investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--Rick Wilson squirms talking anti-Trump Super-PAC, The Lincoln Project..”You have to see this”

“ SHOCKER : Co-Founder of Never Trump ‘ Lincoln Project ’ Was Foreign Agent for …Russia .
”

“SHOCKER: Co-Founder of Never Trump ‘Lincoln Project’ Was Foreign Agent for …Russia.”
Lincoln Project co-founder was a literal foreign agent for … wait for it … are you ready … can you guess — Russia! Yes, really. pic.twitter.com/OWYsZvBlED — Cernovich (@Cernovich) July 15, 2020
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/shocker-co-founder-never-trump-lincoln-project-foreign-agent-russia/
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h/t christian


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--RUSH: Hawaii is total tourism. That’s its business. That is its lifeblood. And there hasn’t been any

RUSH: Hawaii is total tourism. That’s its business. That is its lifeblood. And there hasn’t been any because the Hawaii state government has not allowed any.

RUSH : In Hawaii they have had a quarantine .
No tourism for two or three months now .
If you go to Hawaii from the mainland , the first thing that happens , they are told that you ’ re coming , they have an official meet you when you get off the plane at the airport and they know what hotel you ’ re staying at , and they follow you and make sure you go there and you have to stay quarantined for two weeks .
You can ’ t leave your hotel room for two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why should you when the hotels are not open ?
They have been closed since March .
Hawaii is total tourism .
That ’ s its business .
That is its lifeblood .
And there hasn ’ t been any because the Hawaii state government has not allowed any .
So a month or so ago the government of Hawaii announced they were gon na open up on August 1st .
This led to a lot of people investing a lot of money getting their businesses , like their hotels and their restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the pole dancers and all that , ready to go for the new arrival of tourists .
They spent a lot of money .
People have invested millions of dollars getting their dormant hotels ready to go , polishing the poles in the pole dance places , making sure that the lap dances can occur in a pristine , disinfected way .
And then the state came along and announced , nope , sorry , we ’ re extending the lockdown to September 1st .
So now people are out millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an August 1st reopen .
Now , stop and think , if you own a hotel property in Waikiki or if you happen to own any kind of investment like a hotel property in the Kahala district of Oahu which is on the southeastern side of Diamond Head , folks , they ’ re breaking people .
The state government in Hawaii is destroying itself .
It ’ s destroying the tourism .
Now they claim they got great success to show for this .
They got a very low count on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very low count on the number of cases .
They got a very , very low count on the number of deaths .
But the deaths of businesses… And Hawaii is a set of islands right out there in the South Pacific .
They don ’ t have any natural resources except for pineapples and coconuts which is okay for pina coladas .
Macadamia nuts , coffee .
But no oil .
They have to have shipments of oil and food that arrive every day to all those islands .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cargo aircraft .
They come in by oceangoing vessel .
Meaning , if anything happens to disrupt the supply line , there ’ s not much in stockpile .

via rushlimbaugh:
RUSH: In Hawaii they have had a quarantine. No tourism for two or three months now. If you go to Hawaii from the mainland, the first thing that happens, they are told that you’re coming, they have an official meet you when you get off the plane at the airport and they know what hotel you’re staying at, and they follow you and make sure you go there and you have to stay quarantined for two weeks.
You can’t leave your hotel room for two weeks. So nobody’s going. Why should you when the hotels are not open? They have been closed since March. Hawaii is total tourism. That’s its business. That is its lifeblood. And there hasn’t been any because the Hawaii state government has not allowed any.
So a month or so ago the government of Hawaii announced they were gonna open up on August 1st. This led to a lot of people investing a lot of money getting their businesses, like their hotels and their restaurants and their bars and their strip clubs and the pole dancers and all that, ready to go for the new arrival of tourists. They spent a lot of money. People have invested millions of dollars getting their dormant hotels ready to go, polishing the poles in the pole dance places, making sure that the lap dances can occur in a pristine, disinfected way. And then the state came along and announced, nope, sorry, we’re extending the lockdown to September 1st.
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So now people are out millions of dollars that they’ve invested in an August 1st reopen. Now, stop and think, if you own a hotel property in Waikiki or if you happen to own any kind of investment like a hotel property in the Kahala district of Oahu which is on the southeastern side of Diamond Head, folks, they’re breaking people.
The state government in Hawaii is destroying itself. It’s destroying the tourism. Now they claim they got great success to show for this. They got a very low count on the number of infections. They got very, very low count on the number of cases. They got a very, very low count on the number of deaths. But the deaths of businesses…
And Hawaii is a set of islands right out there in the South Pacific. They don’t have any natural resources except for pineapples and coconuts which is okay for pina coladas. Macadamia nuts, coffee. But no oil. They have to have shipments of oil and food that arrive every day to all those islands. And they come in various ways. They come in cargo aircraft. They come in by oceangoing vessel. Meaning, if anything happens to disrupt the supply line, there’s not much in stockpile.
…


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--What a surprise– there’s a mass exodus out of New York City!

In the 1650s , European rivals like England and France were busy dividing up the New World in North America .
France settled much of modern day Quebec in Canada , and England initially settled colonies in the mid-Atlantic .
The English and French didn ’ t have much in common , and they were bitter rivals .
But one thing they did agree on was their mutual hatred of Jewish people .
This was part of a long tradition in Europe .
Jews had been expelled from England in 1290 .
France kicked out all its Jews on at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Spain expelled its Jewish population the same year Columbus sailed for the new world , and Portugal followed a few years later .
And still in the 1650s , Jews were banned from the French and English colonies in North America .
The Governor of the Dutch colony , “ New Netherland ” , also tried to turn away a group of Jewish refugees in 1654 .
But the West India Company , which essentially founded and ran New Netherland , intervened , and convinced him otherwise .
It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ celebrating diversity.
” It simply came down to economics .
They wanted productive , talented people to settle their colony .
So the West India Company gently reminded the Governor that a large portion of the colony ’ s capital had come from Jewish investors .
A small settlement on the tip of Manhattan called New Amsterdam was especially tolerant .
It even welcomed free black men , which was sadly radical , forward-thinking back then .
This was a time in history when the Catholic Church was suppressing science and philosophy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be heresy .
The Ottoman Empire , in modern day Turkey , did the same thing in the name of Islam , going so far as to ban the printing press .
It was this type of restriction that screamed opportunity in New Amsterdam .
And it ’ s estimated that the settlement produced about half of all books published in the 17th century .
This included works from Galileo , who spent the last decade of his life in the mid-1600s under house arrest in Italy , convicted of heresy by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A remarkable number of wealthy people in the early days of New Amsterdam started from nothing .
They were the original self-made men and women of America .
New Amsterdam was later renamed New York , but it kept the free-wheeling , entrepreneurial culture .
It was these values of freedom , tolerance , and a full embrace of capitalism that made it the wealthiest city in the world .
Today , New York City has totally reversed course .
The city ’ s leadership openly attacks talented people and productive businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just think back to what happened last year with Amazon ’ s headquarters , which would have brought 25,000 high paying jobs , and half a billion dollars in yearly tax revenue to the city .
Amazon was chased out of town by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and her merry band of Bolsheviks .
And they celebrated as if it were a victory .
It wasn ’ t just Amazon either– New York has been losing residents for years .
And that was before Covid-19 .
Then NYC became one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked down .
No freedom , no movement , and ridiculous rents for a shoebox apartment that you couldn ’ t even leave .
Now the city says it will not allow large events until at least October .
Of course , that ban won ’ t apply to protesters and rioters– another great reason to get out of NYC .
Many people are working from home now anyway .
So any work-related reason for staying in New York City has evaporated .
According to data from the New York Times , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exodus of about 40 % of residents since the pandemic hit .
Overall about 5 % of the NYC population– over 400,000 people– have left since the coronavirus lockdowns began– and most of those were high-income earners .
Manhattan housing vacancy is at a 14 year high , and new leases are down 62 % from this time last year .
This is a major emerging trend .
And not just for New York City .
Data from the real estate website Redfin does show that New York City is the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
But San Francisco and Los Angeles aren ’ t far behind .
Redfin also reports record numbers of people searching for real estate outside of their current metro area .
They ’ ve seen an 87 % increase in people searching for homes in suburbs with a population smaller than 50,000 .
Of course , a lot of these people are still on the fence .
They are thinking and dreaming of escaping to a sunny state with no income tax , like Florida or Texas .
All it would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push them over the edge .
Right now , it makes a lot of sense .
Anyone who can work from home is highly mobile .
And moving to a new state can bring huge savings– lower taxes , lower cost of living , etc .
And don ’ t forget about Puerto Rico , where qualifying residents can be entirely exempt from US federal income tax , and reduce their total tax rate to just 4 % .
I ’ m sure these New York politicians like AOC will celebrate that their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and businesses .
But it just so happens that the richest 5 % of New York City ’ s population pays over 60 % of income taxes in the city .
Just one of these high earning New Yorkers paid about as much taxes as 196 median-earning New Yorkers… and thousands of lower-income residents .
So , go figure , these politicians seem completely clueless that they ’ re chasing away more than half of their tax base .
It ’ s another victory for American Marxism !

by Simon Black
In the 1650s, European rivals like England and France were busy dividing up the New World in North America.
France settled much of modern day Quebec in Canada, and England initially settled colonies in the mid-Atlantic.
The English and French didn’t have much in common, and they were bitter rivals. But one thing they did agree on was their mutual hatred of Jewish people.
This was part of a long tradition in Europe. Jews had been expelled from England in 1290. France kicked out all its Jews on at least three occasions from 1192 to 1394.
Spain expelled its Jewish population the same year Columbus sailed for the new world, and Portugal followed a few years later.
And still in the 1650s, Jews were banned from the French and English colonies in North America.
The Governor of the Dutch colony, “New Netherland”, also tried to turn away a group of Jewish refugees in 1654.
But the West India Company, which essentially founded and ran New Netherland, intervened, and convinced him otherwise.
It’s not that the West India Company was into “celebrating diversity.” It simply came down to economics. They wanted productive, talented people to settle their colony.
So the West India Company gently reminded the Governor that a large portion of the colony’s capital had come from Jewish investors.
A small settlement on the tip of Manhattan called New Amsterdam was especially tolerant.
It even welcomed free black men, which was sadly radical, forward-thinking back then.
This was a time in history when the Catholic Church was suppressing science and philosophy across Europe, claiming all free thought to be heresy.
The Ottoman Empire, in modern day Turkey, did the same thing in the name of Islam, going so far as to ban the printing press.
It was this type of restriction that screamed opportunity in New Amsterdam. And it’s estimated that the settlement produced about half of all books published in the 17th century.
This included works from Galileo, who spent the last decade of his life in the mid-1600s under house arrest in Italy, convicted of heresy by the Catholic church for his scientific theories.
A remarkable number of wealthy people in the early days of New Amsterdam started from nothing. They were the original self-made men and women of America.
New Amsterdam was later renamed New York, but it kept the free-wheeling, entrepreneurial culture.
It was these values of freedom, tolerance, and a full embrace of capitalism that made it the wealthiest city in the world.
Today, New York City has totally reversed course. The city’s leadership openly attacks talented people and productive businesses, and its politicians have embraced Marxism.
Just think back to what happened last year with Amazon’s headquarters, which would have brought 25,000 high paying jobs, and half a billion dollars in yearly tax revenue to the city.
Amazon was chased out of town by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and her merry band of Bolsheviks. And they celebrated as if it were a victory.
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It wasn’t just Amazon either– New York has been losing residents for years.
And that was before Covid-19. Then NYC became one of the worst places in the world to be locked down.
No freedom, no movement, and ridiculous rents for a shoebox apartment that you couldn’t even leave.
Now the city says it will not allow large events until at least October. Of course, that ban won’t apply to protesters and rioters– another great reason to get out of NYC.
Many people are working from home now anyway. So any work-related reason for staying in New York City has evaporated.
According to data from the New York Times, the richest neighborhoods in New York City saw an exodus of about 40% of residents since the pandemic hit.
(That’s compared to lower and middle income neighborhoods, where fewer than 10% of residents have left.)
Overall about 5% of the NYC population– over 400,000 people– have left since the coronavirus lockdowns began– and most of those were high-income earners.
Manhattan housing vacancy is at a 14 year high, and new leases are down 62% from this time last year.
This is a major emerging trend. And not just for New York City.
Data from the real estate website Redfin does show that New York City is the number one destination people want out of right now. But San Francisco and Los Angeles aren’t far behind.
Redfin also reports record numbers of people searching for real estate outside of their current metro area. They’ve seen an 87% increase in people searching for homes in suburbs with a population smaller than 50,000.
Of course, a lot of these people are still on the fence. They are thinking and dreaming of escaping to a sunny state with no income tax, like Florida or Texas.
All it would take is a second wave of lockdowns to push them over the edge.
Right now, it makes a lot of sense. Anyone who can work from home is highly mobile. And moving to a new state can bring huge savings– lower taxes, lower cost of living, etc.
And don’t forget about Puerto Rico, where qualifying residents can be entirely exempt from US federal income tax, and reduce their total tax rate to just 4%.
I’m sure these New York politicians like AOC will celebrate that their Bolshevik policies continue to chase out productive people and businesses.
But it just so happens that the richest 5% of New York City’s population pays over 60% of income taxes in the city.
Just one of these high earning New Yorkers paid about as much taxes as 196 median-earning New Yorkers… and thousands of lower-income residents.
So, go figure, these politicians seem completely clueless that they’re chasing away more than half of their tax base. It’s another victory for American Marxism!


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--CNBC uses polling company that is operated by a former democrat campaigner…

Have a look here : The polling company they use is called Change Research .
Have a read at their @ @ @ @ @ operated by Pat Reilly , a former democratic party campaigner and all the polls are @ @ @ @ @ I wouldn ’ t be surprised if all the data was completely fabricated .
I @ @ @ @ @ on reddit and there wasn ’ t a single ( Biden supporter ) questioning the @ @ @ @ @ or the polling company .
They were all just patting themselves on the back and @ @ @ @ @ the “ upcoming Biden landslide ” .
This company also is only 3 years old @ @ @ @ @ zero credibility .

by james
Have a look here:
www.cnbc.com/2020/06/17/biden-leads-trump-in-2020-election-swing-states-cnbcchange-research-poll.html
The polling company they use is called Change Research. Have a read at their wikipedia:
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_Research
This company is operated by Pat Reilly, a former democratic party campaigner and all the polls are done “online”. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the data was completely fabricated. I saw this article being discussed on reddit and there wasn’t a single (Biden supporter) questioning the integrity of the poll methodology or the polling company. They were all just patting themselves on the back and circle jerking each other over the “upcoming Biden landslide”.
This company also is only 3 years old so their polls probably have zero credibility.


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--Decapitated body of tech CEO found in NYC apartment, sources say

The body of a decapitated , dismembered tech CEO was found inside a Lower East Side apartment on Tuesday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ right next to a power saw , sources told The Post .
Police came upon @ @ @ @ @ 3:30 p.m. , after a cousin of the dead man requested a welfare check at @ @ @ @ @ Houston Street building and called police , the sources said .
An electric saw was @ @ @ @ @ which was described as a 33-year-old man .
The victim ’ s arms and legs @ @ @ @ @ , and body parts were found in plastic bags found in the apartment , the @ @ @ @ @ believe the victim to be Fahim Saleh , a venture capitalist and the CEO of @ @ @ @ @ .

The body of a decapitated, dismembered tech CEO was found inside a Lower East Side apartment on Tuesday afternoon — sorted in plastic bags right next to a power saw, sources told The Post.
Police came upon the grisly scene shortly after 3:30 p.m., after a cousin of the dead man requested a welfare check at the man’s E. Houston Street building and called police, the sources said.
An electric saw was found near the body, which was described as a 33-year-old man. The victim’s arms and legs below the knees were removed, and body parts were found in plastic bags found in the apartment, the sources said.
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Police sources believe the victim to be Fahim Saleh, a venture capitalist and the CEO of the Nigeria-based motorbike startup Gokada.
www.foxnews.com/us/decapitated-dismembered-body-of-tech-ceo-found-in-nyc-apartment-sources-say


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-15--RUSH: “You wait ’til what happens on Election Day. That will be an ultimate form of pushback, and yo

RUSH: “You wait ’til what happens on Election Day. That will be an ultimate form of pushback, and you just wait. The left has no idea again what awaits them.”

RUSH : Joe in Panama City , Florida .
Welcome , sir .
Glad you did wait .
Hello .
CALLER : Hey , Rush , how you doing ?
CALLER : Yeah .
Well , after 30 years of listening to you , now I fear I ’ m the call you don ’ t want to take .
So let me get this out of the way .
The reference to your comment — RUSH : No , no , you are not the call , you are not the call that I didn ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ re not that guy .
RUSH : All right .
You ’ re not the guy .
CALLER : You made a comment earlier about us not being the people — we ’ re not those Americans .
And I dare say we are those Americans .
We ’ re not the people that we thought we were , Rush .
I mean , we don ’ t fight be back at Trump rallies when we ’ re attacked , on college campuses , we don ’ t boycott the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We really don ’ t have much fight in us and I ’ m as shocked as everybody else that we ’ re not the people we thought we were .
It ’ s discouraging , but I think it ’ s true nonetheless .
RUSH : I beg to disagree .
We did temporarily impact the NFL .
We did temporarily , along with Trump , get them to stop the kneeling .
We ticked off the players , but the league was losing fans — there was nobody going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plummeting .
And it didn ’ t take any activist behavior .
It just took people ignoring the NFL .
And I will guarantee you that if they do start playing in September and if they do start kneeling during the anthem , the same thing ’ s gon na happen .
People are gon na abandon the NFL .
You ’ re right about one thing .
There is a significant amount of fear on the part of our side .
They ’ re genuinely afraid if they go public with support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ na get physically assaulted , like this couple in St. Louis had fear .
But I understand your point , and it ’ s a good one .
I will expand on it when we come back from another obscene profit break .
RUSH : Now , back to caller who thinks , “ Rush , you ’ re missing the point .
We aren ’ t who you think we are .
We ’ re not the people that beat the Nazis .
We ’ re not the people that beat back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , it ’ s not just that we were victorious in war .
We have overcome countless obstacles in health that did not destroy us .
We adapted .
We came up with vaccines or cures .
But we by nature , by tradition we have not been a nation of whiners or complainers .
We ’ ve not been a nation of people who ’ ve chosen to be victims .
And his point was , “ Rush , I think we are .
I don ’ t see any pushback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this great , valorous behavior you think exists out there.
” The pushback , yeah , we don ’ t see it in the form of running into the streets to beat up Black Lives Matter protesters or Antifa , but you wait ’ til what happens on Election Day .
That will be an ultimate form of pushback , and you just wait .
The left has no idea again what awaits them .
But there is — I just had it on the tip of my tongue — evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL example I already gave .
Anyway , it ’ ll all come to me .
I ’ m trying to do too many things at once here , and as well squeeze some phone calls in .
I ’ ve got some dynamite audio sound bites .
It sounds like to me like Bari Weiss , the resigned editor , op-ed page editor at the New York Times , has realized now that there is fake news , that the New York Times is fake news .
That ’ s what she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nutshell , that ’ s what her resignation letter is all about .
You people are fake news .
You ’ re catering to a bunch of know-nothing nobodies on Twitter , and Twitter is not on our masthead .
She ’ s realized it .
You think Bari Weiss — three years and counting , four years of a fake story on Russian meddling in the election , no evidence , there never was any .
This Roger Stone business .
People are leaving out something very crucial when they start ripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re ripping into Trump for commuting Stone ’ s sentence because Stone may be a quid pro quo .
Stone may have promised Trump that he wouldn ’ t flip on him if Trump promised him — why is all this happening ?
Do you realize everything that happened to Roger Stone happened in a process crime ?
Everything that happened to this guy happened because there was an investigation into nothing ?
A totally illegitimate , fraudulent investigation into something that did not happen , that the investigators knew did not happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Russians to steal election .

via rushlimbaugh:
RUSH: Joe in Panama City, Florida. Welcome, sir. Glad you did wait. Hello.
CALLER: Hey, Rush, how you doing?
RUSH: Good, sir. Thank you.
CALLER: Yeah. Well, after 30 years of listening to you, now I fear I’m the call you don’t want to take. So let me get this out of the way. The reference to your comment —
RUSH: No, no, you are not the call, you are not the call that I didn’t want to take. No, no, no. You’re not that guy.
CALLER: Thank God.
RUSH: All right. You’re not the guy.
CALLER: You made a comment earlier about us not being the people — we’re not those Americans. And I dare say we are those Americans. We’re not the people that we thought we were, Rush. I mean, we don’t fight be back at Trump rallies when we’re attacked, on college campuses, we don’t boycott the NFL, the NBA, and NASCAR. We really don’t have much fight in us and I’m as shocked as everybody else that we’re not the people we thought we were. It’s discouraging, but I think it’s true nonetheless.
RUSH: I beg to disagree. We did temporarily impact the NFL. We did temporarily, along with Trump, get them to stop the kneeling. We ticked off the players, but the league was losing fans — there was nobody going to games. And the TV ratings were plummeting. And it didn’t take any activist behavior. It just took people ignoring the NFL. And I will guarantee you that if they do start playing in September and if they do start kneeling during the anthem, the same thing’s gonna happen. People are gonna abandon the NFL.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
You’re right about one thing. There is a significant amount of fear on the part of our side. They’re genuinely afraid if they go public with support for Trump that they’re gonna get physically assaulted, like this couple in St. Louis had fear. But I understand your point, and it’s a good one. I will expand on it when we come back from another obscene profit break.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Now, back to caller who thinks, “Rush, you’re missing the point. We aren’t who you think we are. We’re not the people that beat the Nazis. We’re not the people that beat back the Japanese.” And, by the way, it’s not just that we were victorious in war. We have overcome countless obstacles in health that did not destroy us. We adapted. We came up with vaccines or cures. But we by nature, by tradition we have not been a nation of whiners or complainers. We’ve not been a nation of people who’ve chosen to be victims.
And his point was, “Rush, I think we are. I don’t see any pushback. I don’t see any of this great, valorous behavior you think exists out there.” The pushback, yeah, we don’t see it in the form of running into the streets to beat up Black Lives Matter protesters or Antifa, but you wait ’til what happens on Election Day. That will be an ultimate form of pushback, and you just wait. The left has no idea again what awaits them.
But there is — I just had it on the tip of my tongue — evidence of pushback. It’s not the NFL example I already gave. Anyway, it’ll all come to me. I’m trying to do too many things at once here, and as well squeeze some phone calls in. I’ve got some dynamite audio sound bites. It sounds like to me like Bari Weiss, the resigned editor, op-ed page editor at the New York Times, has realized now that there is fake news, that the New York Times is fake news. That’s what she’s a realized.
In a nutshell, that’s what her resignation letter is all about. You people are fake news. You’re catering to a bunch of know-nothing nobodies on Twitter, and Twitter is not on our masthead. She’s realized it. You think Bari Weiss — three years and counting, four years of a fake story on Russian meddling in the election, no evidence, there never was any.
This Roger Stone business. People are leaving out something very crucial when they start ripping into Trump for this. They’re ripping into Trump for commuting Stone’s sentence because Stone may be a quid pro quo. Stone may have promised Trump that he wouldn’t flip on him if Trump promised him — why is all this happening? Do you realize everything that happened to Roger Stone happened in a process crime? Everything that happened to this guy happened because there was an investigation into nothing? A totally illegitimate, fraudulent investigation into something that did not happen, that the investigators knew did not happen, and that is Trump colluding with the Russians to steal election.
…
…


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--Warren Buffett reaps $40 billion from giant Apple stake since March bottom

• Berkshire Hathaway ’ s Apple stake — which is now 40 % of its equity portfolio — is up a whopping $ 40 billion since the bottom in March .
• The investment in the tech giant played a crucial role in helping the conglomerate weather the coronavirus crisis as other pillars of its business , including insurance and energy , took a huge hit .
• “ Had he stuck to his guns and only bought value stocks , that portfolio would not have done as well , ” said Cathy Seifert , a Berkshire analyst at CFRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day , shareholders are going to applaud this move.
” An off-brand move to pile into Apple shares might have been Warren Buffett ’ s greatest trade ever .
Berkshire Hathaway ’ s Apple stake — which is now 40 % of its equity portfolio — is up a whopping $ 40 billion since the market bottom in March .
The investment in the tech giant played a crucial role in helping the conglomerate weather the coronavirus crisis as other pillars of its business , including insurance and energy , took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-flyer seemingly defies Buffett ’ s well-known value investing principles .
Berkshire bought its first 10 million Apple shares in May 2016 through one of Buffett ’ s lieutenants .
In the span of four years , the “ Oracle of Omaha ” ditched his usual aversion to tech and increased his bet to 245 million shares , now worth more than $ 95 billion , to become Apple ’ s second largest shareholder , only behind Vanguard .
The stake cost Berkshire about $ 35 billion , or $ 141 per share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its 2019 annual letter .
So that means overall the “ Oracle of Omaha ” — who took a lot of criticism for bailing on airlines during the pandemic before their shares snapped back a bit — has more than doubled his money and made $ 60 billion on Apple in total .
“ Had he stuck to his guns and only bought value stocks , that portfolio would not have done as well , ” Cathy Seifert , a Berkshire analyst at CFRA Research , told CNBC .
“ At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to applaud this move .
”

Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple stake — which is now 40% of its equity portfolio — is up a whopping $40 billion since the bottom in March.
The investment in the tech giant played a crucial role in helping the conglomerate weather the coronavirus crisis as other pillars of its business, including insurance and energy, took a huge hit.
“Had he stuck to his guns and only bought value stocks, that portfolio would not have done as well,” said Cathy Seifert, a Berkshire analyst at CFRA Research. “At the end of the day, shareholders are going to applaud this move.”
An off-brand move to pile into Apple shares might have been Warren Buffett’s greatest trade ever.
Berkshire Hathaway’s Apple stake — which is now 40% of its equity portfolio — is up a whopping $40 billion since the market bottom in March. The investment in the tech giant played a crucial role in helping the conglomerate weather the coronavirus crisis as other pillars of its business, including insurance and energy, took a huge hit.
Investing in such a high-flyer seemingly defies Buffett’s well-known value investing principles. Berkshire bought its first 10 million Apple shares in May 2016 through one of Buffett’s lieutenants. In the span of four years, the “Oracle of Omaha” ditched his usual aversion to tech and increased his bet to 245 million shares, now worth more than $95 billion, to become Apple’s second largest shareholder, only behind Vanguard.
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The stake cost Berkshire about $35 billion, or $141 per share, according to estimates based on disclosures in its 2019 annual letter. So that means overall the “Oracle of Omaha” — who took a lot of criticism for bailing on airlines during the pandemic before their shares snapped back a bit — has more than doubled his money and made $60 billion on Apple in total.
“Had he stuck to his guns and only bought value stocks, that portfolio would not have done as well,” Cathy Seifert, a Berkshire analyst at CFRA Research, told CNBC. “At the end of the day, shareholders are going to applaud this move.”
www.cnbc.com/2020/07/16/warren-buffett-reaps-40-billion-from-giant-apple-stake-since-march-bottom.html


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--Communist Antifa militants continue to harass American police officers but then act surprised when t

Communist Antifa militants continue to harass American police officers but then act surprised when they get hurt by police officers

Communist # Antifa militants continue to harass American police officers but then act surprised when they get hurt by police @ @

Communist #Antifa militants continue to harass American police officers but then act surprised when they get hurt by police officers pic.twitter.com/cHNjKaV9PT
— BasedPoland (@BasedPoland) July 16, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--Largest California Oil Driller Files for Bankruptcy

California Resources , the largest oil driller in the state , has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection , becoming the latest casualty of an oil price crash that coincided with the coronavirus pandemic that wiped out as much as 20 million bpd of demand in April alone .
In a press release , the company said it had agreed a restructuring plan with most of its shareholders , which will see its debt pile significantly reduced , by about $ 5 billion , “ enabling the Company to operate safely through the current downturn in commodity prices and establishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value creation.
” The U.S. oil industry , especially shale , has been hit particularly hard by the crisis , with cash shortages and high debt levels reducing companies ’ flexibility during the downturn .
During the second quarter of the year alone , more than 18 oil and gas companies in the United States filed for bankruptcy , according to data from Haynes and Boone .
Since the start of the year , as many as 41 companies filed for bankruptcy .
Rystad Energy in April warned that as many as 530 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection if oil had stayed at $ 20 per barrel .
Prices have improved since then , but bankruptcies in the U.S. oil and gas sector are set to continue even at the current oil price of some $ 40 a barrel for West Texas Intermediate , according to analysts .
The problem is unsustainable debt levels that resulted in a record number of companies from the industry defaulting on interest payments on their junk-rated bonds last year , when prices were substantially higher .
At the same time , banks have grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has failed to deliver on production promises .
Credit lines have been cut , leaving even less wiggle room for the most troubled in the field .

By Irina Slav
California Resources, the largest oil driller in the state, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest casualty of an oil price crash that coincided with the coronavirus pandemic that wiped out as much as 20 million bpd of demand in April alone.
In a press release, the company said it had agreed a restructuring plan with most of its shareholders, which will see its debt pile significantly reduced, by about $5 billion, “enabling the Company to operate safely through the current downturn in commodity prices and establishing a solid financial foundation to enhance future value creation.”
The U.S. oil industry, especially shale, has been hit particularly hard by the crisis, with cash shortages and high debt levels reducing companies’ flexibility during the downturn.
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During the second quarter of the year alone, more than 18 oil and gas companies in the United States filed for bankruptcy, according to data from Haynes and Boone. Since the start of the year, as many as 41 companies filed for bankruptcy.
Rystad Energy in April warned that as many as 530 U.S. oil companies could file for bankruptcy protection if oil had stayed at $20 per barrel. Prices have improved since then, but bankruptcies in the U.S. oil and gas sector are set to continue even at the current oil price of some $40 a barrel for West Texas Intermediate, according to analysts.
The problem is unsustainable debt levels that resulted in a record number of companies from the industry defaulting on interest payments on their junk-rated bonds last year, when prices were substantially higher. At the same time, banks have grown markedly cold to the industry as it has failed to deliver on production promises. Credit lines have been cut, leaving even less wiggle room for the most troubled in the field.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--VIRGINIA: Leader Of MS-13 Being Charged With Terrorism; Gets A One Way Trip To GTMO

The announcement came a day after grand juries in New York City and Nevada handed up new charges against nearly @ @ @ @ @ The leader of MS-13 has been charged with terrorism amid a nationwide crackdown on the @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The indictment , unsealed in Virginia against Melgar Diaz , marked the first @ @ @ @ @ brought terrorism charges against a member of MS-13 .
Attorney General William Barr described Diaz @ @ @ @ @ would green-light assassinations ” for the gang in the United States “ We believe the @ @ @ @ @ be put to death , ” Trump told reporters at the White House , adding @ @ @ @ @ rest before bringing every member of the gang to justice .

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
‘Disrupt and destroy MS-13’: DOJ announces first-ever terrorism charges in nationwide gang crackdown
The announcement came a day after grand juries in New York City and Nevada handed up new charges against nearly two dozen MS-13 members.
The leader of MS-13 has been charged with terrorism amid a nationwide crackdown on the group, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The indictment, unsealed in Virginia against Melgar Diaz, marked the first time the Justice Department has brought terrorism charges against a member of MS-13.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Attorney General William Barr described Diaz as “the person who would green-light assassinations” for the gang in the United States
“We believe the monsters who murder children should be put to death,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that his administration would not rest before bringing every member of the gang to justice.
www.foxnews.com/us/ms13-doj-first-terrorism-charges-gang-crackdown
h/t CrsCrpr


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: China’s global investment vanishes under Covid-19.

That ’ s the title of the study .
As expected given COVID-19 , China ’ s construction and , especially , investment around the world plunged in the first half of 2020 .
The decline may be exaggerated by Chinese firms not wanting to report global activity , but Beijing ’ s happy numbers are not credible .
The data show decline in the People ’ s Republic of China ’ s ( PRC ) global activity predates the pandemic .
Activity peaked in 2016–17 .
The peak was an unsustainable drain on China ’ s foreign currency reserves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital outflow.2 A second blow , starting in 2018 , stemmed from growing foreign doubts about benefits of Chinese investment.3 This trend is evident in both CGIT and government numbers .
The CGIT stands for China Global Investment Tracker , an analytic tool used by the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation .
Beijing recognized in 2017 that it did not have the money to buy all it wanted .
A foreign exchange squeeze has limited and will continue to limit China ’ s global investment and construction .
Foreign currency holdings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also insecure .
Reserves hit $ 4 trillion in spring 2014 but tested $ 3 trillion lows in early 2017 and have held steady near $ 3.1 trillion since ( say official data ) .
This is why tight controls on out-bound capital were imposed and remain in place .
Foreign exchange is required because no one wants the RMB .
Its share in global reserves is 2 percent , not far ahead of the Canadian dollar .
A steady $ 3 trillion is more than enough to cover basic import needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in developed economies and engineering projects in more than 140 developing economies .
Over the past few years , Beijing ’ s choice about where to concentrate its reduced resources was preempted by first the US and then other rich countries .
Most of the developed world has become more hostile to Chinese enterprises , a hostility the COVID-19 outbreak is almost certain to intensify .
RELATED : When the Chinese Communist Party declared war on international order .
( bumped )

via aei.org:
That’s the title of the study.
A key point:
Another:
The CGIT stands for China Global Investment Tracker, an analytic tool used by the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation.
A slice from the 12-page long pdf:
Beijing recognized in 2017 that it did not have the money to buy all it wanted. A foreign exchange squeeze has limited and will continue to limit China’s global investment and construction. Foreign currency holdings remain the highest in the world yet are also insecure. Reserves hit $4 trillion in spring 2014 but tested $3 trillion lows in early 2017 and have held steady near $3.1 trillion since (say official data). This is why tight controls on out-bound capital were imposed and remain in place. Foreign exchange is required because no one wants the RMB. Its share in global reserves is 2 percent, not far ahead of the Canadian dollar. A steady $3 trillion is more than enough to cover basic import needs, but not enough for constant acquisitions in developed economies and engineering projects in more than 140 developing economies. Over the past few years, Beijing’s choice about where to concentrate its reduced resources was preempted by first the US and then other rich countries. Most of the developed world has become more hostile to Chinese enterprises, a hostility the COVID-19 outbreak is almost certain to intensify.


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--Do Not Trust China. China Is Asshole:

Do Not Trust China. China Is Asshole:

The Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a @ @ @ @ @ Muslim population , even as it encourages some of the country ’ s Han majority @ @ @ @ @ While individual women have spoken out before about forced birth control , the practice is @ @ @ @ @ than previously known , according to an AP investigation based on government statistics , state @ @ @ @ @ ex-detainees , family members and a former detention camp instructor .
The campaign over the @ @ @ @ @ far west region of Xinjiang is leading to what some experts are calling a form @ @ @ @ @ ”

China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilization.
The Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population, even as it encourages some of the country’s Han majority to have more children.
While individual women have spoken out before about forced birth control, the practice is far more widespread and systematic than previously known, according to an AP investigation based on government statistics, state documents and interviews with 30 ex-detainees, family members and a former detention camp instructor. The campaign over the past four years in the far west region of Xinjiang is leading to what some experts are calling a form of “demographic genocide.”


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--UK Wages are falling again as we go back in time to 2006

The pace of UK economic data releases is relentless at this time of the month as we have several “ theme ” days .
Officially they are to highlight areas but in fact the role is to hope that any bad data is quickly replaced by good and also to swamp us with too much information .
For example UK trade is worth a day on its own but rather conveniently tends to get ignored on GDP day .
This morning brings the labour market which is in crisis and I shall first look at the numbers which are providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones which are failing us .
We have been both fearing and expecting a drop here and sadly that has arrived .
As you can see total pay has been dragged into negative territory by quite a plunge in bonuses , which is hardly a surprise in the circumstances .
This means that those who concentrate on regular pay are missing the bus .
Whereas we note that bonuses have gone -2.3 % , -15.4 % and then -23.5 % in the latest 3 months .
Weekly bonuses started the year at £34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May .
This means that the wages growth we were happy to see this time last year has gone like this .
It was slowing anyway but now someone has stamped on the brakes .
We do get a breakdown for the last year as we see the public sector did much better than construction which is a shift as I recall it being the other way not so long ago .
Have you noticed how the official release concentrates on the better regular pay series in the same way we are presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by pointing out that in May the public-sector did even better for total pay growing by 4.8 % on a year before .
Whilst weekly bonuses have fallen there they are small ( £3 to £2 ) .
Construction total wages have fallen by 9.8 % on May last year driven by a fall in bonuses from £30 to £19 .
Quite a shift to say the least .
Yes as you can see below 60 % of those on furlough were only on it so 80 % of previous wages .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total wages index compared to the recent peak of 174.2 in January Here are the official numbers .
They have a favourable inflation number ( CPIH ) but the impact of that is lower right now .
There is of course the caveat that the inflation numbers are missing quite a bit of data due to the pandemic .
The perspective is this and the last sentence does some heavy lifting here .
As it slips their mind to do this let me help out using total pay and indexing to 2015 Pounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of £522 per week seems a statistical aberration so you can either use it or the £507 of May 2008 to compare to the £490 of this May , and yes this is flattered by the woeful inflation number used .
A lost decade of twelve years and counting…..
However not everyone is losing and thank you to Lynn Lewis and Ben McLannahan for this .
Time to remind ourselves of this one more time .
So having sorted out the price of work how much was actually taking place ?
The best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an understatement it would seem So the real fall looks to be of the order of 22 % .
Another perspective is provided by the analysis of the Pay As You Earn ( how many are paying tax ) figures .
We see that the wages situation is grim with both nominal and real wages falling again .
That means that the journey to the previous peak looks ever longer .
A more positive view is that there is a small flicker in the May figures so there may be signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side is the furlough scheme which in a broad sweep is responsible for the wages drop in return for keeping people employed .
When it ends though we will see unemployment rise and whilst some will return on normal wages we have already seen wage cuts applied .
I expect more of them .
Shifting back to conventional measures they are failing us as you can see .
Really ?
Still at least we avoided a form of La Dolce Vita where unemployment supposedly fall , but even so this is @ @

by Shaun Richards
The pace of UK economic data releases is relentless at this time of the month as we have several “theme” days. Officially they are to highlight areas but in fact the role is to hope that any bad data is quickly replaced by good and also to swamp us with too much information. For example UK trade is worth a day on its own but rather conveniently tends to get ignored on GDP day. This morning brings the labour market which is in crisis and I shall first look at the numbers which are providing some insight and then move onto the ones which are failing us.
Wages
We have been both fearing and expecting a drop here and sadly that has arrived.
Growth in average total pay (including bonuses) among employees slowed sharply in March to May to be negative (at negative 0.3%) for the first time since April to June 2014; regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) slowed to 0.7%.
As you can see total pay has been dragged into negative territory by quite a plunge in bonuses, which is hardly a surprise in the circumstances. This means that those who concentrate on regular pay are missing the bus. Whereas we note that bonuses have gone -2.3%, -15.4% and then -23.5% in the latest 3 months. Weekly bonuses started the year at £34 in January but were only £25 in May.
This means that the wages growth we were happy to see this time last year has gone like this.
The rate of growth has been slowing since April to June 2019, when it stood at 4.0% for total pay and 3.9% for regular pay, the highest nominal pay growth rates since 2008. It had slowed to 2.9% in December 2019 to February 2020 immediately prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It was slowing anyway but now someone has stamped on the brakes.
We do get a breakdown for the last year as we see the public sector did much better than construction which is a shift as I recall it being the other way not so long ago.
Between March to May 2019 and March to May 2020, average pay growth varied by industry sector (Figure 3). The public sector saw the highest estimated growth, at 3.8% for regular pay, while negative growth was seen in the construction sector, estimated at negative 5.4%, the wholesaling, retailing, hotels and restaurants sector, estimated at negative 2.1%, and the manufacturing sector, estimated at negative 1.6%.
Have you noticed how the official release concentrates on the better regular pay series in the same way we are presented CPIH inflation? Let me help out by pointing out that in May the public-sector did even better for total pay growing by 4.8% on a year before. Whilst weekly bonuses have fallen there they are small ( £3 to £2). Construction total wages have fallen by 9.8% on May last year driven by a fall in bonuses from £30 to £19. Quite a shift to say the least.
Did Furlough Impact This?
Yes as you can see below 60% of those on furlough were only on it so 80% of previous wages.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published estimates of approximately 30% of employees being furloughed in the last two weeks of May, and a little over 40% of furloughed employees having their pay topped-up above the 80% pay received under CJRS ( Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme)
This pulled pay lower.
The combined impact of this is a downward drag of a little over 3%.
So we are now at 169 on the total wages index compared to the recent peak of 174.2 in January
Real Wages
Here are the official numbers.
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In real terms, total pay growth for March to May was negative 1.3% (that is, nominal total pay grew slower than inflation); regular pay growth was negative 0.2%, the difference being driven by subdued bonuses in recent months.
They have a favourable inflation number ( CPIH) but the impact of that is lower right now. There is of course the caveat that the inflation numbers are missing quite a bit of data due to the pandemic.
The perspective is this and the last sentence does some heavy lifting here.
For May 2020, average regular pay, before tax and other deductions, for employees in Great Britain was estimated at £504 per week in nominal terms. The figure in real terms (constant 2015 prices) fell to £466 per week in May, after reaching £473 per week in December 2019, with pay in real terms back at the same level as it was in March 2019. Pay in real terms is still below its level before the 2008 economic downturn.
As it slips their mind to do this let me help out using total pay and indexing to 2015 Pounds. The previous peak of February 2008 of £522 per week seems a statistical aberration so you can either use it or the £507 of May 2008 to compare to the £490 of this May, and yes this is flattered by the woeful inflation number used. A lost decade of twelve years and counting…..
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming ( Three Lions)
However not everyone is losing and thank you to Lynn Lewis and Ben McLannahan for this.
pay at @GoldmanSachs up by almost a fifth in H1
Time to remind ourselves of this one more time.
The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it’s everywhere. The world’s most powerful investment bank is a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money. ( Matt Taibbi)
Employment
So having sorted out the price of work how much was actually taking place? The best guide comes below.
Between March to May 2019 and March to May 2020, total actual weekly hours worked in the UK decreased by 175.3 million, or 16.7%, to 877.1 million hours (Figure 4). This was the largest annual decrease since estimates began in 1971, with total hours dropping to its lowest level since May to July 1997……..Average actual weekly hours fell by a record 5.5 hours on the year to a record low of 26.6 hours.
Indeed even this is an understatement it would seem
Experimental work with adjusted methodology suggests the use of the existing methodology has understated the reduction in the actual numbers of hours worked by approximately 5% to 6%
So the real fall looks to be of the order of 22%.
Another perspective is provided by the analysis of the Pay As You Earn ( how many are paying tax) figures.
In June 2020, 74,000 fewer people were in paid employment when compared with May 2020 and 649,000 fewer people were in paid employment when compared with March 2020.
Comment
We see that the wages situation is grim with both nominal and real wages falling again. That means that the journey to the previous peak looks ever longer. A more positive view is that there is a small flicker in the May figures so there may be signs of a recovery from the lows. On the other side is the furlough scheme which in a broad sweep is responsible for the wages drop in return for keeping people employed. When it ends though we will see unemployment rise and whilst some will return on normal wages we have already seen wage cuts applied. I expect more of them.
“Following intensive negotiations between Balpa and Ryanair a package of cost savings was put together,” Balpa said. “Pilots have agreed to accept a 20% pay reduction in order to save 260 of the jobs that were at risk, ( The Guardian)
Shifting back to conventional measures they are failing us as you can see.
The UK employment rate was estimated at 76.4%, 0.3 percentage points higher than a year earlier but 0.2 percentage points down on the previous quarter.
Really? Still at least we avoided a form of La Dolce Vita where unemployment supposedly fall, but even so this is hopeless.
The UK unemployment rate was estimated at 3.9%, 0.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier but largely unchanged compared with the previous quarter.
The Investing Channel


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-16--A War On Poverty, Or Just A War On The Poor?

As the dust is now begging to settle , both from the heights of the COVID panic and from the riots that shook the western world , we are starting to get an idea about where we stand after this unprecedented and tumultuous time .
We are able to begin taking stock of the damage that was inflicted by the lockdowns and to evaluate the governmental efforts to help those affected and to provide support to the economy .
More interestingly , we are finally in a position to see clearly who amongst us paid the highest price , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken away .
This picture is especially clear in the US , where the numbers speak for themselves .
One look at the unemployment figures as seen in the chart below is enough to demonstrate the extent of the damage of the economic shutdown .
However , a more detailed examination of the data reveals a lot more .
It shows the sharp inequality in those lost jobs .
Low- and minimum wage employees , seasonal , part-time and low-skill workers , were fired from their jobs at an astoundingly higher rate than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes sense , of course .
Not only could these jobs be performed from home more easily , but these employees were also largely less replaceable .
Being by and large more educated , more experienced and more skilled , there were seen as more “ essential ” , to use the government ’ s own terminology .
Of course , all jobs are essential for those who need them to survive , but then again that argument never managed to gain any traction when bureaucrats were deciding who gets to keep their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply surplus to requirements .
Despite widespread “ expert ” commentary to the contrary , this economic disaster is not behind us .
Even as the US economy now reopens , with setbacks and reversals , strict measures remain in place in most states .
Social distancing restrictions and other requirements are still placing heavy burdens on the retail sector and the travel and hospitality industry , in many cases making it impossible to operate a business profitably .
It is thus no wonder that so many have chosen to operate with greatly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just not to reopen at all .
In this environment , it is clear that those who can ’ t do their jobs from home will continue to suffer disproportionally .
According to a new study by the University of Washington , there are over 108 Million Americans in that category .
That ’ s three-quarters of the US workforce , who also happen to be among the lowest income levels in the country , and they are facing a considerably higher risk of layoffs , furloughs , or workhour reductions .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27.4 million workers , or 18.9 % of the workforce , who work in retail , food and beauty services , protective services , and delivery of goods .
This group , with a median income of $ 32,000 , at the very end of the pyramid , is staring at an even greater risk of job insecurity and displacement .
The numbers are finally in for the Paycheck Protection Program , or “ PPP ” , that was supposed to safeguard jobs and to keep workers on the payroll throughout the shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the $ 2.3 trillion CARES Act , was meant to give out loans to businesses and non-profits with fewer than 500 employees , that would then be “ forgiven ” if the recipients allocated a certain portion of the loan on retaining or hiring back employees .
The Small Business Administration ( SBA ) recently published a list of companies and organizations that received more than $ 150,000 in PPP .
The picture painted by the data is not pretty , but that ’ s hardly a shock .
At least 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected businesses .
New York law firms , Wall Street investment firms , luxury clothing brands , like that owned by presidential candidate Kanye West , golf and country clubs also apparently qualified for what is essentially a cash gift of taxpayer money .
Large corporations and national chains , that obviously did not qualify for these loans , also got paid , by simply filing for each branch and location separately as a small business , which is perfectly legal by the way .
Lobbying firms and advocacy groups featured prominently on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of excessive government spending , like “ Americans for Tax Reform ” , and fierce detractors of handouts and the welfare state , like the Ayn Rand Institute .
Controversial and chronically divisive organizations like Planned Parenthood came out on the winning side of the shutdown too : According to reporting by NBC , PPP loans amounting to $ 150 million went to Planned Parenthood affiliates .
Millionaire artist Jeff Koons , famous for this balloon animal sculptures , received a loan of $ 2 million to preserve 53 jobs at his New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koons ’ estimated net worth is $ 200 million and in March 2019 , his “ Rabbit ” sculpture sold for $ 91.1 million , setting a record as the most expensive work sold by a living artist at an auction .
And while the taxpayer-funded party was raging for crony capitalists , celebrities , and government-connected organizations , there were thousands of actual small businesses that were denied access to the PPP and were turned down for loans of even a few thousand dollars .
Overrepresented among those who had the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This failure is especially specular , given that the program had earmarked $ 30 billion for smaller lenders , with the explicit aim of supporting business owners of color in poorer neighborhoods and “ underserved ” markets .
Overall , the smallest of small businesses , those owned by a single person and arguably needing that money the most , were the ones most egregiously treated : they were forced to apply for their share of the PPP money one week after everyone else , which in many cases meant that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run out when their turn came .
The state doing what it does best A lot of these businesses that fell victim to the shutdowns and then were further betrayed by the “ relief ” spending that never reached them , were playing a crucial role and not just economically .
They were local restaurants and bars , small corner shops , neighborhood salons and mom and pop operations .
They were serving their local community , being supported by their regular customers and patrons and in return provided jobs , generating income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect of these local business dynamics and the jobs they created and sustained goes beyond just providing a regular paycheck , which is in itself hugely important for so many people .
They also ensure that this productive activity , the income it generates , the value it creates and the wealth it eventually builds all develop and remain within the community .
These synergies and the combination of these forces can be extremely effective in elevating even the poorest communities , giving people more opportunities , financial security , independence and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this literal and figurative enrichment helps support a climate of cooperation , responsibility and respect , which can also bring criminality under control in an organic way or even prevent it altogether , especially by staving off youth delinquency .
Now , all these jobs and all the benefits they brought with them have perished , along with the businesses that created them .
But these are things no central planner understands , or even cares about .
All these transformative forces and all the little miracles that the free interaction and voluntary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the bean counter , the bureaucrat and especially to the career politician .
Improving people ’ s lives , reducing poverty , creating jobs and opportunities , are only seen as desirable outcomes if they can take credit for them .
It important to remember this , next time someone argues we must turn to the state in order to erase inequality .
For the state is the machine that mass-produces it , that incentivizes , enforces and gleefully perpetuates it .

by Claudio Grass via Claudiograss.ch
As the dust is now begging to settle, both from the heights of the COVID panic and from the riots that shook the western world, we are starting to get an idea about where we stand after this unprecedented and tumultuous time. We are able to begin taking stock of the damage that was inflicted by the lockdowns and to evaluate the governmental efforts to help those affected and to provide support to the economy. More interestingly, we are finally in a position to see clearly who amongst us paid the highest price, who suffered the most and whose livelihood was taken away.
This picture is especially clear in the US, where the numbers speak for themselves. One look at the unemployment figures as seen in the chart below is enough to demonstrate the extent of the damage of the economic shutdown. However, a more detailed examination of the data reveals a lot more. It shows the sharp inequality in those lost jobs. Low- and minimum wage employees, seasonal, part-time and low-skill workers, were fired from their jobs at an astoundingly higher rate than their white-collar and better-paid peers. It makes sense, of course. Not only could these jobs be performed from home more easily, but these employees were also largely less replaceable. Being by and large more educated, more experienced and more skilled, there were seen as more “essential”, to use the government’s own terminology. Of course, all jobs are essential for those who need them to survive, but then again that argument never managed to gain any traction when bureaucrats were deciding who gets to keep their job and whose source of income is simply surplus to requirements.
Despite widespread “expert” commentary to the contrary, this economic disaster is not behind us. Even as the US economy now reopens, with setbacks and reversals, strict measures remain in place in most states. Social distancing restrictions and other requirements are still placing heavy burdens on the retail sector and the travel and hospitality industry, in many cases making it impossible to operate a business profitably. It is thus no wonder that so many have chosen to operate with greatly reduced staff, reduced hours, or just not to reopen at all. In this environment, it is clear that those who can’t do their jobs from home will continue to suffer disproportionally. According to a new study by the University of Washington, there are over 108 Million Americans in that category. That’s three-quarters of the US workforce, who also happen to be among the lowest income levels in the country, and they are facing a considerably higher risk of layoffs, furloughs, or workhour reductions. Among them, there is a sub-group of 27.4 million workers, or 18.9% of the workforce, who work in retail, food and beauty services, protective services, and delivery of goods. This group, with a median income of $32,000, at the very end of the pyramid, is staring at an even greater risk of job insecurity and displacement.
Assessing the “relief” packages
The numbers are finally in for the Paycheck Protection Program, or “PPP”, that was supposed to safeguard jobs and to keep workers on the payroll throughout the shutdown. The program, which was part of the $2.3 trillion CARES Act, was meant to give out loans to businesses and non-profits with fewer than 500 employees, that would then be “forgiven” if the recipients allocated a certain portion of the loan on retaining or hiring back employees. The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently published a list of companies and organizations that received more than $150,000 in PPP. The picture painted by the data is not pretty, but that’s hardly a shock.
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At least 12 members of Congress received PPP money through connected businesses. New York law firms, Wall Street investment firms, luxury clothing brands, like that owned by presidential candidate Kanye West, golf and country clubs also apparently qualified for what is essentially a cash gift of taxpayer money. Large corporations and national chains, that obviously did not qualify for these loans, also got paid, by simply filing for each branch and location separately as a small business, which is perfectly legal by the way. Lobbying firms and advocacy groups featured prominently on that list too; even long-time critics of excessive government spending, like “Americans for Tax Reform”, and fierce detractors of handouts and the welfare state, like the Ayn Rand Institute. Controversial and chronically divisive organizations like Planned Parenthood came out on the winning side of the shutdown too: According to reporting by NBC, PPP loans amounting to $150 million went to Planned Parenthood affiliates. Millionaire artist Jeff Koons, famous for this balloon animal sculptures, received a loan of $2 million to preserve 53 jobs at his New York studio. Just for reference, Koons’ estimated net worth is $200 million and in March 2019, his “Rabbit” sculpture sold for $91.1 million, setting a record as the most expensive work sold by a living artist at an auction.
And while the taxpayer-funded party was raging for crony capitalists, celebrities, and government-connected organizations, there were thousands of actual small businesses that were denied access to the PPP and were turned down for loans of even a few thousand dollars. Overrepresented among those who had the door shut on their face were minority-owned businesses. This failure is especially specular, given that the program had earmarked $30 billion for smaller lenders, with the explicit aim of supporting business owners of color in poorer neighborhoods and “underserved” markets. Overall, the smallest of small businesses, those owned by a single person and arguably needing that money the most, were the ones most egregiously treated: they were forced to apply for their share of the PPP money one week after everyone else, which in many cases meant that the first round of the funding had already run out when their turn came.
The state doing what it does best
A lot of these businesses that fell victim to the shutdowns and then were further betrayed by the “relief” spending that never reached them, were playing a crucial role and not just economically. They were local restaurants and bars, small corner shops, neighborhood salons and mom and pop operations. They were serving their local community, being supported by their regular customers and patrons and in return provided jobs, generating income on a local level. The net effect of these local business dynamics and the jobs they created and sustained goes beyond just providing a regular paycheck, which is in itself hugely important for so many people. They also ensure that this productive activity, the income it generates, the value it creates and the wealth it eventually builds all develop and remain within the community. These synergies and the combination of these forces can be extremely effective in elevating even the poorest communities, giving people more opportunities, financial security, independence and a sense of ownership. In turn, this literal and figurative enrichment helps support a climate of cooperation, responsibility and respect, which can also bring criminality under control in an organic way or even prevent it altogether, especially by staving off youth delinquency. Now, all these jobs and all the benefits they brought with them have perished, along with the businesses that created them.
But these are things no central planner understands, or even cares about. All these transformative forces and all the little miracles that the free interaction and voluntary exchanges between individuals bring about are unimportant to the bean counter, the bureaucrat and especially to the career politician. Improving people’s lives, reducing poverty, creating jobs and opportunities, are only seen as desirable outcomes if they can take credit for them. It important to remember this, next time someone argues we must turn to the state in order to erase inequality. For the state is the machine that mass-produces it, that incentivizes, enforces and gleefully perpetuates it.
Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-16--Don’t Ignore this Critical Consideration for Retirement Saving

According to a study by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) , of those folks who retired between 1992 and 2014… • 27 % could maintain the same spending level for the first five years of retirement .
• 24 % could do the same , but needed help from savings and non-housing assets .
• And 49 % could not maintain the same spending level for the first five years .
This means that , according to the study , almost half of Americans do not have enough savings to maintain original spending levels past the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s an interesting breakdown of responses from the study : You can see a clear advantage for home owners , later age of Social Security claimants , and those who have pension income .
While there are many differences between retirement savers , according to an article on MarketWatch , they all have one thing in common : They usually spend more in their first five years of retirement than at other times , and then it begins to decline .
For example , if you ’ ve dreamed of traveling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bucket list and so forth , you ’ re more likely to do so in the early stages of your golden years than the latter ones , when you may be slowing down .
The cliché that seems to be at work here is , “ Life is short ; ” new retirees don ’ t waste any time to get a jump on post-work life .
But that may not be a solid plan for all retirement savers , and here ’ s why… Life expectancy is increasing in most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the national average is nearly 79 years old .
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute ( EBRI ) , median household income levels off or declines around 75 years old : Clearly , if a retirement saver “ spends more ” in their first five years of retirement and their income declines around 75 years old , the picture won ’ t be too pretty later in retirement .
That also means that , for most retirement savers , there is an important question to ponder… Can the Average Retirement Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news , as the CFPB study alluded to , is that 51 % of the respondents could maintain the same level of spending at the five-year mark .
But for the other 49 % , the picture looks bleak , especially if you consider how the piece at MarketWatch concluded : In another survey , only 26 % of Americans stated that retirement was their top savings goal .
For those over 55 years old , that number swelled to 74 % .
But if most Americans wait until they are near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining any level of spending after the first five years in retirement will be a challenge .
The Best Thing You Can Do is “ Start Now ” As sobering as it may be , it ’ s critical to start saving for retirement now , no matter how old you are .
And it ’ s crucial that you put together a realistic retirement plan around those savings , so you have the best chance to make it last longer than the first five years .
Diversifying your assets is a strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversification into different asset classes and risk levels , including physical gold and silver .

From Birch Gold Group
According to a study by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), of those folks who retired between 1992 and 2014…
27% could maintain the same spending level for the first five years of retirement.
could maintain the same spending level for the first five years of retirement. 24% could do the same, but needed help from savings and non-housing assets.
could do the same, but needed help from savings and non-housing assets. And 49% could not maintain the same spending level for the first five years.
This means that, according to the study, almost half of Americans do not have enough savings to maintain original spending levels past the first five years of their retirement.
Here’s an interesting breakdown of responses from the study:
You can see a clear advantage for home owners, later age of Social Security claimants, and those who have pension income.
While there are many differences between retirement savers, according to an article on MarketWatch, they all have one thing in common:
They usually spend more in their first five years of retirement than at other times, and then it begins to decline. For example, if you’ve dreamed of traveling the world, checking things off from your bucket list and so forth, you’re more likely to do so in the early stages of your golden years than the latter ones, when you may be slowing down.
The cliché that seems to be at work here is, “Life is short;” new retirees don’t waste any time to get a jump on post-work life. But that may not be a solid plan for all retirement savers, and here’s why…
Life expectancy is increasing in most of the modern world, and in the U.S., the national average is nearly 79 years old.
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), median household income levels off or declines around 75 years old:
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Median non-housing wealth increased with age but leveled off and even declined as households reached ages 75 or older. In addition, it was much lower for households with deficits — those who have spent more than their income — than for households without deficits.
Clearly, if a retirement saver “spends more” in their first five years of retirement and their income declines around 75 years old, the picture won’t be too pretty later in retirement.
That also means that, for most retirement savers, there is an important question to ponder…
Can the Average Retirement Last Longer than a Few Years?
The good news, as the CFPB study alluded to, is that 51% of the respondents could maintain the same level of spending at the five-year mark.
But for the other 49%, the picture looks bleak, especially if you consider how the piece at MarketWatch concluded:
Many people, forced into a corner financially, have no other choice. The CFPB found that retirees who couldn’t maintain their standard of living wound up slashing spending by 28% over their first five years in retirement. Of that number, 17% cut spending by more than half.
In another survey, only 26% of Americans stated that retirement was their top savings goal. For those over 55 years old, that number swelled to 74%.
But if most Americans wait until they are near retirement age to start saving, then maintaining any level of spending after the first five years in retirement will be a challenge.
The Best Thing You Can Do is “Start Now”
As sobering as it may be, it’s critical to start saving for retirement now, no matter how old you are. And it’s crucial that you put together a realistic retirement plan around those savings, so you have the best chance to make it last longer than the first five years.
Diversifying your assets is a strategic retirement plan, and you should consider diversification into different asset classes and risk levels, including physical gold and silver.


investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--COVID over? Grocery chains end pandemic pay for workers, but execs still work from home?

The three biggest grocery chains in Canada cut their pandemic pay bonus for their workers .
Guess that means the @ @ @ @ @ wait , the execs are all still working from home .

The three biggest grocery chains in Canada cut their pandemic pay bonus for their workers. Guess that means the pandemic is over? Oh wait, the execs are all still working from home.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-07-17--DHS Creates “Violent Opportunists” To Justify Police Violence Against Protesters

Three recent DHS intelligence bulletins from Public Intelligence reveal how DHS and Fusion Centers are up to their old tricks of inventing a homegrown enemy that does not actually exist .
A May 30 , 2020 DHS intelligence bulletin titled “ Ongoing Violence , Information Narratives Nationwide Poses Continued Threat to Law Enforcement ” warns that domestic violent extremists are targeting and attacking police officers across the country .
In fact DHS went out of its way to label anyone attacking police as white supremacist extremists or black supremacist extremists , five separate times .
But a mere two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titled , “ Violent Opportunist Tactics Observed During Civil Disturbances 26-31 May ” and just like that DHS invented a new classification for anyone attempting to disrupt law enforcement operations .
DHS claims that violent opportunists use physical barriers , improvised obstacles , screened fences , fireworks , laser pointers , hand tools , projectiles , and molotov cocktails against law enforcement .
DHS even warns law enforcement to be on the lookout for violent opportunists and anarchist extremists leaving caches of water , milk and medical supplies for protesters .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent opportunists may conduct reconnaissance of the planned route and assembly area .
This is mainly to identify sources for weapons or improvised barriers , such as construction sites , retail outlets , pre-staged crowd barriers , or road construction barriers ; stockpile improvised weapons caches ; and establish rally points or escape routes .
On 29 May , suspected anarchist extremists in Louisville , Kentucky , cached weapons and supplies throughout the city prior to engaging in violent acts .
Items included baseball bats , water , milk ( likely as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas ) , and other medical supplies.
“ Think about what this means , DHS is telling police that people caught leaving caches of water , milk or medical supplies should be considered a violent opportunist or anarchist extremist !
On June 2 , 2020 , DHS published one of its most disturbing accusations ever .
The DHS intelligence bulletin title “ Some Violent Opportunists Probably Engaging in Organized Activities ” should make you question its validity with a word like “ probably ” in its heading .
The first paragraph of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tale , except it isn ’ t .
It is worded in such a way as to fan the flames of anti-police fears amongst law enforcement .
“ We assess that some violent opportunists have become more emboldened following a series of attacks against law enforcement during the last 24 hours nationwide .
This could lead to an increase in potentially lethal engagements with law enforcement officials as violent opportunists increasingly infiltrate ongoing protest activity .
We also have received an increase in reports on shots fired during lawful protests nationwide—an indicator we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving forward—and several uncorroborated reports of probably violent opportunists pre-staging improvised weapons at planned protest venues.
” DHS admits that reports of so-called violent opportunists pre-staging weapons caches , water , milk and medical supplies are uncorroborated .
In other words it is all a lie .
The latest intelligence bulletin goes on to claim that violent opportunists were responsible for throwing rocks , shooting fireworks and shooting police in two separate incidents .
But then DHS goes back to warning police about uncorroborated fairy tales .
“ We have several uncorroborated reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venues nationwide , according to media reporting .
Although we have been unable to verify the reporting through official channels , the staging of improvised weapons at planned events is a common tactic used by violent opportunists , and an increase in reports of staging of these materials at separate locations could be indicative that local coordination to infiltrate protests is increasing .
We lack reporting indicating individuals are coordinating violence across multiple jurisdictions.
“ Sadly , this DHS fairy tale , has a horrific civil rights twist to it .
Police told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities DHS is instructing police to Be On The Lookout ( BOLO ) for violent opportunists suspiciously conducting “ constitutionally protected activities ” .
Below is a brief list of suspicious violent opportunist activities • Monitoring and reporting on law enforcement personnel , communications , and movements during planned protests .
• Transition from generic calls for violence to providing specific targeting or operational guidance .
• Encouraging or redirecting planned protest activities away from major metropolitan areas to cities and municipalities with fewer law enforcement personnel .
• Discovery of banners or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloc ” tactics for concealing identity or shielding activities from law enforcement scrutiny .
• Reports of coordinated reconnaissance of planned protests venues prior to the event .
Taken together these DHS intelligence bulletins reveal a disturbing new trend in how the Department of Justice plans to justify arresting and charging peaceful protesters .

by mapi
In a country wracked by police protests, it seems like DHS and their Fusion Centers will stop at nothing to justify their existence. Not even the recent “BlueLeaks” documents exposing how law enforcement and Fusion Centers work together to identify, monitor and arrest peaceful protesters seems to affect them.
It has been at least four years since DHS first introduced the term “violent extremism” which in turn led to Fusion Centers creating “countering violent extremism” , which has helped them justify the ‘warrior cop’ mentality.
Three recent DHS intelligence bulletins from Public Intelligence reveal how DHS and Fusion Centers are up to their old tricks of inventing a homegrown enemy that does not actually exist.
A May 30, 2020 DHS intelligence bulletin titled “Ongoing Violence, Information Narratives Nationwide Poses Continued Threat to Law Enforcement” warns that domestic violent extremists are targeting and attacking police officers across the country.
In fact DHS went out of its way to label anyone attacking police as white supremacist extremists or black supremacist extremists, five separate times.
But a mere two days later, DHS published another intelligence bulletin titled, “Violent Opportunist Tactics Observed During Civil Disturbances 26-31 May” and just like that DHS invented a new classification for anyone attempting to disrupt law enforcement operations.
“We assess that violent opportunists will continue to exploit ongoing nationwide lawful protests as a pretext to attempt to disrupt law enforcement operations; target law enforcement personnel, assets, and facilities; and damage public and private property. We have identified multiple tactics currently at play, including the use of weapons, counter-mobility, physical barriers, screening and concealment, intercepted communications, and pre-operational activities.”
DHS claims that violent opportunists use physical barriers, improvised obstacles, screened fences, fireworks, laser pointers, hand tools, projectiles, and molotov cocktails against law enforcement.
DHS even warns law enforcement to be on the lookout for violent opportunists and anarchist extremists leaving caches of water, milk and medical supplies for protesters.
“In the days before a planned protest, violent opportunists may conduct reconnaissance of the planned route and assembly area. This is mainly to identify sources for weapons or improvised barriers, such as construction sites, retail outlets, pre-staged crowd barriers, or road construction barriers; stockpile improvised weapons caches; and establish rally points or escape routes. On 29 May, suspected anarchist extremists in Louisville, Kentucky, cached weapons and supplies throughout the city prior to engaging in violent acts. Items included baseball bats, water, milk (likely as a means to counteract the effects of tear gas), and other medical supplies.“
Think about what this means, DHS is telling police that people caught leaving caches of water, milk or medical supplies should be considered a violent opportunist or anarchist extremist!
On June 2, 2020, DHS published one of its most disturbing accusations ever.
The DHS intelligence bulletin title “Some Violent Opportunists Probably Engaging in Organized Activities” should make you question its validity with a word like “probably” in its heading.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The first paragraph of this intelligence bulletin reads like a modern-day fairy tale, except it isn’t. It is worded in such a way as to fan the flames of anti-police fears amongst law enforcement.
“We assess that some violent opportunists have become more emboldened following a series of attacks against law enforcement during the last 24 hours nationwide. This could lead to an increase in potentially lethal engagements with law enforcement officials as violent opportunists increasingly infiltrate ongoing protest activity. We also have received an increase in reports on shots fired during lawful protests nationwide—an indicator we associate with the potential for increased violence moving forward—and several uncorroborated reports of probably violent opportunists pre-staging improvised weapons at planned protest venues.”
DHS admits that reports of so-called violent opportunists pre-staging weapons caches, water, milk and medical supplies are uncorroborated. In other words it is all a lie.
The latest intelligence bulletin goes on to claim that violent opportunists were responsible for throwing rocks, shooting fireworks and shooting police in two separate incidents. But then DHS goes back to warning police about uncorroborated fairy tales.
“We have several uncorroborated reports of bricks being pre-staged at planned protest venues nationwide, according to media reporting. Although we have been unable to verify the reporting through official channels, the staging of improvised weapons at planned events is a common tactic used by violent opportunists, and an increase in reports of staging of these materials at separate locations could be indicative that local coordination to infiltrate protests is increasing. We lack reporting indicating individuals are coordinating violence across multiple jurisdictions.“
Sadly, this DHS fairy tale, has a horrific civil rights twist to it.
Police told to look out for suspicious constitutionally protected activities
DHS is instructing police to Be On The Lookout (BOLO) for violent opportunists suspiciously conducting “constitutionally protected activities”.
“Some of the observed suspicious behaviors include constitutionally protected activities and should not be reported absent articulable facts and circumstances that supports a reasonable belief the observed behavior is itself, or when taken in context of other activities, is indicative of violent activities.”
Below is a brief list of suspicious violent opportunist activities
Monitoring and reporting on law enforcement personnel, communications, and movements during planned protests.
Transition from generic calls for violence to providing specific targeting or operational guidance.
Encouraging or redirecting planned protest activities away from major metropolitan areas to cities and municipalities with fewer law enforcement personnel.
Discovery of banners or other materials used to employ “Black Bloc” tactics for concealing identity or shielding activities from law enforcement scrutiny.
Reports of coordinated reconnaissance of planned protests venues prior to the event.
Taken together these DHS intelligence bulletins reveal a disturbing new trend in how the Department of Justice plans to justify arresting and charging peaceful protesters.