnson to relax the social restrictions which have crippled the country since March.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
In his memo to staff earlier this month, Glen Burley, chief executive of George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Warwickshire, wrote: ‘Our Trust, alongside NHS organisations nationally, has been told to be prepared to start a Covid-19 staff vaccine programme in early December.
‘The latest intelligence states a coronavirus vaccine should be available this year with NHS staff prioritised prior to Christmas.’
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8875931/Coronavirus-vaccine-weeks-NHS-workers.html


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Data Shows Twitter is Giant Megaphone for the Left: 10% of Users Produce 92% of Tweets and Vast Majo

Data Shows Twitter is Giant Megaphone for the Left: 10% of Users Produce 92% of Tweets and Vast Majority are Lefties Pushing an Agenda

`` Just 10 % of [ Twitter ] users produced 92 % of all tweets from U.S. adults since last @ @ @ @ @ of these highly prolific users identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents .
`` t.co/ZWnzdzK51D

The Twitter Bubble:
"Just 10% of [Twitter] users produced 92% of all tweets from U.S. adults since last November, and 69% of these highly prolific users identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents."t.co/ZWnzdzK51D
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 23, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--If CCP managed to crash US Dollar via the virus they will come in and buy out US tech companies for

If CCP managed to crash US Dollar via the virus they will come in and buy out US tech companies for at very cheap price using other US companies that are owned by compromised individuals like Biden.

Lude Media：CCP China is a huge black-box money laundering channel ; if CCP regime is not terminated , the dark @ @ @ @ @ sky

Lude Media：CCP China is a huge black-box money laundering channel; if CCP regime is not terminated, the dark cloud will cover the US sky
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investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--A wave of evictions is set to sweep across the country as COVID-19 reprieve expires

( Natural News ) As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country , governors and mayors — on the advice of ‘ scientists ’ — rushed to enact restrictive lockdowns that included orders to shutter scores of ‘ non-essential ’ businesses .
The closures of those businesses , many now for months , is what led to rampant and historic unemployment in nearly every sector of society .
Congress moved to provide some economic relief , while states and cities scrambled to enact additional measures such as a moratorium on evictions from properties where unemployed Americans suddenly unable to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own rental property , for the most part , are making payments as well , and those payments are made on income derived from renters ; when renters don ’ t have to pay , there isn ’ t any income for the property owner , whose payments have not been suspended .
As such , the eviction moratorium U.S. health officials implemented Sept. 1 to extend earlier moratoriums is now set to expire , meaning a new wave of evictions are set to occur , and as winter approaches .
It has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s renters .
The local , state and federal eviction bans that gave them temporary protection in the spring began to lapse in early summer … September ’ s reprieve by the CDC , which protected many , but not all , renters will expire in January .
At that point , an estimated $ 32 billion in back rent will come due , with up to 8 million tenants facing eviction filings , according to a tracking tool developed by the global advisory firm Stout Risius and Ross , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Civil Right to Counsel .
The nonprofit group advocates for tenants in eviction court to secure lawyers .
According to the Princeton University Eviction Lab , in a normal year only about 3.6 million people are evicted for various reasons , most being non-payment of rent .
Bob Pinnegar , CEO of the National Apartment Association , noted that as property owners enter into their eighth month of nonpayment , they are “ not generating sufficient revenue.
” “ This is to a high-profit-margin business , ” he told Reuters .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the owner or investor as profit.
” If the Democrat-controlled House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to budge on a new coronavirus relief bill , moving past the HEROES Act that contains a lot of left-wing policy priorities , then the tsunami of evictions coming in January will be “ unlike anything we have ever seen , ” notes John Pollock , a Public Justice Center attorney and coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel .
According to the Princeton Lab , about 60,000 evictions have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic really began in March .
And of course , health experts are warning that people kicked out of their rental property are going to spread the virus elsewhere — to other homes , to homeless shelters , or wherever the evicted renter lands .
“ Though eviction filings in many cities dipped considerably in the wake of the CDC ’ s temporary ban , they haven ’ t stopped completely , ” Reuters reported .
“ In some places — like Columbus , Ohio , Jacksonville , Florida and Gainesville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many eviction proceedings as they were before the CDC measure .
In Richmond , Virginia , for example , there were 152 evictions filed the week of Oct. 4 , well over the amount filed weekly during July , ” the newswire added .
Why the increases ?
Because , says Reuters , the CDC ’ s order is being interpreted differently by judges .
Also , there is still a lot of room for landlords to be able to evict people who violate the terms of their leases .
Some have argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they have been saved from homelessness as winter approaches .
But it ’ s just a reprieve .
Come January , without a congressional deal , the goodwill is going to run out .

by: JD Heyes
(Natural News) As the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country, governors and mayors — on the advice of ‘scientists’ — rushed to enact restrictive lockdowns that included orders to shutter scores of ‘non-essential’ businesses.
The closures of those businesses, many now for months, is what led to rampant and historic unemployment in nearly every sector of society.
Congress moved to provide some economic relief, while states and cities scrambled to enact additional measures such as a moratorium on evictions from properties where unemployed Americans suddenly unable to pay their rent live.
But Americans who own rental property, for the most part, are making payments as well, and those payments are made on income derived from renters; when renters don’t have to pay, there isn’t any income for the property owner, whose payments have not been suspended.
As such, the eviction moratorium U.S. health officials implemented Sept. 1 to extend earlier moratoriums is now set to expire, meaning a new wave of evictions are set to occur, and as winter approaches.
Reuters reported:
It has been a nightmare year for many of America’s renters. The local, state and federal eviction bans that gave them temporary protection in the spring began to lapse in early summer … September’s reprieve by the CDC, which protected many, but not all, renters will expire in January.
At that point, an estimated $32 billion in back rent will come due, with up to 8 million tenants facing eviction filings, according to a tracking tool developed by the global advisory firm Stout Risius and Ross, which works with the nonprofit National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. The nonprofit group advocates for tenants in eviction court to secure lawyers.
According to the Princeton University Eviction Lab, in a normal year only about 3.6 million people are evicted for various reasons, most being non-payment of rent.
Bob Pinnegar, CEO of the National Apartment Association, noted that as property owners enter into their eighth month of nonpayment, they are “not generating sufficient revenue.”
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
“This is to a high-profit-margin business,” he told Reuters. “Only nine cents of every dollar return to the owner or investor as profit.”
If the Democrat-controlled House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to budge on a new coronavirus relief bill, moving past the HEROES Act that contains a lot of left-wing policy priorities, then the tsunami of evictions coming in January will be “unlike anything we have ever seen,” notes John Pollock, a Public Justice Center attorney and coordinator of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel.
According to the Princeton Lab, about 60,000 evictions have been filed in the 17 cities tracked since the pandemic really began in March. And of course, health experts are warning that people kicked out of their rental property are going to spread the virus elsewhere — to other homes, to homeless shelters, or wherever the evicted renter lands.
“Though eviction filings in many cities dipped considerably in the wake of the CDC’s temporary ban, they haven’t stopped completely,” Reuters reported.
“In some places — like Columbus, Ohio, Jacksonville, Florida and Gainesville, Florida – landlords are filing roughly as many eviction proceedings as they were before the CDC measure. In Richmond, Virginia, for example, there were 152 evictions filed the week of Oct. 4, well over the amount filed weekly during July,” the newswire added.
Why the increases? Because, says Reuters, the CDC’s order is being interpreted differently by judges. Also, there is still a lot of room for landlords to be able to evict people who violate the terms of their leases.
Some have argued that thanks to Trump’s CDC, they have been saved from homelessness as winter approaches.
But it’s just a reprieve. Come January, without a congressional deal, the goodwill is going to run out.
Sources include:
Reuters.com
NaturalNews.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Any Selling in S&P 500 (SPX) Might Cause Massive Correction on the Market, an Expert States

The S & P 500 may be on the verge of disaster .
Any Selling Might Cause Massive Correction Market analyst at @ MacroCharts is pointing out to Twitter users that the S & P 500 may be on the verge of disaster .
It shows that despite the overall market rally , which has already generally recovered from the September correction , more than 40 % of S & P 500 stocks are still 20 percent or more cheaper than their a 52-week ( 1 year ) highs .
This creates the largest gap between the continuously growing market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half of the companies .
The analyst believes that now any negative information can lead to a powerful correction , the sale will cause a chain reaction , from which the entire index , which includes the 500 largest companies on the US stock market , will tumble down .
Only 5 Companies Contributed to S & P 500 Growth this Year It was previously noted that since January 2020 , only 5 companies in the S & P 500 index have grown by more than 40 % .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 495 companies , on the contrary , decreased by several percent , eventually failing to finally recover from the spring crisis .
Thus , only a few of the largest tech companies , namely Apple , Microsoft , Facebook , Alphabet and Amazon , are pushing the S & P 500 Index to the new all-time highs while all other companies are stalled .
@ MacroCharts is not alone in suggesting that the S & P 500 could collapse , falling even below March lows .
Yuriy Matso , market analyst , noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse with terrible force .
He tweeted that the index formed a similar pattern in the 70s of the last century when the stock market crashed .
The market volatility is characterized by an increase and is depicted as two trend lines-ascending and descending .
This usually happens when protection prices rise or fall significantly .

by Usman Salis
The S&P 500 may be on the verge of disaster.
Any Selling Might Cause Massive Correction
Market analyst at @MacroCharts is pointing out to Twitter users that the S&P 500 may be on the verge of disaster. It shows that despite the overall market rally, which has already generally recovered from the September correction, more than 40% of S&P 500 stocks are still 20 percent or more cheaper than their a 52-week (1 year) highs.
Image Source: Twitter @MacroCharts
This creates the largest gap between the continuously growing market and the still weak position of almost half of the companies. The analyst believes that now any negative information can lead to a powerful correction, the sale will cause a chain reaction, from which the entire index, which includes the 500 largest companies on the US stock market, will tumble down. We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
A massive 40% of $SPX Stocks are still down >20% from their highs.This gauge peaked in JUNE – it’s not just a narrow market, it’s one of the weakest in history. Unless there’s substantial improvement soon, ANY selling of the few remaining leaders could trigger a Major decline.@MacroCharts via Twitter
Only 5 Companies Contributed to S&P 500 Growth this Year
It was previously noted that since January 2020, only 5 companies in the S&P 500 index have grown by more than 40%. At the same time, the total capitalization of the remaining 495 companies, on the contrary, decreased by several percent, eventually failing to finally recover from the spring crisis.
Thus, only a few of the largest tech companies, namely Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Alphabet and Amazon, are pushing the S&P 500 Index to the new all-time highs while all other companies are stalled. Another Forecasts of SPX Fall @MacroCharts is not alone in suggesting that the S&P 500 could collapse, falling even below March lows. Yuriy Matso, market analyst, noted that the S&P 500 may collapse with terrible force. He tweeted that the index formed a similar pattern in the 70s of the last century when the stock market crashed. The market volatility is characterized by an increase and is depicted as two trend lines-ascending and descending. This usually happens when protection prices rise or fall significantly.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--TUCKER CARLSON: WHY WOULD NBC NEWS GO AFTER ANONYMOUS TWITTER USERS WHO SUPPORT TRUMP?

Tucker Carlson : “ Randy ’ s addressees a reporter with NBC news .
Her job in seeking out and @ @ @ @ @ supporter ’ s .
They have acknowledged , media sleuth learned about the subject in @ @ @ @ @ friends , personal and political affiliation paid what does that mean ?
It includes phone @ @ @ @ @ what is this about exactly ?
Thank you so much for joining us us .
@ @ @ @ @ — what does this mean ?
”

Tucker Carlson: “Randy’s addressees a reporter with NBC news. Her job in seeking out and identifying information about anonymous Trump supporter’s. They have acknowledged, media sleuth learned about the subject in real life, family, friends, personal and political affiliation paid what does that mean? It includes phone records, property records, what is this about exactly? Thank you so much for joining us us. Tell us specifically what this — what does this mean?”
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
h/t Annie Oakley


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Media logic exposed by senator

Media logic exposed by senator

Media reasoning why not look into the hunter biden story .
Senator Cotton makes a slam-dunk .

Media reasoning why not look into the hunter biden story. Senator Cotton makes a slam-dunk.
A minute worthwhile…
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AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Interesting that China has not much Covid and the US seems to be accelerating

So China the country with the largest population has barely any cases .
Going up in Russia www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/russia/ And Indonesia @ @ @ @ @ it is because the Rothschilds are trying to use China as the new fiat money @ @ @ @ @ other nations ?
Look for connections between Talmud Rothschild Israel and China .
The Rothschilds @ @ @ @ @ parasite on a host nation .

US statistics
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
China statistics
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/china/
India statistics
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/india/
So China the country with the largest population has barely any cases.
Hmm. Somethings up.
Going up in Russia
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/russia/
And Indonesia
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/indonesia/
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Chinas neighbors
So do you think it is because the Rothschilds are trying to use China as the new fiat money system king and destroy the other nations?
Look for connections between Talmud Rothschild Israel and China.
The Rothschilds like to ride like a parasite on a host nation.
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--30% of American women under 25 now identify as homosexual, bisexual, or transgender!

30 % of American women under 25 now identify as homosexual , bisexual , or transgender.t.co/qWROjTfdI3

30% of American women under 25 now identify as homosexual, bisexual, or transgender.t.co/qWROjTfdI3
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) October 25, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-25--Majority Will Accept Result of U.S. Election, Even if They Dislike the Winner: Ruters/Ipsos Poll

( Reuters ) – As the 2020 presidential election enters its final week , a majority of Americans appear ready @ @ @ @ @ an exhausting campaign even if their preferred candidate loses , a Reuters/Ipsos poll found .
@ @ @ @ @ from Oct. 13-20 , shows that 79 % of all Americans , including 59 % @ @ @ @ @ re-elect President Donald Trump , will accept a win by Democratic challenger Joe Biden even @ @ @ @ @ a Biden presidency .
Among those Trump supporters who said they would not accept a @ @ @ @ @ said they would do something to challenge a Democratic win such as protesting in public @ @ @ @ @ The poll also found that 73 % of Americans , including 57 % of Biden @ @ @ @ @ a Trump victory .
Among those who said they would not accept a Trump win @ @ @ @ @ would take action to challenge the result .

(Reuters) – As the 2020 presidential election enters its final week, a majority of Americans appear ready to accept the result of an exhausting campaign even if their preferred candidate loses, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Its latest survey, conducted from Oct. 13-20, shows that 79% of all Americans, including 59% of those who want to re-elect President Donald Trump, will accept a win by Democratic challenger Joe Biden even if they may not support a Biden presidency.
Among those Trump supporters who said they would not accept a Biden victory, 16% said they would do something to challenge a Democratic win such as protesting in public or resorting to violence. We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The poll also found that 73% of Americans, including 57% of Biden supporters, would similarly accept a Trump victory. Among those who said they would not accept a Trump win, 22% said they would take action to challenge the result. www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-10-25/majority-will-accept-result-of-us-election-even-if-they-dislike-the-winner-reuters-ipsos-poll