investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--3 Truths That Will Define This 3-Part Economy

The economy recovery , when it comes—and it will—is going to be uneven .
In some parts of the economy , it ’ s already starting .
Other parts will be in what can only be described as a depression for quite some time .
And still others are going to take off like a rocket ship .
This three-part economy won ’ t fit compactly into the V- or U-shaped recovery that some are predicting ( read : hoping ) for .
More likely , it will look like a “ K. ” Whether it ’ s K-shaped or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three truths that will define this economic recovery : 1 .
This is going to change the way we live .
We have already seen savings increase , not unlike our parents and grandparents during the Great Depression .
It is going to change spending and saving habits .
It is going to force businesses and entrepreneurs to adjust in ways that they never dreamed they would need to .
I think it is fair to say that many of us have looked at our lives and decided we don ’ t need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we did before .
We are not going to hunker down in caves , but we may pack them with less paraphernalia .
Each one of those choices represents a buying decision that impacts some entrepreneur who provided that product .
This crisis is simply the greatest demand destruction of our lifetimes .
It will come back , but it is not going to come back to what it looked like in 2019 .
Our future economic buying decisions are going to be different .
Everything , I mean everything , is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t take anything for granted .
Inflation numbers and measures are going to be warped for at least a few years .
We are using old tools to measure a new economy .
We are going to have to develop new models to appropriately analyze the world we now live in .
How do we value the price of a home or apartment ?
I don ’ t think it is unreasonable to expect 10 % unemployment , or something close to it , in the middle of 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and down the housing value chain .
How do you value retail and office space ?
If your tenants are gone , do you pay the mortgage ?
Hotels will come back , eventually , but who is going to own them ?
The old private-equity owners or the new ones ?
At what price ?
We already knew we had too many retail stores .
What is the correct number in the future ?
How will malls and commercial space be repurposed ?
Hundreds , if not thousands of planes are sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to own them ?
There are thousands of scenarios playing out in thousands of industries all over the world .
What they have in common is that… Everything is going to be repriced .
That makes me very uncomfortable .
2 .
Inequality is not going to get better .
Thought experiment : It is more than probable we will see some form of universal basic income in the future .
It will not solve the inequalities of either income or wealth , but it will still be tried .
Those individuals who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still struggle for jobs , and they are in the lower income group already .
The second part of the economy will be growing and pulling away from that first part .
And that doesn ’ t even begin to describe what happens to the disruptors .
Just for the record , in this letter and on op-ed pages in various publications , I outlined a methodology for increasing taxes while actually improving the ability to create new businesses and to help those in the lower echelons of income .
I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the government .
It ’ s all about how we collect it .
Social justice as our driving mechanism for tax policy is not going to improve the comity in our country .
3 .
We have two major cycles coming into play at the same time in this decade .
One I have written about on numerous occasions : The End of the Fourth Turning .
It is always a time of great social unrest , and we are just at the beginning of the end .
I expect the period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end to be far more disruptive than where we are today .
Second , my friend George Friedman has written a book called , “ The Storm Before the Calm : America ’ s Discord , the Coming Crisis of the 2020s , and the Triumph Beyond.
” In it , he discusses two separate cycles in American history , an 80-year cycle and a 50-year cycle .
Both are disruptive .
For the first time , they coincide in the latter part of this decade .
He predicts that the 2020s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , foreign policy , economics , and culture .
A two-part/three-part economy , where the outcomes for significant portions of the population are dramatically different , is a recipe for the types of crises both of their books outline .
And just so I can pile on , just as we are in the middle of their crises , we get to experience The Great Reset .
It is a toss-up whether we will have a $ 30 trillion national debt by New Year ’ s Day .
We will be at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive corporate debt and multiple pension crises that will boggle the mind .
All of the debt MUST be “ rationalized.
” We have absolutely no idea how , because we don ’ t know who will be in charge or what the crisis will look like .
I am a believer in the entrepreneurial free market society , and I believe that is what will ultimately bring us into that period that George Friedman calls “ The Calm ” after the upheaval of the ’ 20s .
I am excited about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the cusp of actually reversing aging in our lifetimes , if not this decade .
And that ’ s just one of many other wonderful things .
As my dad would say , don ’ t let the bastards—the crisis around you—get you down .
Look for the opportunity .
There ’ s a pony in there somewhere .
I predict an unprecedented crisis that will lead to the biggest wipeout of wealth in history .
And most investors are completely unaware of the pressure building right now .
Learn more here @

by John Mauldin
The economy recovery, when it comes—and it will—is going to be uneven.
In some parts of the economy, it’s already starting. Other parts will be in what can only be described as a depression for quite some time. And still others are going to take off like a rocket ship.
This three-part economy won’t fit compactly into the V- or U-shaped recovery that some are predicting (read: hoping) for. More likely, it will look like a “K.”
Whether it’s K-shaped or some other to-be-determined letter, there are three truths that will define this economic recovery:
1. This is going to change the way we live. We have already seen savings increase, not unlike our parents and grandparents during the Great Depression. It is going to change spending and saving habits. It is going to force businesses and entrepreneurs to adjust in ways that they never dreamed they would need to.
I think it is fair to say that many of us have looked at our lives and decided we don’t need quite as much “stuff” as we did before. We are not going to hunker down in caves, but we may pack them with less paraphernalia.
Each one of those choices represents a buying decision that impacts some entrepreneur who provided that product.
This crisis is simply the greatest demand destruction of our lifetimes. It will come back, but it is not going to come back to what it looked like in 2019. Our future economic buying decisions are going to be different.
Everything, I mean everything, is going to be repriced and thought through. You can’t take anything for granted.
Inflation numbers and measures are going to be warped for at least a few years. We are using old tools to measure a new economy. We are going to have to develop new models to appropriately analyze the world we now live in.
How do we value the price of a home or apartment? I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect 10% unemployment, or something close to it, in the middle of 2021. That is going to affect prices up and down the housing value chain.
How do you value retail and office space? If your tenants are gone, do you pay the mortgage? Hotels will come back, eventually, but who is going to own them? The old private-equity owners or the new ones? At what price? We already knew we had too many retail stores. What is the correct number in the future? How will malls and commercial space be repurposed?
Hundreds, if not thousands of planes are sitting on the tarmac. Who is going to own them?
There are thousands of scenarios playing out in thousands of industries all over the world. What they have in common is that…
Everything is going to be repriced .
That makes me very uncomfortable.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
2. Inequality is not going to get better. Thought experiment: It is more than probable we will see some form of universal basic income in the future. It will not solve the inequalities of either income or wealth, but it will still be tried.
Those individuals who were part of the devastated service economy will still struggle for jobs, and they are in the lower income group already. The second part of the economy will be growing and pulling away from that first part.
And that doesn’t even begin to describe what happens to the disruptors.
Just for the record, in this letter and on op-ed pages in various publications, I outlined a methodology for increasing taxes while actually improving the ability to create new businesses and to help those in the lower echelons of income.
I am not a priori against higher total revenue for the government. It’s all about how we collect it. Social justice as our driving mechanism for tax policy is not going to improve the comity in our country.
3. We have two major cycles coming into play at the same time in this decade. One I have written about on numerous occasions: The End of the Fourth Turning. It is always a time of great social unrest, and we are just at the beginning of the end. I expect the period between the middle of this decade and the end to be far more disruptive than where we are today.
Second, my friend George Friedman has written a book called, “The Storm Before the Calm: America’s Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond.”
In it, he discusses two separate cycles in American history, an 80-year cycle and a 50-year cycle. Both are disruptive. For the first time, they coincide in the latter part of this decade.
He predicts that the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and reshaping of government, foreign policy, economics, and culture.
A two-part/three-part economy, where the outcomes for significant portions of the population are dramatically different, is a recipe for the types of crises both of their books outline.
And just so I can pile on, just as we are in the middle of their crises, we get to experience The Great Reset. It is a toss-up whether we will have a $30 trillion national debt by New Year’s Day. We will be at $40 trillion by 2025. Plus massive corporate debt and multiple pension crises that will boggle the mind.
All of the debt MUST be “rationalized.” We have absolutely no idea how, because we don’t know who will be in charge or what the crisis will look like.
I am a believer in the entrepreneurial free market society, and I believe that is what will ultimately bring us into that period that George Friedman calls “The Calm” after the upheaval of the ’20s.
I am excited about the future. I truly think we are on the cusp of actually reversing aging in our lifetimes, if not this decade. And that’s just one of many other wonderful things.
As my dad would say, don’t let the bastards—the crisis around you—get you down.
Look for the opportunity. There’s a pony in there somewhere.
I predict an unprecedented crisis that will lead to the biggest wipeout of wealth in history. And most investors are completely unaware of the pressure building right now. Learn more here.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Guy interviews all the Joe Biden supporters outside the DNC at Joe Bidens acceptance speech

See not all Joe fans are paid actors 🤣 pic.twitter.com/8sayOJ67oy
— Karli 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) August 21, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Three waterspouts video offshore in Louisiana

and 2 hurricanes on the way to Gulf of Mexico at same time , Monday/Tuesday Pretty cool , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ a time .

and 2 hurricanes on the way to Gulf of Mexico at same time, Monday/Tuesday
Pretty cool, I’ve never seen 3 at a time.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
More spectacular waterspout video offshore SE Louisiana earlier today. Video courtesy of Raney Frederick. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/7yPkVDAKlk — Rob Perillo (@robperillo) August 21, 2020
AT


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Insurance Policy Is Now Set For The Transition Off Of The Central Bank Petrodollar System

Bob Kudla breaks down the economy , he explains how gold and silver and other precious rise and fall .
@ @ @ @ @ tax cut holiday is going to benefit people and businesses , the tax cut puts @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s pocket .
Oil is a game changer , the US is now @ @ @ @ @ same time keeping the oil price stable for the US population .
Trump is looking @ @ @ @ @ accomplish this .
Step by step Trump is putting all the pieces together to transition @ @ @ @ @ petrodollar system .

Bob Kudla interviewed on X22 Report Spotlight
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Bob Kudla breaks down the economy, he explains how gold and silver and other precious rise and fall. Bob explains how the payroll tax cut holiday is going to benefit people and businesses, the tax cut puts more currency back into the people’s pocket. Oil is a game changer, the US is now becoming energy independent and the same time keeping the oil price stable for the US population. Trump is looking to drill in Alaska to accomplish this. Step by step Trump is putting all the pieces together to transition the country off of the petrodollar system.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--STEVE BANNON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY ON A YACHT BELONGING TO AN EXILED CHINESE BILLIONAIRE

A YouTube video shows Wengui putting his arm around Bannon as the former Trump campaign chairman denounces the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 .
The vessel ’ s lavish interior gleams in the @ @

STEVE BANNON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY ON A YACHT BELONGING TO AN EXILED CHINESE BILLIONAIRE OFF THE COAST OF CONNECTICUT – FOX NEWS that's odd — FXHedge (@Fxhedgers) August 21, 2020
A YouTube video shows Wengui putting his arm around Bannon as the former Trump campaign chairman denounces the Chinese government and extols the alleged benefits of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. The vessel’s lavish interior gleams in the background.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/who-chinese-mogul-who-owns-boat-steve-bannon-was-busted-n1237511
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--What the Recovery Really Looks Like

What the Recovery Really Looks Like

The media and politicians like to talk about “ the economy ” as a general term .
These days , there is a lot of talk about it having V- or U-shaped recovery .
But within the economy right now are several different economies , and they won ’ t see recovery at the same time or rate .
So if we have to choose a letter for what the recovery will look like , maybe it should be a “ K. ” That ’ s because some will go up while others go down .
This is already happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for The Washington Post : “ This dichotomy is evident in many facets of the economy , especially in employment .
Jobs are fully back for the highest wage earners , but fewer than half the jobs lost this spring have returned for those making less than $ 20 an hour , according to a new labor data analysis by John Friedman , an economics professor at Brown University and co-director of Opportunity Insights.
” I have my own illustrations for you today .
The first is a chart I call Economy Part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2000 , and the red lines roughly show the trajectory of the recovery .
The St. Louis Federal Reserve database has not updated the second quarter , but I tried to represent it .
For a large part of the economy—maybe the largest part—recovery is going to be slower than that of The Great Recession .
And it is going to be lumpy .
Notice that I have a recovery with a lower slope .
That is in part because of the research by Dr. Lacy Hunt and others demonstrating that growth is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact .
Note that we do recover ; it just takes longer for this portion of the economy .
Then we come to Economy Part 2 .
Faster recovery and the slope of the recovery is higher .
More like what I call the Stumble-Through Economy .
It still doesn ’ t look like the recoveries of the past , but that ’ s perfectly acceptable given the problems .
On this second chart , I want you to look at the yellow line I call the Disruptors .
These are the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our society and jobs .
I think by now most investors are well aware of the FAANG or FAAMG stocks , or whatever acronym we use .
I am not including them in my thought experiment version of Disruptors .
I mean , they are , but they have been around for a while .
Rather , I ’ m talking about the new companies that will not replace them but will join them in the pantheon .
You want to find out who the disruptors will be and how you can participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will be the ones to lead the way… and keep charging ahead when other sectors finally start to follow suit .
I predict an unprecedented crisis that will lead to the biggest wipeout of wealth in history .
And most investors are completely unaware of the pressure building right now .
Learn more here .

by John Mauldin
The media and politicians like to talk about “the economy” as a general term. These days, there is a lot of talk about it having V- or U-shaped recovery.
But within the economy right now are several different economies, and they won’t see recovery at the same time or rate. So if we have to choose a letter for what the recovery will look like, maybe it should be a “K.”
That’s because some will go up while others go down. This is already happening and apparent, as Heather Long illustrates for The Washington Post:
“This dichotomy is evident in many facets of the economy, especially in employment. Jobs are fully back for the highest wage earners, but fewer than half the jobs lost this spring have returned for those making less than $20 an hour, according to a new labor data analysis by John Friedman, an economics professor at Brown University and co-director of Opportunity Insights.”
I have my own illustrations for you today. The first is a chart I call Economy Part 1. This graph goes back to 2000, and the red lines roughly show the trajectory of the recovery.
The St. Louis Federal Reserve database has not updated the second quarter, but I tried to represent it.
For a large part of the economy—maybe the largest part—recovery is going to be slower than that of The Great Recession. And it is going to be lumpy.
Notice that I have a recovery with a lower slope. That is in part because of the research by Dr. Lacy Hunt and others demonstrating that growth is slower in high-debt economies. Just a fact.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Note that we do recover; it just takes longer for this portion of the economy.
Then we come to Economy Part 2. Faster recovery and the slope of the recovery is higher. More like what I call the Stumble-Through Economy.
It still doesn’t look like the recoveries of the past, but that’s perfectly acceptable given the problems.
On this second chart, I want you to look at the yellow line I call the Disruptors. These are the companies that are changing the very foundations of our society and jobs.
I think by now most investors are well aware of the FAANG or FAAMG stocks, or whatever acronym we use. I am not including them in my thought experiment version of Disruptors. I mean, they are, but they have been around for a while.
Rather, I’m talking about the new companies that will not replace them but will join them in the pantheon.
You want to find out who the disruptors will be and how you can participate, rather than hunkering down. Because they will be the ones to lead the way… and keep charging ahead when other sectors finally start to follow suit.
I predict an unprecedented crisis that will lead to the biggest wipeout of wealth in history. And most investors are completely unaware of the pressure building right now. Learn more here.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--NZ Lock-down ruled “Unlawful”

NZ Lock-down ruled “Unlawful”

The first 9 days of Lock-down in NZ have been ruled to be Unlawful by 3 high court Judges after a legal challenge .
Indeed those Judges knew it from the outset as did all Judges in the Western World who became Accessories to the Crime until this ruling was made finding the lock-downs to be Unlawful thus exonerating them because they have finally done their job .
The Government exceeded its powers telling us to stay at home and in our bubbles in the first nine days of the coronavirus lockdown , a court has found .
Public announcements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , made between March 26 and April 3 were justified but went beyond the Director-General of Health ’ s actual lockdown order forbidding congregating , except with social distancing , and shutting non-essential businesses .
Staying at home and in our bubbles was not the legal position until April 3 , so New Zealanders rights and freedoms were unlawfully limited for those first nine days , the court decided .
You will find this is the case across the western world .
When you breach people ’ s rights you have to compensate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owed ?

The first 9 days of Lock-down in NZ have been ruled to be Unlawful by 3 high court Judges after a legal challenge.
Indeed those Judges knew it from the outset as did all Judges in the Western World who became Accessories to the Crime until this ruling was made finding the lock-downs to be Unlawful thus exonerating them because they have finally done their job.
www.stuff.co.nz/national/politic…ourt-finds
The Government exceeded its powers telling us to stay at home and in our bubbles in the first nine days of the coronavirus lockdown, a court has found.
Public announcements Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and others, made between March 26 and April 3 were justified but went beyond the Director-General of Health’s actual lockdown order forbidding congregating, except with social distancing, and shutting non-essential businesses.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Staying at home and in our bubbles was not the legal position until April 3, so New Zealanders rights and freedoms were unlawfully limited for those first nine days, the court decided.
You will find this is the case across the western world.
When you breach people’s rights you have to compensate them.
How much are we all owed?
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Economy in Very Bad Shape as Growth STOPS! Millions of Evictions A Looming Crisis

Distractions , distractions .
All the while they tear themselves apart .
No need for an iron fist .
The people will destroy themselves .
The bull market rages on .
Yes , the stock market has propelled higher , erasing all 2020 losses .
This is all courtesy of easy monetary policies .
We can see what is happening to the US dollar as well as gold .
All of these indicators are pointing to some very unique circumstances .
The Fed will add additional stimulus as they have stated higher inflation is what they desire .
So S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bread is $ 20 ?
We ’ ll see .
GRAPHIC-Say goodbye to the shortest bear market in S & P … Stock market today : S & P 500 rises to a record close , fully wiping out its coronavirus losses The economy ’ s in ‘ precarious shape , ’ despite new S & P highs , Cramer says How can Wall Street be so healthy when Main Street isn ’ t ?
The war against the dollar is heating up – Axios Elon Musk is now the fourth richest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8BILLION in one day | Daily Mail Online Retail trading app Robinhood ’ s value tops $ 11bn on new fundraising | Financial Times The stock market ’ s comeuppance is coming , as bullishness gets extreme – MarketWatch US companies cling to share buybacks despite collapse in profits | Financial Times Denmark to Make Banks , the Rich Fund Its Early Retirement Plan – Bloomberg

Distractions, distractions. All the while they tear themselves apart. No need for an iron fist. The people will destroy themselves.
The bull market rages on. Yes, the stock market has propelled higher, erasing all 2020 losses. This is all courtesy of easy monetary policies. We can see what is happening to the US dollar as well as gold. All of these indicators are pointing to some very unique circumstances. The Fed will add additional stimulus as they have stated higher inflation is what they desire. So S&P at 5000 and a loaf of bread is $20? We’ll see.
GRAPHIC-Say goodbye to the shortest bear market in S&P …
news.trust.org/item/20200818195217-3gk0l
Stock market today: S&P 500 rises to a record close, fully wiping out its coronavirus losses
www.cnbc.com/2020/08/17/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html
The economy’s in ‘precarious shape,’ despite new S&P highs, Cramer says
www.cnbc.com/2020/08/18/the-economy-is-in-precarious-shape-despite-new-sp-highs-cramer-says.html
How can Wall Street be so healthy when Main Street isn’t?
apnews.com/6cadd78335fd98926ffb1e5d6ecb2916
FMS investors 2020-08-18_10-11-24.jpg (789×404)
www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/FMS%20investors%202020-08-18_10-11-24.jpg?itok=HjMmq7F1
crowded trades aug 2020.jpg (765×430)
www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/crowded%20trades%20aug%202020.jpg?itok=sGIyZkYb
most crowded trade FMS.jpg (1187×1114)
www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/most%20crowded%20trade%20FMS.jpg?itok=U3AxkNj8
bfm16A.jpg (936×500)
www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/bfm16A.jpg?itok=OafEbd03
The war against the dollar is heating up – Axios
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
www.axios.com/us-dollar-euro-value-reserve-currency-918a7a7c-b974-42e2-b1f0-dcbcdbb7b929.html
Virus pandemic reshaping air travel as carriers struggle – Orange County Register
www.ocregister.com/2020/08/17/virus-pandemic-reshaping-air-travel-as-carriers-struggle/
Evictions crisis looming in Las Vegas | Las Vegas Review-Journal
www.reviewjournal.com/business/housing/las-vegas-facing-a-potential-crisis-with-evictions-2095393/
As protections expire, Vegas faces potential eviction crisis
apnews.com/c1bcaec4e5da37b4355df0c3457dc643
Elon Musk is now the fourth richest person in the world after gaining $8BILLION in one day | Daily Mail Online
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8640769/Elon-Musk-fourth-richest-person-world-gaining-8BILLION-one-day.html
Twelve U.S. Billionaires Have a Combined $1 Trillion – Inequality.org
inequality.org/great-divide/twelve-us-billionaires-combined-1-trillion/
Retail trading app Robinhood’s value tops $11bn on new fundraising | Financial Times
www.ft.com/content/b208cbbe-579c-4cbf-9358-01ae02b4381b
The stock market’s comeuppance is coming, as bullishness gets extreme – MarketWatch
www.marketwatch.com/story/the-stock-markets-comeuppance-is-coming-heres-how-to-prepare-your-portfolio-now-2020-08-18
US companies cling to share buybacks despite collapse in profits | Financial Times
www.ft.com/content/1c924be0-5bc0-4eba-a088-b98b13080c04
Denmark to Make Banks, the Rich Fund Its Early Retirement Plan – Bloomberg
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-18/denmark-to-make-banks-the-rich-fund-its-early-retirement-plan


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Democrat’s DNC 2 Was EVEN WORSE, A Clown Show So Bad They Had Warren On The Native American Caucus

Democrat ’ s DNC 2 Was EVEN WORSE , A Clown Show So Bad They Had Warren On The Native @ @ @ @ @ real , it is not a joke , Elizabeth Warren spoke on The Native American @ @ @ @ @ WRONG WITH DEMOCRATS I still have trouble believing it , I had to fact check @ @ @ @ @ it is too absurd but yes Democrats had Warren speak on the Native American Caucus @ @ @ @ @ shockingly cringe and bad but somehow the second night was worse than the first , @ @ @ @ @ played awful music on par with a joke from the Simpsons , and AOC endorsed @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump must have spent his night laughing uncontrollably

Democrat’s DNC 2 Was EVEN WORSE, A Clown Show So Bad They Had Warren On The Native American Caucus. This is real, it is not a joke, Elizabeth Warren spoke on The Native American Caucus panel.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH DEMOCRATS
I still have trouble believing it, I had to fact check it during the recording because it is too absurd but yes Democrats had Warren speak on the Native American Caucus.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The whole event was shockingly cringe and bad but somehow the second night was worse than the first, Biden gaffed again, they played awful music on par with a joke from the Simpsons, and AOC endorsed Bernie and NOT Joe Biden.
Trump must have spent his night laughing uncontrollably


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--WHOA! Marianne Williamson Has Reaction to DNC Dumpster Fire NOBODY Saw Coming!

Justine Coleman from The Hill reports , Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson on Tuesday criticized the first night @ @ @ @ @ , which she said was “ like binge watching a Marriott commercial .
”

Justine Coleman from The Hill reports, Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson on Tuesday criticized the first night of the Democratic National Convention, which she said was “like binge watching a Marriott commercial.”
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Read More/Source/Credit/FairUse:
thehill.com/homenews/campaign/512490-marianne-williamson-democratic-convention-like-binge-watching-a-marriott


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--The Fed Has Done It Again…It’s No Longer A Bear Market Rally?

The stars are back in their courses .
The angels are back in the heavens .
And the Perfections are back within sight… For merely 148 trading days after bottoming… the S & P returned to record heights .
The index closed Tuesday at 3,389 — eclipsing its February 19 height of 3,386 .
Thus Jerome Powell ’ s maniacal persistence has yielded a reward truly fantastic .
He has successfully reflated the bubble .
The Federal Reserve has itself become the market .
For many the rationale to diversify away from risk assets is indeed hard to pinpoint… Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund Manager survey .
This survey revealed that : The majority of professional investors no longer believe this market spree represents a bear market rally .
It is as genuine as gold itself , they believe .
What is more , 31 % of those surveyed believe it is “ early cycle ” — the highest percentage since the financial crisis .
Meantime , Deutsche Bank reports , “ companies have already restarted buybacks or are considering doing so.
” Buybacks were of course a primary source of helium for the bubble presently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s artificially depressed rates opened the taps… Corporations Take on More Debt Than Ever These exorbitantly low rates enabled corporations to pile on cheap debt .
With this debt they often purchased their own stock… which reduced shares outstanding… and raised the price per share .
That is , corporations often took on debt to conduct financial sorcery .
And now — as Deutsche Bank reports — the sorcerers are at their tricks again .
You might think corporations would halt the business during a recession .
They would pay down debt and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet you would be mistaken .
This year corporations have gobbled down debt at a pace truly astounding — double last year ’ s .
And so conventional wisdom goes upon its head .
Paul Ashworth , chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics : Thus the corporate debt bubble expands to astonishing dimensions .
And with the Federal Reserve backstopping nearly all grades of corporate debt… why should it not expand to astonishing dimensions ?
It is a sad , sad caricature of capitalism .
The pestilence presented the Federal Reserve two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the sins of the past decade .
The second was to sin on a vastly mightier scale .
• Allow capitalism to take root by allowing corporations to fail and restructure after spending a decade leveraging themselves to [ the ] hilt , buying back shares and massively increasing the wealth of their executives while compressing the wages of workers .
Or… • Bail out the “ bad actors ” once again to forestall the “ clearing process ” that would rebalance the economy and allow for higher levels of future organic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option two of course .
That is , it chose sin on a vastly mightier scale .
A crisis is no time for chastity , said Mr. Powell , taking his leaf from Augustine : “ Lord make me pure , but not yet.
” All the imbalances , all the fraud , all the dishonesty of the past are multiplying — by two , by three , by four , by five .
Rather than allowing markets to take the hard but necessary road to reality… the Federal Reserve has blocked off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traffic into one single lane , heading north .
Put another way : The Federal Reserve has quieted capitalism ’ s mighty gales of creative destruction .
These are the gusts that blow away the inept and inefficient… and sweep in the new and improved .
Improved mousetraps , superior widgets , better living — all emerge from capitalism ’ s creatively destructive gales .
But the Federal Reserve has quieted the winds .
And so it is condemning the United States economy to a lost decade of stagnation… and anemia .
Plunging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living .
It diverts cash flow to the service of existing debt — often unproductive debt .
And so investment in the future goes channeling backward .
As we have written before , it is a titanic larceny of the future .
Each intervention piles up additional debt within the system .
And the system sags under the added weight .
Progress slows as the laggards absorb capital — capital that could have flowed into worthier hands .
Yet the inefficient know they will not sink under .
They know the authorities will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty no more rain on today ’ s merry parade .
The stock market ’ s rapid patching surprises us in one fashion only : That we are surprised at all .
We should know by now .
Many and oft are the times we concluded the Federal Reserve was depleted of tricks .
‘ The grand charade has finally ended , ’ we gloated more than once .
‘ The gods have restored balance to the universe.
’ But despite our airtight logic and our faith in the righteous gods… Each time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tucked between the legs , egg dripping from our face .
Since 2009 , bulls have continually thumbed their mocking nose at bears .
First at Dow 10,000 , then 15,000 , 20,000 , 25,000… and 29,000 .
Each point supposedly marked high tide — yet each time the water rose .
Then the virus promised the bearish fellows ultimate vindication… Dashed Again — for Now , Anyway “ The bull market is ended , ” many thundered .
“ We were right all along .
Let ’ s see it recover this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mere five months .
And so the process repeats .
In truth , we are not a committed bear .
We are however a committed skeptic .
Or rather , a committed realist .
Our eyes may be jaundiced , that is .
But not closed .
And the stock market may yet be embarking upon another marathon run .
We can not say it will not .
We nonetheless do not believe the bears will be forever laughed off .
We suspect there is a hard , iron limit to central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet identify it .
One day , however distant , there will likely be hell to pay .
And it won ’ t be the bears doing the paying…

by Brian Maher of Daily Reckoning
The stars are back in their courses. The angels are back in the heavens. And the Perfections are back within sight…
For merely 148 trading days after bottoming… the S&P returned to record heights.
The index closed Tuesday at 3,389 — eclipsing its February 19 height of 3,386.
Thus Jerome Powell’s maniacal persistence has yielded a reward truly fantastic. He has successfully reflated the bubble.
The Federal Reserve has itself become the market.
Shannon Saccocia, Boston Private’s chief investment officer:
Equity markets are reflecting the massive monetary and fiscal stimulus that has been injected over the past four months… the rationale to diversify away from risk assets is hard to pinpoint.
For many the rationale to diversify away from risk assets is indeed hard to pinpoint…
No Longer Considered a Bear Market Rally
Bank of America has concluded its August Global Fund Manager survey. This survey revealed that:
The majority of professional investors no longer believe this market spree represents a bear market rally.
It is as genuine as gold itself, they believe.
What is more, 31% of those surveyed believe it is “early cycle” — the highest percentage since the financial crisis.
Meantime, Deutsche Bank reports, “companies have already restarted buybacks or are considering doing so.”
Buybacks were of course a primary source of helium for the bubble presently reflating.
And the Federal Reserve’s artificially depressed rates opened the taps…
Corporations Take on More Debt Than Ever
These exorbitantly low rates enabled corporations to pile on cheap debt.
With this debt they often purchased their own stock… which reduced shares outstanding… and raised the price per share.
That is, corporations often took on debt to conduct financial sorcery.
And now — as Deutsche Bank reports — the sorcerers are at their tricks again.
You might think corporations would halt the business during a recession. They would pay down debt and buttress their balance sheets against lean times.
Yet you would be mistaken.
This year corporations have gobbled down debt at a pace truly astounding — double last year’s.
And so conventional wisdom goes upon its head. Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics:
During a standard recession, and that would include the global financial crisis as well, you would expect to see corporate debt as a percentage of G.D.P. begin to come down.
Thus the corporate debt bubble expands to astonishing dimensions.
And with the Federal Reserve backstopping nearly all grades of corporate debt… why should it not expand to astonishing dimensions?
It is a sad, sad caricature of capitalism.
Sin on a Mightier Scale
The pestilence presented the Federal Reserve two options. The first was to wash out the sins of the past decade.
The second was to sin on a vastly mightier scale.
Lance Roberts of Real Investment Advice:
Allow capitalism to take root by allowing corporations to fail and restructure after spending a decade leveraging themselves to [the] hilt, buying back shares and massively increasing the wealth of their executives while compressing the wages of workers. Or… Bail out the “bad actors” once again to forestall the “clearing process” that would rebalance the economy and allow for higher levels of future organic economic growth.
The Federal Reserve selected option two of course. That is, it chose sin on a vastly mightier scale.
A crisis is no time for chastity, said Mr. Powell, taking his leaf from Augustine:
“Lord make me pure, but not yet.”
The Fed’s Diverted All Traffic
All the imbalances, all the fraud, all the dishonesty of the past are multiplying — by two, by three, by four, by five.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Rather than allowing markets to take the hard but necessary road to reality… the Federal Reserve has blocked off every route.
It has detoured all traffic into one single lane, heading north.
Put another way: The Federal Reserve has quieted capitalism’s mighty gales of creative destruction.
These are the gusts that blow away the inept and inefficient… and sweep in the new and improved.
Improved mousetraps, superior widgets, better living — all emerge from capitalism’s creatively destructive gales.
But the Federal Reserve has quieted the winds.
And so it is condemning the United States economy to a lost decade of stagnation… and anemia.
A Titanic Larceny of the Future
Plunging into debt introduces a sort of hand-to-mouth living. It diverts cash flow to the service of existing debt — often unproductive debt.
And so investment in the future goes channeling backward. As we have written before, it is a titanic larceny of the future.
Explains Daily Reckoning contributor Charles Hugh Smith:
Debt has one primary dynamic: Borrowing money to consume something in the present brings forward consumption and income. If we choose to consume now, we have less income to save for future consumption or investments. If we sacrifice consumption today, we have more money in the future for consumption or investing. Those who brought their consumption forward can no longer add to present consumption, as their future income is already spoken for.
Each intervention piles up additional debt within the system. And the system sags under the added weight.
Progress slows as the laggards absorb capital — capital that could have flowed into worthier hands.
Yet the inefficient know they will not sink under. They know the authorities will keep them up.
Surprised at Being Surprised
But let us empty no more rain on today’s merry parade.
The stock market’s rapid patching surprises us in one fashion only: That we are surprised at all.
We should know by now.
Many and oft are the times we concluded the Federal Reserve was depleted of tricks.
‘The grand charade has finally ended,’ we gloated more than once. ‘The gods have restored balance to the universe.’
But despite our airtight logic and our faith in the righteous gods…
Each time we ended up slinking away, tail tucked between the legs, egg dripping from our face.
Since 2009, bulls have continually thumbed their mocking nose at bears. First at Dow 10,000, then 15,000, 20,000, 25,000… and 29,000.
Each point supposedly marked high tide — yet each time the water rose.
Then the virus promised the bearish fellows ultimate vindication…
Dashed Again — for Now, Anyway
“The bull market is ended,” many thundered. “We were right all along. Let’s see it recover this time.”
Yet recover it has… in a mere five months.
And so the process repeats.
In truth, we are not a committed bear. We are however a committed skeptic. Or rather, a committed realist.
Our eyes may be jaundiced, that is. But not closed.
And the stock market may yet be embarking upon another marathon run. We cannot say it will not.
We nonetheless do not believe the bears will be forever laughed off.
We suspect there is a hard, iron limit to central bank manipulation — even if we cannot yet identify it.
One day, however distant, there will likely be hell to pay.
And it won’t be the bears doing the paying…


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Steve Bannon arrested. $5 million bail. Trey Gowdy says it appears to be ‘a classic fraud scheme’

Steve Bannon and ‘ We Build the Wall ’ organizers are arrested and charged with defrauding donors ; reaction and @ @ @ @ @ and former Congressman Trey Gowdy .

Steve Bannon and ‘We Build the Wall’ organizers are arrested and charged with defrauding donors; reaction and analysis from Fox News contributor and former Congressman Trey Gowdy.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--SELF-DEFEAT: Cash-Strapped USPS Killed Profitable Custom Stamp Program Over Jesus Stamps.

The United States Postal Service pulled the plug on a profitable custom stamp program rather than let Americans use religious @ @ @ @ @ generated millions of dollars by allowing customers to design their own stamps before eliminating the @ @ @ @ @ Dys , special counsel at nonprofit religious freedom law firm First Liberty , said the @ @ @ @ @ people attempted to create stamps featuring religious backdrops and imagery .
Dys criticized USPS—which requested @ @ @ @ @ in April—for leaving money on the table .
“ Rather than permit anything that might @ @ @ @ @ a custom stamp that you would pay for and then give money to the U.S @ @ @ @ @ revenue stream , they decided to walk away from multimillion-dollars ’ worth of custom stamp @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Free Beacon .
A USPS spokesman said that the decision to end the @ @ @ @ @ insignificant ” revenue , adding that the program had become an “ unacceptable risk ” @ @ @ @ @ brand .

The United States Postal Service pulled the plug on a profitable custom stamp program rather than let Americans use religious imagery.
The cash-strapped agency generated millions of dollars by allowing customers to design their own stamps before eliminating the program in June. Jeremy Dys, special counsel at nonprofit religious freedom law firm First Liberty, said the decision came shortly after several people attempted to create stamps featuring religious backdrops and imagery. Dys criticized USPS—which requested $75 billion from taxpayers in April—for leaving money on the table.
“Rather than permit anything that might be religious to appear on a custom stamp that you would pay for and then give money to the U.S. Postal Service through a revenue stream, they decided to walk away from multimillion-dollars’ worth of custom stamp programs,” Dys told the Washington Free Beacon.
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A USPS spokesman said that the decision to end the program resulted from the “insignificant” revenue, adding that the program had become an “unacceptable risk” to the service’s brand.
freebeacon.com/2020-election/cash-strapped-usps-killed-profitable-custom-stamp-program-over-jesus-stamps/


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--DOUBLE TROUBLE coming IN!

DOUBLE TROUBLE coming IN!

# BREAKING we are now expect to have 2 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico early next week .
This @ @ @ @ @ very dangerous situation for the entire Gulf Coast .
@ cbs46 pic.twitter.com/9Wf4Fit0VW

#BREAKING we are now expect to have 2 hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico early next week. This is a very rare, very dangerous situation for the entire Gulf Coast. @cbs46 pic.twitter.com/9Wf4Fit0VW
— Ella Dorsey (@Ella__Dorsey) August 21, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Paid my first fine for not wearing a mask!

I was drinking a cup of tea and smoking a cigarette outside a store when I saw a guy wearing camouflaged uniform ( not the ones used by the army ) walking toward me .
I noticed there was a cop vehicle behind him so I knew I ’ m going to pay a fine .
I tossed the cig away when I saw them .
( Doing that usually get you some leniency ) .
The camouflaged unified guy said I have to pay 2 fines : Rs1000 for smoking and Rs200 for not wearing a mask .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cigarette offense slide and make me pay for not wearing a mask .
( I had my mask on , but I had lowered it so I could smoke the cigarette and drink my tea ) .
There were other people around me who were also smoking but they disappeared quickly because they thought they were next .
I paid up the Rs200 fine and received a receipt that said the fine was for “ causing public nuisance , smoking ” .
I ’ m feeling pretty pissed about it .
But then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much worse .
Like the other cops who were with him could have showed up and made me pay up the bigger fine of Rs1000 for smoking .
That would have really ruined my day .
I guess I was lucky .
But I ’ m going to have to get used to the fact that I can ’ t even smoke a CIGARETTE without having to worry about fines .

by AC
I was drinking a cup of tea and smoking a cigarette outside a store when I saw a guy wearing camouflaged uniform (not the ones used by the army) walking toward me.
I noticed there was a cop vehicle behind him so I knew I’m going to pay a fine. I tossed the cig away when I saw them. (Doing that usually get you some leniency).
The camouflaged unified guy said I have to pay 2 fines: Rs1000 for smoking and Rs200 for not wearing a mask. But he said he’ll let the cigarette offense slide and make me pay for not wearing a mask. (I had my mask on, but I had lowered it so I could smoke the cigarette and drink my tea).
There were other people around me who were also smoking but they disappeared quickly because they thought they were next.
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I paid up the Rs200 fine and received a receipt that said the fine was for “causing public nuisance, smoking”.
I’m feeling pretty pissed about it. But then again, things could have turned out much worse. Like the other cops who were with him could have showed up and made me pay up the bigger fine of Rs1000 for smoking. That would have really ruined my day.
I guess I was lucky. But I’m going to have to get used to the fact that I can’t even smoke a CIGARETTE without having to worry about fines.
F*ck.
Disclaimer: This is a guest post a


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--PEOPLE WITHOUT JOBS DISTURBING THE SLEEP OF THOSE WHO HAVE TO GO TO WORK IN THE MORNING:

Or as I like to think of them , Trump ’ s 2020 get-out-the-vote movement .

“Wake up, mother f—ker wake up!” chant BLM in Portland tonight as they go through residential areas and shut down the streets. pic.twitter.com/DOah2d1yji — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 21, 2020
Or as I like to think of them, Trump’s 2020 get-out-the-vote movement.
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h/t Glenn


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--The Left Burns Its Own Nests, Hypocrisy Knows No Bounds

Want to move to one of America ’ s big urban cities ?
Ever imagine having a penthouse apartment close to or even in downtown so that you could walk to the theater ?
Well , the options are endless , and the cost is plummeting .
It ’ s a buyer ’ s market !
Just take a look : • New York : When Half of NYC ’ s Tax Base Leaves and Never Comes Back • Chicago : Threat Of More Looting Leads To Concerns Of Downtown Chicago Exodus • Portland : Multiple Portland companies to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle Defunded Police .
Now Businesses Are Leaving , and Rioters Still Aim Explosives at Cops • San Francisco : Mass exodus : Twice as many homes for sale compared to last year as people flee city None of these trends are new .
American cities have been generally suffering since the end of World War II , though for the past few decades they have seen a partial renewal that did not bring them back to the halcyon days of the past but at least made them look vibrant and alive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a perfect storm of circumstances that have led to a major crash , destroying all the gains made in the recent past .
First there was the decision by the local governors and mayors of these cities , all of whom are Democrats , to shut the cities down in their panicked response to COVID-19 .
Suddenly all businesses were closed , and even when the lockdowns were eased by these Democrats , they were eased in a very limited manner .
Restaurants no longer could make money with the mandated limited capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports events , movies , concerts , museums — were outlawed .

Dying Democratic Cities.
Want to move to one of America’s big urban cities? Ever imagine having a penthouse apartment close to or even in downtown so that you could walk to the theater? Well, the options are endless, and the cost is plummeting. It’s a buyer’s market! Just take a look:
None of these trends are new. American cities have been generally suffering since the end of World War II, though for the past few decades they have seen a partial renewal that did not bring them back to the halcyon days of the past but at least made them look vibrant and alive.
The last few months however have seen a perfect storm of circumstances that have led to a major crash, destroying all the gains made in the recent past.
First there was the decision by the local governors and mayors of these cities, all of whom are Democrats, to shut the cities down in their panicked response to COVID-19. Suddenly all businesses were closed, and even when the lockdowns were eased by these Democrats, they were eased in a very limited manner. Restaurants no longer could make money with the mandated limited capacity. All entertainment venues — theaters, sports events, movies, concerts, museums — were outlawed.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Leaked audio proves Goodyear discriminatory policy is WORSE than first reported.

Goodyear Tire partly backs down , revises policy against “ Blue Lives Matter.
” “ The revelation that Goodyear effectively @ @ @ @ @ own training sessions caused even more of an uproar .
Now Goodyear has backtracked , @ @ @ @ @ From Goodyear Training Session Leaks : Leftwing Messaging Is Okay , Because Leftwing Political Agitation @ @ @ @ @

Wow. Leaked audio proves that Goodyear’s statement was bogus. It also shows that the discriminatory policy is WORSE than first reported. It actually discriminates on explicitly racial grounds. Which is definitely illegal. Not to mention racist. pic.twitter.com/R8ioesP87v — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 20, 2020
Goodyear Tire partly backs down, revises policy against “Blue Lives Matter.” “The revelation that Goodyear effectively lied about it’s own training sessions caused even more of an uproar. Now Goodyear has backtracked, partially.”
Related: Audio From Goodyear Training Session Leaks: Leftwing Messaging Is Okay, Because Leftwing Political Agitation Isn’t Political.
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AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--President Trump on FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleading guilty to making a false statement

President @ realDonaldTrump on FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleading guilty to making a false statement , with regard to Durham @

President @realDonaldTrump on FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleading guilty to making a false statement, with regard to Durham Probe
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investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Barr must be replaced.

Barr must be replaced.

1 .
Remember , the Special Counsel was appointed in May 2017 , and from then until April 2019 any matter which had anything to do with Spygate or Trump/Russia , was managed exclusively by the Special Counsel team .
[ Rosenstein testified to this June 2 , 2020 ] 2 .
The Carter Page FISA warrant of June 29 , 2017 , was renewed during the tenure of the Special Counsel .
They alone ran the FISA process for the third renewal .
3 .
Kevin Clinesmith ’ s boss at the FBI during the period was Trisha Beth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Clinesmith criminal indictment ( actually an “ information ” ) informs that , while the Special Counsel was running the DOJ , and Andy McCabe was running the FBI , McCabe ’ s deputy at the FBI , Tricia Anderson , made this request to Clinesmith : 5 .
Why is this “ digraph ” redacted from the Clinesmith information ?
7 .
Why is the sentence following that critical question redacted from the Clinesmith indictment with “ ….
” ?
9 .
Why again is the critical “ digraph ” source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
10 .
The entire issue is that Clinesmith ’ s boss , Trisha Anderson , is asking Clinesmith to ask the CIA whether Carter Page is any kind of CIA informant .
Why redact out that specific material from the Clinesmith indictment , unless the intent is to conceal that material ?
11 .
Why is the specific 2-digit number “ digraph ” supposedly secret , and why is the “ type of source ” omitted form the criminal information ?
Clinesmith ’ s boss , Tricia Anderson , seems to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ‘ source ’ is Carter Page ?
He ’ s claiming to be a source , so check with the CIA to verify ‘ if he is any kind of source.
’ ” 12 .
Again , despite the redaction of what appears to be critical exchange , the Clinesmith indictment still includes his boss ( Tricia ) asking for official CIA confirmation about Carter Page , “ whatever kind of source he is.
” 13 .
We know from the Clinesmith indictment that ( at a minimum ) he reported back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Carter Page “ was a subsource ” for the CIA .
14 .
So when the DOJ ( now run by the Special Counsel ) signed the Carter Page FISA renewal [ June 29 , 2017 ] , we know without question that the FBI deputy who reported directly to the FBIs ’ General Counsel ( Jim Baker ) , who reported directly to FBA Director ( Andy McCabe ) , that deputy ( Trisha Anderson ) knew that Carte Page was at least a CIA subsource .
15 .
And we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s deputy – Clinesmith- had been informed by the CIA that the CIA has already informed the DOJ and the FBI about Carter Page ’ s status , a year earlier , on August 17 , 2016 .
16 .
The CIA gave Clinesmith an email with all of that information .
[ LINK ] 17 .
Without any push-back from the DOJ or FBI , in 2020 , in connection with Clinesmith ’ s guilty plea , he stated that he ( Clinesmith ) never bothered to read the Carter Page file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ LINK ] 18 .
His boss , Tricia Anderson , had asked him specifically to check with the CIA as to the status of Carter Page .
The CIA confirmed that Carter Page was some kind of source , and provided the file explaining it all .
19 .
Clinesmith first reports to his boss , Tricia Anderson , that the CIA has confirmed that Carter Page is some kind of a source – a “ sub-source , ” but we don ’ t know exactly because the “ digraph ” code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been concealed out of the indictment .
20 .
What possible reason is there for the DOJ to redact out that code ?
21 .
When Clinesmith reports to his Boss -Trisha Anderson- that Carter Page is definitely some kind of CIA source , without question Trisha by her own email now knows : 22 .
Yet a few days later , Clinesmith sends an email to his boss , Trisha Anderson , evidencing for her file that Carter Page “ was never a source.
” Yet the DOJ ’ s indictment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
23 .
Isn ’ t it a logical conclusion that the combination of the following highlight a DOJ whitewash : ( i ) the redactions of the digraph code from the indictment , “ ( ii ) the DOJ allowing Clinesmith , unchallenged , to assert that he “ did not recall ever reviewing the documents referenced in the [ CIA ’ s ] email ” disclosing Carter Page ’ s informant status with the CIA .
24 .
And how could veteran FBI attorneys ( Anderson and Clinesmith ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , twist “ A ” into “ B ” ?
25 .
Here is “ A ” the process the FBI started with : Getting “ clarification on [ Carter Page ] .
There is an indication that he may be a “ [ digraph ] source… we would need to disclose in our next FISA renewal… To that end… .
[ contact the CIA and find out ] : ( 1 ) Is [ Carter Page ] a source in any capacity ?
and ( 2 ) If he is , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or what ever type of source he is ) ?
” After first telling his boss that Carter Page was a sub-source , Clinesmith changed the official story by then stating that Carter Page “ was not a source ” , as if there is some distinction between being a CIA-approved “ source ” versus a CIA-approved “ sub-source.
” 27 .
Clinesmith ’ s boss , Trisha Anderson , knew this change of story was a smoking gun of a fix .
How do we know that ?
Two issues : 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , although it is buried .
Trish Anderson asked Clinesmith whether the FBI “ had it in writing ” from the CIA that Carter Page “ was not a source.
” That ’ s not a question in this scenario , that ’ s an instruction .
29 .
Anderson and Clinesmith both knew any written claim that Carter Page was not a source would be untrue , because the CIA had informed them specifically that Carter Page was working with the CIA as a [ digraph ] , and that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo to the Crossfire Hurricane team dated August 17 , 2016 .
[ LINK ] 30 .
The Crossfire Hurricane team consisted of many senior members of the DOJ and FBI who eventually overlapped into the Special Counsel [ They had to know what was going on with this June 29 , 2017 renewal ] 31 .
When the last Carter Page FISA application was submitted on June 29th , and signed-off by Trisha Beth Anderson , she knew that Carter Page was a CIA-approved asset ; and that Carter Page had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
32 .
Clinesmith also knew Carter Page was a source for the CIA .
He deliberately falsified the CIA email to try and create a CYA position for his boss , Trish Anderson .
For this event he has now plead guilty to a felony .
33 .
What happened during the four days : June 15 , 2017 to June 19 , 2017 , that caused FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith to commit a felony by doctoring an email from the CIA ?
34 .
What happened during the four days June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that caused senior FBI Deputy Trish Anderson to pivot from asking about Carter Page ’ s status with the CIA “ in any capacity , and whatever type of source he is ” – to later telling her subordinate , Clinesmith , to “ get in writing ” something from the CIA that she knew was untrue ?
35 .
Trisha Beth Anderson signed-off on the Carter Page FISA application , a title-1 surveillance warrant , under penalty of perjury… .
even though we know from her own writing the application contained materially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trisha Beth Anderson claims she signed the FISA affidavit , which she knew to be incorrect , because it was presented to her in a rather unusual manner .
[ LINK ] 37 .
Why did she do this ?
She disclosed why in her previously hidden testimony to congress ( August 2018 ) .
[ LINK ] 38 .
Anderson had signed-off on earlier Page FISA applications because they came to her already signed : ex .
by James Comey ( FBI ) and Sally Yates ( DOJ ) .
39 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Page FISA renewal ( June 29 , 2017 ) the Special Counsel was now running the DOJ .
Andrew McCabe was in position and running the FBI 40 .
So who caused Trisha Beth Anderson to sign-off on the FISA application she knew was false ?
41 .
Why did Anderson ask her subordinate , Clinesmith , to make sure there was something in writing in the file to back up this false statement ?
Who instructed her to do this ?
42 .
She signed-off the prior Carter Page FISA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pre-signed by the FBI and and DOJ leadership .
43 .
Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe was Anderson ’ s FBI boss when she signed-off on what she knew was a false affidavit .
Rod Rosenstein was Deputy Attorney General .
Who pre-approved the false filing ?
44 .
Additionally , on June 29 , 2017 , the special counsel was in control of the DOJ and DOJ-NSD .
This third renewal was under their authority .
45. Who told Trish Anderson to change her story and paper the file with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a CIA asset ?
46 .
AG Bill Barr has known since December 9 , 2019 , about Kevin Clinesmith ’ s felony forgery when OIG Inspector General Michael Horowitz made a criminal referral for the discovery .
Why delay the indictment until August 20 , 2020 .
This thing reeks of another institutional preservation approach .
What I suspect is that Barr does not want to touch any material that contacts the Weissmann/Mueller special counsel… however , what took place under the Weissmann/Mueller special counsel is actually more corrupt than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also strongly suspect is that Bill Barr is using his oft stated “ I will not allow the DOJ to be political ” as a crutch in his preservation approach .
If nothing from the world or sphere of politics is allowed to enter the world or sphere of the DOJ then what is supposed to happen with all those years of congressional evidence gathering ?
If my suspicions are correct ; and keep in mind I have made first hand contact with the Durham investigators to confirm their intense alignment with Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any embargoed political silo will ever be prosecuted regardless of how it percolates out .
If you read all the material you will see there is clearly no arrangement for Kevin Clinesmith to have provided any other evidence to the DOJ .
This is a one-and-done move just like James Wolfe .
The parallels are very similar .

1. Remember, the Special Counsel was appointed in May 2017, and from then until April 2019 any matter which had anything to do with Spygate or Trump/Russia, was managed exclusively by the Special Counsel team. [Rosenstein testified to this June 2, 2020]
2. The Carter Page FISA warrant of June 29, 2017, was renewed during the tenure of the Special Counsel. They alone ran the FISA process for the third renewal.
3. Kevin Clinesmith’s boss at the FBI during the period was Trisha Beth Anderson. [LINK]
4. The Clinesmith criminal indictment (actually an “information”) informs that, while the Special Counsel was running the DOJ, and Andy McCabe was running the FBI, McCabe’s deputy at the FBI, Tricia Anderson, made this request to Clinesmith:
We need some clarification on [Carter Page]. There is an indication that he may be a “[digraph] source.” [LINK]
5. Why is this “digraph” redacted from the Clinesmith information?
6. Anderson continued:
“This [the status of Carter Page] is a fact we would need to disclose in our next FISA renewal…”
7. Why is the sentence following that critical question redacted from the Clinesmith indictment with “….”?
8. Anderson continued:
“To that end, can we get two items from you? 1) Source Check/ Is [Carter Page] a source in any capacity? 2 ) If he is, what is a [digraph] source ( or what ever type of source he is) ?” [LINK]
9. Why again is the critical “digraph” source code redacted out of the Clinesmith indictment?
10. The entire issue is that Clinesmith’s boss, Trisha Anderson, is asking Clinesmith to ask the CIA whether Carter Page is any kind of CIA informant. Why redact out that specific material from the Clinesmith indictment, unless the intent is to conceal that material?
11. Why is the specific 2-digit number “digraph” supposedly secret, and why is the “type of source” omitted form the criminal information? Clinesmith’s boss, Tricia Anderson, seems to be asking, “what is this kind of ‘source’ is Carter Page? He’s claiming to be a source, so check with the CIA to verify ‘if he is any kind of source.’”
12. Again, despite the redaction of what appears to be critical exchange, the Clinesmith indictment still includes his boss (Tricia) asking for official CIA confirmation about Carter Page, “whatever kind of source he is.”
13. We know from the Clinesmith indictment that (at a minimum) he reported back to his boss, Tricia Anderson, that Carter Page “was a subsource” for the CIA.
14. So when the DOJ (now run by the Special Counsel) signed the Carter Page FISA renewal [June 29, 2017], we know without question that the FBI deputy who reported directly to the FBIs’ General Counsel (Jim Baker), who reported directly to FBA Director (Andy McCabe), that deputy (Trisha Anderson) knew that Carte Page was at least a CIA subsource.
15. And we know without question that Tricia Anderson’s deputy – Clinesmith- had been informed by the CIA that the CIA has already informed the DOJ and the FBI about Carter Page’s status, a year earlier, on August 17, 2016.
16. The CIA gave Clinesmith an email with all of that information. [LINK]
17. Without any push-back from the DOJ or FBI, in 2020, in connection with Clinesmith’s guilty plea, he stated that he (Clinesmith) never bothered to read the Carter Page file that the CIA gave to him. [LINK]
18. His boss, Tricia Anderson, had asked him specifically to check with the CIA as to the status of Carter Page. The CIA confirmed that Carter Page was some kind of source, and provided the file explaining it all.
19. Clinesmith first reports to his boss, Tricia Anderson, that the CIA has confirmed that Carter Page is some kind of a source – a “sub-source,” but we don’t know exactly because the “digraph” code describing what kind of source he was had been concealed out of the indictment.
20. What possible reason is there for the DOJ to redact out that code?
21. When Clinesmith reports to his Boss -Trisha Anderson- that Carter Page is definitely some kind of CIA source, without question Trisha by her own email now knows:
“This [the CIA source status of Carter Page] is a fact we would need to disclose in our next FISA renewal…”
22. Yet a few days later, Clinesmith sends an email to his boss, Trisha Anderson, evidencing for her file that Carter Page “was never a source.” Yet the DOJ’s indictment redacts the “digraph” code about this.
And…
23. Isn’t it a logical conclusion that the combination of the following highlight a DOJ whitewash: (i) the redactions of the digraph code from the indictment, “(ii) the DOJ allowing Clinesmith, unchallenged, to assert that he “did not recall ever reviewing the documents referenced in the [CIA’s] email” disclosing Carter Page’s informant status with the CIA.
24. And how could veteran FBI attorneys (Anderson and Clinesmith), in the space of a few days, twist “A” into “B”?
25. Here is “A” the process the FBI started with:
Getting “clarification on [Carter Page]. There is an indication that he may be a “ [digraph] source… we would need to disclose in our next FISA renewal… To that end….[contact the CIA and find out]: (1) Is [Carter Page] a source in any capacity? and (2) If he is, what is a [digraph] source (or what ever type of source he is)?”
26. What was “B”?
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After first telling his boss that Carter Page was a sub-source, Clinesmith changed the official story by then stating that Carter Page “was not a source”, as if there is some distinction between being a CIA-approved “source” versus a CIA-approved “sub-source.”
27. Clinesmith’s boss, Trisha Anderson, knew this change of story was a smoking gun of a fix. How do we know that? Two issues:
28. First, the Clinesmith indictment concedes it, although it is buried. Trish Anderson asked Clinesmith whether the FBI “had it in writing” from the CIA that Carter Page “was not a source.” That’s not a question in this scenario, that’s an instruction.
29. Anderson and Clinesmith both knew any written claim that Carter Page was not a source would be untrue, because the CIA had informed them specifically that Carter Page was working with the CIA as a [digraph], and that his role was described in the CIA briefing memo to the Crossfire Hurricane team dated August 17, 2016. [LINK]
30. The Crossfire Hurricane team consisted of many senior members of the DOJ and FBI who eventually overlapped into the Special Counsel [They had to know what was going on with this June 29, 2017 renewal]
31. When the last Carter Page FISA application was submitted on June 29th, and signed-off by Trisha Beth Anderson, she knew that Carter Page was a CIA-approved asset; and that Carter Page had been working with the CIA in some capacity.
32. Clinesmith also knew Carter Page was a source for the CIA. He deliberately falsified the CIA email to try and create a CYA position for his boss, Trish Anderson. For this event he has now plead guilty to a felony.
33. What happened during the four days: June 15, 2017 to June 19, 2017, that caused FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith to commit a felony by doctoring an email from the CIA?
34. What happened during the four days June 15 to June 19, 2017, that caused senior FBI Deputy Trish Anderson to pivot from asking about Carter Page’s status with the CIA “in any capacity, and whatever type of source he is” – to later telling her subordinate, Clinesmith, to “get in writing” something from the CIA that she knew was untrue?
35. Trisha Beth Anderson signed-off on the Carter Page FISA application, a title-1 surveillance warrant, under penalty of perjury…. even though we know from her own writing the application contained materially false information and omissions.
36. Trisha Beth Anderson claims she signed the FISA affidavit, which she knew to be incorrect, because it was presented to her in a rather unusual manner. [LINK]
37. Why did she do this? She disclosed why in her previously hidden testimony to congress (August 2018). [LINK]
38. Anderson had signed-off on earlier Page FISA applications because they came to her already signed: ex. by James Comey (FBI) and Sally Yates (DOJ).
39. When she signed-off on the last Carter Page FISA renewal (June 29, 2017) the Special Counsel was now running the DOJ. Andrew McCabe was in position and running the FBI
40. So who caused Trisha Beth Anderson to sign-off on the FISA application she knew was false?
41. Why did Anderson ask her subordinate, Clinesmith, to make sure there was something in writing in the file to back up this false statement? Who instructed her to do this?
42. She signed-off the prior Carter Page FISA’s because they were presented to her pre-approved and pre-signed by the FBI and and DOJ leadership.
43. Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe was Anderson’s FBI boss when she signed-off on what she knew was a false affidavit. Rod Rosenstein was Deputy Attorney General. Who pre-approved the false filing?
44. Additionally, on June 29, 2017, the special counsel was in control of the DOJ and DOJ-NSD. This third renewal was under their authority.
45. Who told Trish Anderson to change her story and paper the file with a false claim that Carter Page was somehow not a CIA asset?
46. AG Bill Barr has known since December 9, 2019, about Kevin Clinesmith’s felony forgery when OIG Inspector General Michael Horowitz made a criminal referral for the discovery. Why delay the indictment until August 20, 2020.
This thing reeks of another institutional preservation approach. What I suspect is that Barr does not want to touch any material that contacts the Weissmann/Mueller special counsel… however, what took place under the Weissmann/Mueller special counsel is actually more corrupt than any activity that preceded it.
What I also strongly suspect is that Bill Barr is using his oft stated “I will not allow the DOJ to be political” as a crutch in his preservation approach. If nothing from the world or sphere of politics is allowed to enter the world or sphere of the DOJ then what is supposed to happen with all those years of congressional evidence gathering?
If my suspicions are correct; and keep in mind I have made first hand contact with the Durham investigators to confirm their intense alignment with Barr’s directive; then nothing from any embargoed political silo will ever be prosecuted regardless of how it percolates out.
If you read all the material you will see there is clearly no arrangement for Kevin Clinesmith to have provided any other evidence to the DOJ. This is a one-and-done move just like James Wolfe. The parallels are very similar.
Clinesmith Supporting Statement:
Click to access full.pdf
Clinesmith indictment/information:
Click to access full.pdf
Clinesmith Plea agreement:
www.politico.com/f/?id=00000174-0950-dac0-adf5-1bf481a00000


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--My daughter’s school just called me & said I have to come pick her up… Because she sneezed.

My daughters school just called me & said I have to come pick her up… They said their policy is @ @ @ @ @ mild ’ symptom then children must stay home for 2 weeks & can not return @ @ @ @ @ a negative covid test result .
She ’ s 7yrs old .

My daughters school just called me & said I have to come pick her up…
Because she sneezed.
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They said their policy is if they see a ‘mild’ symptom then children must stay home for 2 weeks & cannot return until I present them with a negative covid test result.
She’s 7yrs old.
They said she made a sneeze in class and it made the teacher ‘nervous’. I went to the school to pick her up & they wouldn’t let me in the locked gate to collect her. I pressed the button to say “I am here for my daughter..” but they turned off the mic.. — CeeCee (@the_exception) August 21, 2020
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--This is just brutal…

This is just brutal…

Listen to the woman speak at 16 minutes .

Tucker deserves a medal for this…
Listen to the woman speak at 16 minutes.
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She nails it.
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--What Makes This Recession Different From the Rest

“ It ’ s a recession when your neighbor loses his job ; it ’ s a depression when you lose yours.
” In recent weeks , numerous commentators started to suggest the US and the world are entering a depression .
For some areas of the economy , that is clearly true .
But not every area .
Part of the economy will be in what can only be described as a depression for quite some time .
My friend George Friedman of Geopolitical Futures defines depression as the physical destruction of the economy , something that lays waste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital .
A recession is the economy cycling .
A depression is an economy breaking .
Another part of the economy will recover , albeit a little slowly , but faster than the Great Recession .
A recession , according to George , is a normal part of the economy—a primarily financial event that imposes disciplines on an overheated economy .
The picture should become a bit clearer in September .
George writes that , that unless a solution for the coronavirus and what it ’ s doing to our economy is found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession turns into a depression could mount .
“ I chose September because two quarters of intense economic contraction is instructive .
Economists ’ definition of a recession is two successive quarters of negative growth ( also known in English as decline ) .
This is generally enough time to understand how resilient an economy is .
“ Uncoincidentally , it is also the point at which economies begin to recover in normal cycles .
Under normal circumstances , basic economic structures remain intact during recessions so financial stimulus measures can restart the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have been five depressions in the history of the US : 1807–1814 ; 1837–1844 ; 1873–1879 ; 1893–1898 ; 1929–1941 .
The first four “ depressions ” were banking panics .
But they were also associated with the agricultural cycle .
Farmers would borrow money in the spring and pay it back after the fall harvest .
Money would move from money-center banks in the big cities , especially New York , to smaller banks out in the country .
And then back .
Think “ Sell in May and go away.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to lend for speculation during the summer .
This led governments and banks to create the Federal Reserve in 1913 , to have a lender of last resort .
Not long after , the US became less dominated by the agricultural cycle and more dominated by the manufacturing cycle .
As my friend Dr. Woody Brock says , when Henry Ford would lay off 10,000 workers , that also meant steelworkers , tire manufacturers in Akron , and so on were also laid off .
That percolated throughout the economy .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depression .
( I know this is a huge oversimplification : Herbert Hoover allowed Smoot-Hawley in 1930 .
He also raised taxes in the teeth of a depression/recession .
Monetary policy was not helpful . )
After World War II , “ recessions ” became more frequent .
( Sidenote : You won ’ t find the term “ recession ” in the historical literature prior to World War II . )
Up until 2000 , recessions were associated with the manufacturing cycle .
But those became milder over time .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the economy .
The coronavirus impacted all parts of the economy .
But how fast you see recovery , or how long you see depression , depends where you are and what part of the economy you are in .
Going into 2020 , 85 % of the US economy was in the service economy .
The Great Recession was caused by financial excess , but we worked through it .
With the current crisis , something happened that never happened before… We literally shut down 30 % to 40 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Restaurants , hotels , gyms , airlines , tourism , all manner of personal services .
The list can go on forever .
A member of the National Restaurant Association told me that , as things stand , some 30 % to 40 % of restaurants will likely close by year-end without further aid .
That could be a low estimate .
The Independent Restaurant Coalition conducted a poll by Compass Lexecon , a Chicago-based consulting firm .
Their report predicts a grim future for roughly 500,000 ( of 660,000 ) Main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance program is established .
Yelp is a surprisingly good source for information on business closings .
Some 55 % of businesses that are listed as closed on Yelp have been closed for good .
Half of hotel rooms in the US are empty as of mid-August .
They need at least 80 % occupancy to break even .
Hotels that depend on tourism ?
Toast .
Airlines ?
The list goes on and on .
How fast you will see recovery … or how long you will see depression … depends a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what part of the economy you are in .
Collectively , that means we ’ ll stumble into September .
Then slowly but—as history has shown us , surely—we ’ ll stumble higher .
It will be a lumpy , bumpy ride , but it ’ s already happening .
Stay up-to-date on my research about it here : twitter.com/johnfmauldin .
The Great Reset : The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History New York Times best seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could be triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure that ’ s building right now .
Learn more here .

by John Mauldin
“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job;
it’s a depression when you lose yours.”
—Harry S. Truman, 33rd US President
In recent weeks, numerous commentators started to suggest the US and the world are entering a depression.
For some areas of the economy, that is clearly true. But not every area.
Part of the economy will be in what can only be described as a depression for quite some time.
My friend George Friedman of Geopolitical Futures defines depression as the physical destruction of the economy, something that lays waste to businesses, dislocates labor and vaporizes capital. A recession is the economy cycling. A depression is an economy breaking.
Another part of the economy will recover, albeit a little slowly, but faster than the Great Recession.
A recession, according to George, is a normal part of the economy—a primarily financial event that imposes disciplines on an overheated economy.
The picture should become a bit clearer in September.
George writes that, that unless a solution for the coronavirus and what it’s doing to our economy is found by September, the probability that the recession turns into a depression could mount.
“I chose September because two quarters of intense economic contraction is instructive. Economists’ definition of a recession is two successive quarters of negative growth (also known in English as decline). This is generally enough time to understand how resilient an economy is.
“Uncoincidentally, it is also the point at which economies begin to recover in normal cycles. Under normal circumstances, basic economic structures remain intact during recessions so financial stimulus measures can restart the system.”
Just for the record, there have been five depressions in the history of the US: 1807–1814; 1837–1844; 1873–1879; 1893–1898; 1929–1941.
The first four “depressions” were banking panics. But they were also associated with the agricultural cycle.
Farmers would borrow money in the spring and pay it back after the fall harvest. Money would move from money-center banks in the big cities, especially New York, to smaller banks out in the country. And then back.
Think “Sell in May and go away.” The money-center banks would have less money to lend for speculation during the summer.
This led governments and banks to create the Federal Reserve in 1913, to have a lender of last resort. Not long after, the US became less dominated by the agricultural cycle and more dominated by the manufacturing cycle.
As my friend Dr. Woody Brock says, when Henry Ford would lay off 10,000 workers, that also meant steelworkers, tire manufacturers in Akron, and so on were also laid off.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
That percolated throughout the economy. And we got what we called the Great Depression. (I know this is a huge oversimplification: Herbert Hoover allowed Smoot-Hawley in 1930. He also raised taxes in the teeth of a depression/recession. Monetary policy was not helpful.)
After World War II, “recessions” became more frequent. (Sidenote: You won’t find the term “recession” in the historical literature prior to World War II.)
Up until 2000, recessions were associated with the manufacturing cycle. But those became milder over time. That is because manufacturing had less of an impact on the economy.
The coronavirus impacted all parts of the economy. But how fast you see recovery, or how long you see depression, depends where you are and what part of the economy you are in.
Going into 2020, 85% of the US economy was in the service economy. The Great Recession was caused by financial excess, but we worked through it.
With the current crisis, something happened that never happened before…
We literally shut down 30% to 40% of the service economy. Wiped it out. Restaurants, hotels, gyms, airlines, tourism, all manner of personal services. The list can go on forever.
A member of the National Restaurant Association told me that, as things stand, some 30% to 40% of restaurants will likely close by year-end without further aid.
That could be a low estimate.
The Independent Restaurant Coalition conducted a poll by Compass Lexecon, a Chicago-based consulting firm. Their report predicts a grim future for roughly 500,000 (of 660,000) Main Street restaurants unless a more robust financial assistance program is established.
That’s potentially 85% of independent food establishments, gone forever.
Yelp is a surprisingly good source for information on business closings. Some 55% of businesses that are listed as closed on Yelp have been closed for good.
It’s not just restaurants…
Image credit: MarketWatch
Half of hotel rooms in the US are empty as of mid-August. They need at least 80% occupancy to break even.
Hotels that depend on tourism? Toast. Airlines? The list goes on and on.
How fast you will see recovery … or how long you will see depression … depends a great deal on where you are and what part of the economy you are in.
Collectively, that means we’ll stumble into September. Then slowly but—as history has shown us, surely—we’ll stumble higher. It will be a lumpy, bumpy ride, but it’s already happening. Stay up-to-date on my research about it here: twitter.com/johnfmauldin.
The Great Reset: The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History
New York Times best seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could be triggered in the next five years. Most investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure that’s building right now. Learn more here.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-21--Beijing selling tainted, heavy metal-laced fish to Kenya – report

( Natural News ) Beijing is selling tons of fish containing high levels of toxins and heavy metals to Kenya , a leading Kenyan newspaper revealed in a study .
According to Kenyan broadsheet The Nation , China has flooded the Kenyan fish market with high volumes of tilapia and other farmed fish for the past three years .
This congestion , the paper said , has made it virtually impossible for locals to compete with the imports which are being sold at cheaper price points .
Aside from hurting to the African nation ’ s already beleaguered economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Beijing imports – repackaged together with stocks from Lake Victoria to fool consumers that it had all been sourced locally – have a more insidious effect on the Kenyan population : poor health from heavy metal poisoning .
( Related : Half of farmed salmon found to be DEAF due to toxic effects of confined aquaculture . )
This discovery , coupled with a desire to protect the local fishing industry , has prompted Kenyan authorities to impose a ban on the consumption of Chinese fish in late 2018 – a move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xuhang , as a “ trade war.
” The ban , as reported by the local press , barely lasted through February of that year – the result of immense pressure from Beijing , who threatened to cut off funding for projects under their Belt and Road Initiative .
Not helping was an incredibly lax quality control department that “ cleared ” the Chinese imports of any problems in their heavy metal content despite several tests showing that the fish contained traces of heavy metals that could potentially threaten human health .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Nation bought a 10-kilogram box of imported , farmed tilapia fish which they then brought to the University of Nairobi for testing .
What they found was nothing short of shocking .
According to the researchers , the fish they bought contained dangerous pesticides , including the highly-toxic phosalone , which was detected at 0.07 parts per million ( ppm ) .
This amount , the researchers said , is seven times more than its maximum allowable limit which is pegged at 0.01 ppm .
The imported fish were also found to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was detected at 0.022 ppm ; deltamethrin , which was detected at 0.026ppm ; acrinathrin , which was found at concentrations amounting to 0.005ppm and tebufenpyrad , which was detected at 0.001ppm .
The report stated that these pesticides can cause several health problems such as cancers , mouth ulcerations , dysphagia and abdominal pain once ingested .
Aside from pesticides , the fish from China were also found to contain excessive amounts of several heavy metals .
According to the paper , the tilapia from Beijing contained 42.7 ppm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set by both the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization .
An extremely toxic element , excessive amounts of lead can decrease mental ability , damage the nervous system damage and impede physical development in children .
It is also known to cause high blood pressure , anemia , general body weakness , kidney and brain damage and reduced fertility in adults .
In addition , lead is also carcinogenic , which means it can cause cancer and even immediate death when consumed in excessive quantities .
Aside from lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found to have relatively high levels of zinc , although it is still below the prescribed limit of 30ppm .
Excess zinc , according to medical experts , can cause gastroenteritis , a common condition that is characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting .
Other metals detected in the imported fish were iron , copper and manganese .
However , as per the researchers , these were found to be at relatively safe levels .
According to James Mbaria , a toxicologist and the lead researcher in the project , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far from being fit for human consumption as it contained heavy metals in amounts that were beyond the prescribed limits .
In their paper , the researchers noted that for products with that level of contamination to reach the market , two possible scenarios must have taken place , with one being that the Kenya National Bureau of Standards , the agency that sets safety standards , failed in carrying out mandated product testings .
The other scenario , the researchers said , is that Chinese importers presented clean fish for testing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeding to bring in low-quality , tainted fish to the Kenyan market .
Aside from the imported fish posing a health risk to its consumers , the unabated importation of fish from Beijing has also caused problems for the Kenyan fisheries industry .
These problems compound the fact that the local fish populations in Lake Victoria have been steadily dwindling , an unforeseen effect of the introduction of the highly-invasive Nile perch ( Lates niloticus ) and Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) in the 1960s .
In fact , according to recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have effectively declined by 23 percent over the past five years , with the total catch for 2018 amounting only to 98,150 tons , compared to the 128,708 tons notched in 2014 .
This decline in fish harvests , authorities said , has caused the value of local freshwater fish to plummet to Ksh19.4 billion or $ 179,550,897.31USD over that same period .
Fish imports , meanwhile , crossed the Ksh2 billion threshold , or roughly $ 18,509,150.44 in 2017 , with the figure doubling every year .
For Kenyan fishermen , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official even noting that if the Chinese imports are not stopped , Kenya ’ s fishing industry will disappear completely within the next five decades .

by: Michael Alexander
(Natural News) Beijing is selling tons of fish containing high levels of toxins and heavy metals to Kenya, a leading Kenyan newspaper revealed in a study.
According to Kenyan broadsheet The Nation, China has flooded the Kenyan fish market with high volumes of tilapia and other farmed fish for the past three years. This congestion, the paper said, has made it virtually impossible for locals to compete with the imports which are being sold at cheaper price points.
Aside from hurting to the African nation’s already beleaguered economy, an investigation conducted in 2018 suggested that the Beijing imports – repackaged together with stocks from Lake Victoria to fool consumers that it had all been sourced locally – have a more insidious effect on the Kenyan population: poor health from heavy metal poisoning. (Related: Half of farmed salmon found to be DEAF due to toxic effects of confined aquaculture.)
This discovery, coupled with a desire to protect the local fishing industry, has prompted Kenyan authorities to impose a ban on the consumption of Chinese fish in late 2018 – a move branded by Beijing, through ambassador Li Xuhang, as a “trade war.”
The ban, as reported by the local press, barely lasted through February of that year – the result of immense pressure from Beijing, who threatened to cut off funding for projects under their Belt and Road Initiative. Not helping was an incredibly lax quality control department that “cleared” the Chinese imports of any problems in their heavy metal content despite several tests showing that the fish contained traces of heavy metals that could potentially threaten human health.
Imported Chinese fish highly unsafe
As detailed in their expose, researchers from The Nation bought a 10-kilogram box of imported, farmed tilapia fish which they then brought to the University of Nairobi for testing.
What they found was nothing short of shocking.
According to the researchers, the fish they bought contained dangerous pesticides, including the highly-toxic phosalone, which was detected at 0.07 parts per million (ppm). This amount, the researchers said, is seven times more than its maximum allowable limit which is pegged at 0.01 ppm.
The imported fish were also found to contain other pesticides, such as tolyfluanid, which was detected at 0.022 ppm; deltamethrin, which was detected at 0.026ppm; acrinathrin, which was found at concentrations amounting to 0.005ppm and tebufenpyrad, which was detected at 0.001ppm.
The report stated that these pesticides can cause several health problems such as cancers, mouth ulcerations, dysphagia and abdominal pain once ingested.
Aside from pesticides, the fish from China were also found to contain excessive amounts of several heavy metals.
According to the paper, the tilapia from Beijing contained 42.7 ppm of lead – 427 times the 0.1ppm limit set by both the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.
An extremely toxic element, excessive amounts of lead can decrease mental ability, damage the nervous system damage and impede physical development in children. It is also known to cause high blood pressure, anemia, general body weakness, kidney and brain damage and reduced fertility in adults.
In addition, lead is also carcinogenic, which means it can cause cancer and even immediate death when consumed in excessive quantities.
Aside from lead, the same fish samples were also found to have relatively high levels of zinc, although it is still below the prescribed limit of 30ppm.
Excess zinc, according to medical experts, can cause gastroenteritis, a common condition that is characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Other metals detected in the imported fish were iron, copper and manganese. However, as per the researchers, these were found to be at relatively safe levels.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
According to James Mbaria, a toxicologist and the lead researcher in the project, the fish they sampled for the project was far from being fit for human consumption as it contained heavy metals in amounts that were beyond the prescribed limits.
In their paper, the researchers noted that for products with that level of contamination to reach the market, two possible scenarios must have taken place, with one being that the Kenya National Bureau of Standards, the agency that sets safety standards, failed in carrying out mandated product testings.
The other scenario, the researchers said, is that Chinese importers presented clean fish for testing to get the necessary import certificates, before proceeding to bring in low-quality, tainted fish to the Kenyan market.
Chinese fish now “killing” the Kenyan fishing industry
Aside from the imported fish posing a health risk to its consumers, the unabated importation of fish from Beijing has also caused problems for the Kenyan fisheries industry. These problems compound the fact that the local fish populations in Lake Victoria have been steadily dwindling, an unforeseen effect of the introduction of the highly-invasive Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the 1960s.
In fact, according to recent data, fish harvests from Lake Victoria have effectively declined by 23 percent over the past five years, with the total catch for 2018 amounting only to 98,150 tons, compared to the 128,708 tons notched in 2014.
This decline in fish harvests, authorities said, has caused the value of local freshwater fish to plummet to Ksh19.4 billion or $179,550,897.31USD over that same period.
Fish imports, meanwhile, crossed the Ksh2 billion threshold, or roughly $18,509,150.44 in 2017, with the figure doubling every year.
For Kenyan fishermen, the situation is hopeless, with one fisheries official even noting that if the Chinese imports are not stopped, Kenya’s fishing industry will disappear completely within the next five decades.
Sources include:
Breitbart.com
Kenyans.co.ke
FarmersReviewAfrica.com
PulitzerCenter.org
Nation.co.ke
NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov
Link.Springer.com
BBC.com