investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--Is it Time to Throw Every Politician Out of Office Who Imposed Lockdowns?

There is a rising discontent against politicians who have scared the hell out of people using this virus .
They did so without ANY justification other than a bogus old program from Imperial College , funded by Bill Gates , that used a stochastic to try to forecast the future like the child ’ s game Sim City .
The polls are showing that 40 % of Republicans are against these lockdowns and do not trust Bill Gates .
Meanwhile , YouTube is in an all-out war against free speech .
They will use any excuse they can use to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus .
Now , they are even supporting the climate change agenda as they removed Michael Moore ’ s documentary exposing the fake agenda of that movement .
We have Twitter claiming it has a right to do fact-checking only on Trump .
They do not fact check the WHO , Fauci , Bill Gates , or the CDC .
We have Twitter entering political censorship if it disagrees with their political agenda .
Thailand has 56 deaths out of 69 million people .
Japan has announced no lockdown as there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will NOT tell you is that the COMMON COLD is typically a coronavirus , which is very common !
In the United States , colds are more common in the fall and winter , because of the tendency for people to remain indoors .
Inside , air tends to be drier .
Dry air dries up the nasal passages , which can lead to infection .
Humidity levels also tend to be lower in colder weather .
Cold viruses are better able to survive in low humidity conditions .
Lockdowns are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh air .
A study has been leaked from Germany showing that there have been more deaths from the lockdown denying people medical services than there were by the fake virus .
The death rate in Germany was 0.3 % .
Christian Drosten , who directs the Institute of Virology at the Charité Hospital in Berlin , was one of those who identified the Sars virus in 2003 .
As the head of the German public health institute ’ s reference lab on coronaviruses , he has become the government ’ s go-to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current pandemic .
He is the person responsible for destroying so many jobs and lives in Germany with his recommendation to shut down the economy .
These people have no concept of the economy or people ’ s lives at all !
Nevertheless , we still have the left media trying to scare people to stay home to undermine the economy as much as possible .
The New York Times wrote , “ Models Project Sharp Rise in Deaths as States Reopen , ” which are the same models that predicted 2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the leftist press continuing to destroy the economy ?
What is their objective ?
To further the climate change and support Bill Gates ’ agenda to further vegetarian meat substitutes , which he has a huge stake in , he is advocating shutting down meat producers to lower CO2 .
We have actually Christophe Derrien , the secretary general of the industry organization in the European Union , pushing us to eat insects rather than meat as part of this climate change agenda .
You really can not make up this stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fined €1000 for taking a walk with their child .
Meanwhile , in Italy : “ Government hires tens of thousands of volunteers to control distance rules.
” The pension system has cracked wide-open in Germany , necessitating tax increases all because of this overreaction to the virus by politicians without ANY regard for the economic consequences .
Then people like New York Governor Cuomo hands out immunity like candy to nursing homes who donated over $ 2 million for his reelection .
Even the sex workers in Switzerland are broke and starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can these people push us before this turns into massive violence ?
Hopefully , the people will rise up and vote every politician out of office who has supported lockdowns around the world .
They really need to be shown that accountability is important .
Due to all of the economic destruction they have imposed , they will NEVER admit they were wrong .
They MUST somehow keep in place what they proposed and continue to cite fake studies and models to pretend they were right .
This is not going to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are removed from office , the SAFER society will be .
No politicians will now come out and even say “ sorry ” about that !
They would rather start a war with China to retain personal power !

by Martin Armstrong
There is a rising discontent against politicians who have scared the hell out of people using this virus. They did so without ANY justification other than a bogus old program from Imperial College, funded by Bill Gates, that used a stochastic to try to forecast the future like the child’s game Sim City. The polls are showing that 40% of Republicans are against these lockdowns and do not trust Bill Gates. Meanwhile, YouTube is in an all-out war against free speech. They will use any excuse they can use to remove content exposing the false evidence of this virus. Now, they are even supporting the climate change agenda as they removed Michael Moore’s documentary exposing the fake agenda of that movement. We have Twitter claiming it has a right to do fact-checking only on Trump. They do not fact check the WHO, Fauci, Bill Gates, or the CDC. We have Twitter entering political censorship if it disagrees with their political agenda.
Thailand has 56 deaths out of 69 million people. Japan has announced no lockdown as there were only 850 deaths 126.5 million. What they will NOT tell you is that the COMMON COLD is typically a coronavirus, which is very common! In the United States, colds are more common in the fall and winter, because of the tendency for people to remain indoors. Inside, air tends to be drier. Dry air dries up the nasal passages, which can lead to infection. Humidity levels also tend to be lower in colder weather. Cold viruses are better able to survive in low humidity conditions. Lockdowns are the opposite of health advice. You need fresh air.
A study has been leaked from Germany showing that there have been more deaths from the lockdown denying people medical services than there were by the fake virus. The death rate in Germany was 0.3%. Christian Drosten, who directs the Institute of Virology at the Charité Hospital in Berlin, was one of those who identified the Sars virus in 2003. As the head of the German public health institute’s reference lab on coronaviruses, he has become the government’s go-to expert on the related virus causing the current pandemic. He is the person responsible for destroying so many jobs and lives in Germany with his recommendation to shut down the economy. These people have no concept of the economy or people’s lives at all!
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Nevertheless, we still have the left media trying to scare people to stay home to undermine the economy as much as possible. The New York Times wrote, “Models Project Sharp Rise in Deaths as States Reopen,” which are the same models that predicted 2 million deaths before! The question is WHY is the leftist press continuing to destroy the economy? What is their objective?
To further the climate change and support Bill Gates’ agenda to further vegetarian meat substitutes, which he has a huge stake in, he is advocating shutting down meat producers to lower CO2. We have actually Christophe Derrien, the secretary general of the industry organization in the European Union, pushing us to eat insects rather than meat as part of this climate change agenda. You really cannot make up this stuff.
In Germany, a couple was fined €1000 for taking a walk with their child. Meanwhile, in Italy: “Government hires tens of thousands of volunteers to control distance rules.” The pension system has cracked wide-open in Germany, necessitating tax increases all because of this overreaction to the virus by politicians without ANY regard for the economic consequences. Then people like New York Governor Cuomo hands out immunity like candy to nursing homes who donated over $2 million for his reelection. Even the sex workers in Switzerland are broke and starting to demand changes.
Just how far can these people push us before this turns into massive violence? Hopefully, the people will rise up and vote every politician out of office who has supported lockdowns around the world. They really need to be shown that accountability is important. Due to all of the economic destruction they have imposed, they will NEVER admit they were wrong. They MUST somehow keep in place what they proposed and continue to cite fake studies and models to pretend they were right. This is not going to go over well. The sooner these people are removed from office, the SAFER society will be. No politicians will now come out and even say “sorry” about that! They would rather start a war with China to retain personal power!


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--The blue touch paper has been lit on the Money Supply boom of 2020

Today as I shall explain later is a case of back to the future especially for me .
It brings an opportunity to examine one of the economic features of the current Covid-19 pandemic .
This is a surge in money supply growth which has been quite something such that I think we will look back and consider it to be unprecedented .
I expect that to be true in absolute terms in many places and it is already being true in relative terms in many .
This morning has brought another signal of this so let us go straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had eight months of growth of ~8 % so as you can see going to 10.4 % and then 11.9 % shows that the accelerator has been pressed hard and maybe the pedal has been pushed to the metal .
If we switch to the cause of this which is mostly the rate of QE purchases by the ECB well you can see below .
Apologies for the alphabeti spaghetti .
These are the weekly increases and if we stick to the money supply we see that in one week alone some 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that on the other side of the ledger the narrow money supply has been increased by the same amount .
Some of this was previously taking place and the more recent boost is called PEPP and is of the order of 30 billion Euros a week .
What this means is that the total amount of narrow money has gone from just under 9 trillion Euros in January to just over 9.5 trillion in April and will be going past 10 trillion fairly soon ( at the current pace in July ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people have been wanting cash as well .
The amount in circulation rose by 25.6 billion Euros in March and by 15.1 billion in April .
Only a couple of months but that represents a clear shift of gear as we note April was the same as the whole of the third quarter last year and 2020 so far has already exceeded 2019 .
This is a case of the same old song .
The pick-up in annual growth is of the order of 3 % and this is the highest growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until next month anyway !
Switching to totals it is now 13.6 trillion Euros .
The breakdown is rather revealing I think .
This tells us a couple of things .
The opener is that the expansion is a narrow money thing and in fact narrow money over explains it .
That means that in terms of wider bank intermediation there was a credit contraction here as we shift from M1 to M3 via M2 .
Also at first it looks like the rate of deposits from businesses has picked up but then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies and pension funds .
Or if you prefer the ECB has just bought a load of bonds off them and they have deposited the cash for now .
Although that might seem obvious we have seen stages where it has not appeared to be true .
The credit punch bowl has been out too .
The main thing of note here is the surge in credit given to governments which links to the increases in public expenditure we have seen .
There has been quite a swing here as it was negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February and had been negative for 9 months .
So the Stability and Growth Pact was applied and then abandoned .
Looking at the breakdown the fall in loans to households is presumably a decline in mortgage lending and I think you can all figure out why companies were borrowing more .
@ fwred of Bank Pictet has got his microscope out .
His Euro area glass is always full so let me point out that there are times when companies are borrowing to invest ( good ) and times they are borrowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has been kind enough to illustrate one of my main themes so thank you Fred and the emphasis is mine This is an example in a way of the circle of life as back in the day I got a job because as a graduate monetary economist City firms wanted people to look at the money supply .
Although there was a difference in that the central banks and governments were trying to bring it down as opposed to pumping it up .
Rather ominously it did not work as planned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How should it work ?
In essence the extra money balances ( narrow money ) should be spent relatively quickly and thereby give the economy a boost .
That is why I look at narrow money and as an indicator it has worked pretty well .
The catch or “ rub ” as Shakespeare would put it is velocity or how quickly the money circulates and there we have a problem as it is hard to measure especially right now .
We know that for a while it will have been extremely low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not spend money at the moment .
As we look internationally we see many examples of this .
I have gone through the Euro area data today but if we switch to the US the numbers are even higher .
The annual rate of M1 growth is 27.5 % there so the pedal may even have been pushed through the metal .
Care is needed as definitions vary but even using a more Euro area one it looks as though it would be over 20 % .
As well as some hoped for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present danger which is inflation .
We seem likely to be singing along with BB King .

by Shaun Richards
Today as I shall explain later is a case of back to the future especially for me. It brings an opportunity to examine one of the economic features of the current Covid-19 pandemic. This is a surge in money supply growth which has been quite something such that I think we will look back and consider it to be unprecedented. I expect that to be true in absolute terms in many places and it is already being true in relative terms in many.
The Euro Area
This morning has brought another signal of this so let us go straight to the ECB data.
Annual growth rate of narrower monetary aggregate M1, comprising currency in circulation and overnight deposits, increased to 11.9% in April from 10.4% in March.
Previously we had eight months of growth of ~8% so as you can see going to 10.4% and then 11.9% shows that the accelerator has been pressed hard and maybe the pedal has been pushed to the metal. If we switch to the cause of this which is mostly the rate of QE purchases by the ECB well you can see below. Apologies for the alphabeti spaghetti.
ECB PSPP (EUR): +9.545B To 2.216T (prev +10.936B To 2.207T) – CSPP: +1.181B To 213.147B (prev +2.324B To 211.966B) – CBPP: +1.028B To 280.778B (prev +1.030B To 279.750B) – ABSPP: -377M To 30.738B (prev +161M To 31.115B) – PEPP: +30.072B To 211.858B (prev +28.878B To 181.786B) ( @LiveSquawk) ( B= Billion and T=Trillion )
These are the weekly increases and if we stick to the money supply we see that in one week alone some 42 billion Euros of QE took place which means that on the other side of the ledger the narrow money supply has been increased by the same amount. Some of this was previously taking place and the more recent boost is called PEPP and is of the order of 30 billion Euros a week.
What this means is that the total amount of narrow money has gone from just under 9 trillion Euros in January to just over 9.5 trillion in April and will be going past 10 trillion fairly soon ( at the current pace in July).
Tucked away in the detail is that people have been wanting cash as well. The amount in circulation rose by 25.6 billion Euros in March and by 15.1 billion in April. Only a couple of months but that represents a clear shift of gear as we note April was the same as the whole of the third quarter last year and 2020 so far has already exceeded 2019.
Broad Money
This is a case of the same old song.
Annual growth rate of broad >monetary aggregate M3 increased to 8.3% in April 2020 from 7.5% in March.
The pick-up in annual growth is of the order of 3% and this is the highest growth rate for nearly 12 years, well until next month anyway! Switching to totals it is now 13.6 trillion Euros.
The breakdown is rather revealing I think.
The annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 increased to 8.3% in April 2020 from 7.5% in March, averaging 7.1% in the three months up to April. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, increased to 11.9% in April from 10.4% in March. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) decreased to -0.3% in April from 0.0% in March, while the annual growth rate of marketable instruments (M3-M2) decreased to 6.7% in April from 10.1% in March.
This tells us a couple of things. The opener is that the expansion is a narrow money thing and in fact narrow money over explains it. That means that in terms of wider bank intermediation there was a credit contraction here as we shift from M1 to M3 via M2.
Also at first it looks like the rate of deposits from businesses has picked up but then we see it seems to be insurance companies and pension funds. Or if you prefer the ECB has just bought a load of bonds off them and they have deposited the cash for now.
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From the perspective of the holding sectors of deposits in M3, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by households increased to 6.7% in April from 6.0% in March, while the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-financial corporations increased to 13.7% in April from 9.7% in March. Finally, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-monetary financial corporations (excluding insurance corporations and pension funds) decreased to 12.3% in April from 16.9% in March.
Although that might seem obvious we have seen stages where it has not appeared to be true.
Credit
The credit punch bowl has been out too.
As regards the dynamics of credit, the annual growth rate of total credit to euro area residents increased to 4.9% in April 2020 from 3.6% in the previous month. The annual growth rate of credit to general government increased to 6.2% in April from 1.6% in March, while the annual growth rate of credit to the private sector increased to 4.4% in April from 4.2% in March.
The main thing of note here is the surge in credit given to governments which links to the increases in public expenditure we have seen. There has been quite a swing here as it was negative ( -2%) as recently as February and had been negative for 9 months. So the Stability and Growth Pact was applied and then abandoned.
Looking at the breakdown the fall in loans to households is presumably a decline in mortgage lending and I think you can all figure out why companies were borrowing more.
The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector (i.e. adjusted for loan sales, securitisation and notional cash pooling) stood at 4.9% in April, compared with 5.0% in March. Among the borrowing sectors, the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households decreased to 3.0% in April from 3.4% in March, while the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations increased to 6.6% in April from 5.5% in March.
@fwred of Bank Pictet has got his microscope out.
Wow, another massive increase in bank loans / credit lines to euro area corporates, up €73bn in April following €121bn in March (both the largest on record by a huge margin)…….Finally, the surge in bank loans in March-April was broad-based across countries. No one left behind.
His Euro area glass is always full so let me point out that there are times when companies are borrowing to invest (good) and times they are borrowing because they are in trouble.
Also he has been kind enough to illustrate one of my main themes so thank you Fred and the emphasis is mine
Euro area corporates are drawing on their credit lines and taking new bank loans like there *is* tomorrow. Side-effect: most banks will easily qualify for the lowest TLTRO-III rate from June (-1%).
What a coincidence!
Comment
This is an example in a way of the circle of life as back in the day I got a job because as a graduate monetary economist City firms wanted people to look at the money supply. Although there was a difference in that the central banks and governments were trying to bring it down as opposed to pumping it up. Rather ominously it did not work as planned and sometimes did not work at all.
How should it work? In essence the extra money balances (narrow money) should be spent relatively quickly and thereby give the economy a boost. That is why I look at narrow money and as an indicator it has worked pretty well. The catch or “rub” as Shakespeare would put it is velocity or how quickly the money circulates and there we have a problem as it is hard to measure especially right now. We know that for a while it will have been extremely low because in many areas you simply cannot spend money at the moment.
As we look internationally we see many examples of this. I have gone through the Euro area data today but if we switch to the US the numbers are even higher. The annual rate of M1 growth is 27.5% there so the pedal may even have been pushed through the metal. Care is needed as definitions vary but even using a more Euro area one it looks as though it would be over 20%.
As well as some hoped for economic growth there is a clear and present danger which is inflation. We seem likely to be singing along with BB King.
Hey, Mr. President
All your congressmen too
You got me frustrated
And I don’t know what to do
I’m trying to make a living
I can’t save a cent
It takes all of my money
Just to eat and pay my rent I got the blues
Got those inflation blues


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--Democrat Hennepin County District Attorney on George Floyd Case: “Evidence Does Not Support a Crimin

Democrat Hennepin County District Attorney on George Floyd Case: “Evidence Does Not Support a Criminal Charge”

The one person who can bring justice in the George Floyd case is Democrat District Attorney Michael Freeman – yet , he “ does not support a criminal charge ” : Hennepin County District Attorney on George Floyd Case : “ Evidence Does Not Support a Criminal Charge ” ( VIDEO ) “ I will say this , that the video is graphic , and horrific and terrible and no person should do that .
But my job in the end is to prove that he violated a criminal statute , and there is other evidence that DOES NOT SUPPORT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wade through all of that evidence.
” DA investigating George Floyd ’ s death says he won ’ t rush to judgment , likens situation to Freddie Gray case in Baltimore So , are Democrats not prosecuting because they want to do the opposite of whatever Trump says ?
President Trump wants justice for George Floyd : “ At my request , the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd….
” Looks like DA Freeman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting on this to fan the fires , literally , of rioting , looting and racial divide .

The one person who can bring justice in the George Floyd case is Democrat District Attorney Michael Freeman – yet, he “does not support a criminal charge”:
Hennepin County District Attorney on George Floyd Case: “Evidence Does Not Support a Criminal Charge” (VIDEO)
“I will say this, that the video is graphic, and horrific and terrible and no person should do that. But my job in the end is to prove that he violated a criminal statute, and there is other evidence that DOES NOT SUPPORT A CRIMINAL CHARGE. We need to wade through all of that evidence.”
“I will say this, that the video is graphic, & horrific & terrible and no person should do that. But my job in the end is to prove that he violated a criminal statute, and there is other evidence that DOES NOT SUPPORT A CRIMINAL CHARGE.” Michael Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney pic.twitter.com/HYF3kCSCpY — Kari Markus (@kari_markus) May 28, 2020
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/hennepin-county-district-attorney-george-floyd-case-evidence-not-support-criminal-charge-video/
DA investigating George Floyd’s death says he won’t rush to judgment, likens situation to Freddie Gray case in Baltimore
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www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-george-floyd-baltimore-freddie-gray-20200529-a5en4bol2ffwfh6nughvcqznoi-story.html
So, are Democrats not prosecuting because they want to do the opposite of whatever Trump says? President Trump wants justice for George Floyd:
“At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd….”
At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
Looks like DA Freeman might be a Soros plant and is sitting on this to fan the fires, literally, of rioting, looting and racial divide.
h/t ElleMira


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--GE CEO Sees Cash Burn of as Much as $4.5 Billion This Quarter

( Bloomberg ) — General Electric Co. said its second-quarter cash burn will worsen to as much as $ 4.5 @ @ @ @ @ struggles to keep its turnaround efforts on pace amid disruptions from Covid-19 .
The company @ @ @ @ @ a “ slow grind ” as travel demand collapses , Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
The company ’ s forecast that it will consume $ 3.5 billion to @ @ @ @ @ cash reserves compares with the $ 2.98 billion average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg @

finance.yahoo.com/news/ge-ceo-sees-cash-burn-171626227.html
(Bloomberg) — General Electric Co. said its second-quarter cash burn will worsen to as much as $4.5 billion as the troubled manufacturer struggles to keep its turnaround efforts on pace amid disruptions from Covid-19.
The company’s jet-engine business faces a “slow grind” as travel demand collapses, Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp said at a Bernstein conference Thursday. The company’s forecast that it will consume $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion of its cash reserves compares with the $2.98 billion average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--After a week of hype, phase two of NY’s restart won’t begin tomorrow

Syracuse , N.Y. — After a week of hype , it appears Upstate New York won ’ t be eligible to start phase two of the state ’ s four-phase restart plan tomorrow , as promised by many local leaders .
The reversal comes just hours after Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon insisted the region was headed toward reopening .
But Gov .
Andrew Cuomo complicated any hopes of a speedy move forward during a radio interview Thursday afternoon .
He said phase two wouldn ’ t begin at the end of phase one .
Rather , international experts would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine whether it was safe to move ahead .
After a call with regional leaders Thursday night , it became clear Cuomo planned to sign an executive order extending phase one of the restart .
Anthony Picente , the Oneida County Executive , told the Utica Observer Dispatch after the call that the Mohawk Valley region wouldn ’ t be moving into phase two .
“ I ’ m not confused .
I ’ m outraged , ” Picente told the paper .
“ There was plenty of time to at least give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position surprised and angered local leaders , who were operating under the assumption that hundreds more businesses would be able to reopen Friday .
But Cuomo never gave explicit approval for any region to start phase two , which includes office jobs , retail and many private services like barbers and stylists .
In a meeting with regional control groups later in the evening Thursday , Cuomo ’ s aides told local leaders that no region would be eligible to start phase two until experts had reviewed the data from phase one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state officials told local leaders no region was authorized to begin phase two right now .

Syracuse, N.Y. — After a week of hype, it appears Upstate New York won’t be eligible to start phase two of the state’s four-phase restart plan tomorrow, as promised by many local leaders.
The reversal comes just hours after Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon insisted the region was headed toward reopening.
But Gov. Andrew Cuomo complicated any hopes of a speedy move forward during a radio interview Thursday afternoon. He said phase two wouldn’t begin at the end of phase one. Rather, international experts would analyze the state’s data and determine whether it was safe to move ahead.
After a call with regional leaders Thursday night, it became clear Cuomo planned to sign an executive order extending phase one of the restart.
Anthony Picente, the Oneida County Executive, told the Utica Observer Dispatch after the call that the Mohawk Valley region wouldn’t be moving into phase two.
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“I’m not confused. I’m outraged,” Picente told the paper. “There was plenty of time to at least give us some indication.”
Cuomo’s position surprised and angered local leaders, who were operating under the assumption that hundreds more businesses would be able to reopen Friday. But Cuomo never gave explicit approval for any region to start phase two, which includes office jobs, retail and many private services like barbers and stylists.
In a meeting with regional control groups later in the evening Thursday, Cuomo’s aides told local leaders that no region would be eligible to start phase two until experts had reviewed the data from phase one.
According to North Country Public Radio, state officials told local leaders no region was authorized to begin phase two right now.
www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/05/after-a-week-of-hype-phase-two-of-nys-restart-wont-begin-tomorrow.html


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--How The Federal Reserve Unilaterally, De-Facto Amended the US Constitution

The US Constitution is the spectacular framework upon which our nation is built .
The framers even built in a means to right the terrible wrongs that were beyond their capabilities at the time…the amendment has been utilized 27 times in all ( most recently in 1992 ) , righting freedoms of religion , equality of all races and sex , among others .
But not included anywhere in the Constitution was the Federal Reserve , allowing it the power to guide interest rates ever lower or infinitely purchase assets .
The implications of the Federal Reserve policies have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that of compromise in an attempt to balance spending versus taxation .
The Federal Reserve policies have removed market based discipline , ( market based interest payments ) , encouraging Congress to raise seemingly infinite federal debt .
Thus Congress ’ role as an institution for compromise is broken .
This de-facto Constitutional amendment has spurred ideas of infinite spending like MMT .
Flawed as the framers were , this insertion of a de facto , unelected , quasi private/federal branch of government was explicitly never intended because of the cancer it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rates on Debt For four decades , the Fed has reduced the cost of undertaking deficit spending ( via its direct intervention in the supply of Treasury debt ) , taking short term rates to zero .
Not surprisingly , Congress has seen the nearly “ free money ” and spent with reckless abandon without runaway interest payments .
What I will detail is that with each Federal Reserve dictated and implemented interest rate cut , the Congress took the “ free-er money ” and spent ever more…regardless the lack of economic return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Debt has progressively been growing disproportionately faster than the economy ( the tax base from which to repay and/or service the debt ) .
Speaking of the disproportionate debt…below , the quarterly change ( on a year over year basis ) of GDP , federal debt , and the Federal Reserve balance sheet from 1970 through 2019 .
The “ market ” discipline of higher interest costs ( dependent on free market purchases of US Treasury debt ) constrained the growth of debt until 2000 .
But the near zero rates in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero rates since ’ 08 have encouraged spending far beyond the proportionate economy or tax base to repay that debt .
But when the same chart is extended to show 2020 , the current blow-out of federal debt and the Federal Reserve asset purchases dwarfs everything that came before .
To measure the “ proportionate ” growth of the economy versus the growth of the debt to spur the economy , rather than using debt to GDP , I ’ m simply showing GDP minus the federal debt .
Using GDP minus federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ugly reality since 2007…the US economy is falling fast and ever greater debt and interest rate manipulation is being used to mask the truth ( and avoid the hard , painful , but necessary decisions to right the ship ) .
Some will suggest the chart above is unfair as I ’ m showing an annual ( GDP ) versus a cumulative ( federal debt ) .
So , the chart below shows the quarterly change in GDP , on a year over year basis , versus the same change in federal debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that was achieved after backing out the debt incurred as part of that growth .
I wonder if Trump will sign this chart as he did a recent stock market surge ?
There is nothing “ MAGA ” about this .
And not to make this political , ( as neither party represents much of anybody in America…except well funded special interests ) , but the trend of lower interest rates has allowed for significantly higher incursions of debt , with rising growth in the Federal Reserve balance sheet , sadly culminating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look Into The Fed ’ s Balance Sheet…And Gauging Impacts Prior to 2008 , the Federal Reserve holdings of Treasury debt was uneventful and predictable .
The Fed primarily held T-bills ( up to 1 year in duration ) and Notes ( 2 to 10 years in duration ) , with a small and stable assortment of long bonds ( 10+ years in duration ) .
But in early 2008 , the Fed initiated what has been a wild and seemingly chaotic ride , buying certain durations while dumping others in an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( no “ free-market ” appreciated here ) .
And this doesn ’ t include the MBS and assorted “ other ” assets .
Prior to QE1 , the Fed sold off two thirds of it ’ s holdings of Bills and shorter duration Notes and trimmed the balance sheet .
From there , the Fed undertook a total selloff of bills and used the proceeds to load up on Notes and Bonds .
But prior to the completion of QE3 , the Fed began a massive sell-off of longer duration Bonds through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Fed pivoted to begin purchasing nearly all durations…and then with C-virus the Fed accelerated what was already underway…a wholesale monetization of all new debt being created by the Treasury .
First , Fed holdings of Bills versus the 3 month Treasury rate .
About 24 % of Treasury debt outstanding are bills and the Fed now owns about 22 % of the outstanding bills .
Prior to the ’ 08 GFC , the Fed sold highly liquid short duration and bought longer duration…but not this time .
This time the Fed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many complain of a lack of liquidity .
Why would the Fed need to purchase $ 900 billion in bills during a liquidity crisis ?
Is the Fed attempting to create a liquidity crisis…or is there just too much supply and too few buyers at an elevated market set rate the Fed is unwilling to accept ?
Unfortunately , I don ’ t know but near the sudden and abrupt end to QT , the three month rate reached 2.4 % …and since then but beginning well before Corona-virus , the Fed went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one to five years versus the three year Treasury rate .
Again , during QT , rates spiked until the reversal of QT to QE , well before Corona-virus .
Notes ( 1 to 10 years in duration ) make up 60 % of outstanding Treasury debt and the Fed now owns 23 % of total outstanding Notes .
Fed held 5 to 10 year Treasuries .
The 10 year rate is so critical as it is the foundational basis for the 30 year fixed rate mortgage , upon which all bank costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bonds .
Bonds make up about 15 % of outstanding Treasury debt but the Fed owns 37 % of outstanding Bonds , a significantly larger portion than it does other durations .
The point of these charts is to illuminate the length the Federal Reserve is willing to go .
As Chairman Powell recently stated on 60 Minutes , “ there is no limit ” to what the Fed can do…and “ there ’ s a lot more we can do to support the economy , and we ’ re committed to doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to ” .
But remember , this is an in an effort to avoid a “ free-market ” pricing of US Treasury debt , that would almost surely cause large portions of federal taxation to be utilized just to pay the interest on the debt…leaving Congress with nothing but difficult compromises between taxation ( likely significantly higher ) and spending ( likely significantly lower ) .
That would be bring a whole lot of third rail issues into immediate focus , not exactly the platform that gets many sitting Congressman or Presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impacts of the Federal Reserve interest rate and balance sheet activities on the economy , raising asset prices absent higher wages to offset the fast rising rent/ insurance/ daycare/ education/ etc .
etc .
This is resulting in an inequitable burden on young adults and they are responding by focusing on scraping together an income…at the expense of marriage and/or children .
Using births as the ultimate indicator of confidence , check the rises in births/fertility into 1990 , 2000 , and 2007 .
Since 2007 , young adults are showing unequivocally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But looking at the Census estimates for births from 2000 , 2008 , 2012 , 2014 , and 2017…the Census has continually misunderstood the surging costs of the Fed ’ s policies negatively impacting family formation .
Instead , Census models ( like Fed models ) , continually predict a sharp and sustained upturn .
While debt and asset valuations ( held by a small minority ) are surging , the footprint of America ’ s future has never surged and despite the US population of nearly 320 million persons , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants ) has never really surpassed that 1957 peak…and is now tumbling while interest rate policy , federal debt , and Federal Reserve purchasing are being substituted for the lack of actual growth ( 2020 # ’ s are year-end guestimates ) .
This fourth branch of governments policy is just blowing larger bubbles ( record household financial assets as a percentage of disposable personal income ) , rewarding the asset holders ( primarily elderly , wealthy , institutions , corporations ) and punishing the vast majority for their lack of assets ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today except HH assets through Q4 , 2019 ) .
Perhaps its about time for a discussion of who the Fed is , who they serve , and either amend the Constitution to include them…or follow the Constitution and discard them ?

by C Hamilton
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The US Constitution is the spectacular framework upon which our nation is built. The framers even built in a means to right the terrible wrongs that were beyond their capabilities at the time…the amendment has been utilized 27 times in all (most recently in 1992), righting freedoms of religion, equality of all races and sex, among others. But not included anywhere in the Constitution was the Federal Reserve, allowing it the power to guide interest rates ever lower or infinitely purchase assets. The implications of the Federal Reserve policies have been to undermine the Congress’ primary function, that of compromise in an attempt to balance spending versus taxation. The Federal Reserve policies have removed market based discipline, (market based interest payments), encouraging Congress to raise seemingly infinite federal debt. Thus Congress’ role as an institution for compromise is broken. This de-facto Constitutional amendment has spurred ideas of infinite spending like MMT. Flawed as the framers were, this insertion of a de facto, unelected, quasi private/federal branch of government was explicitly never intended because of the cancer it represented.
The Impacts of Declining Interest Rates on Debt
For four decades, the Fed has reduced the cost of undertaking deficit spending (via its direct intervention in the supply of Treasury debt), taking short term rates to zero. Not surprisingly, Congress has seen the nearly “free money” and spent with reckless abandon without runaway interest payments. What I will detail is that with each Federal Reserve dictated and implemented interest rate cut, the Congress took the “free-er money” and spent ever more…regardless the lack of economic return (as measured by GDP). Debt has progressively been growing disproportionately faster than the economy (the tax base from which to repay and/or service the debt).
Speaking of the disproportionate debt…below, the quarterly change (on a year over year basis) of GDP, federal debt, and the Federal Reserve balance sheet from 1970 through 2019. The “market” discipline of higher interest costs (dependent on free market purchases of US Treasury debt) constrained the growth of debt until 2000. But the near zero rates in the wake of ’00 and then the zero rates since ’08 have encouraged spending far beyond the proportionate economy or tax base to repay that debt.
But when the same chart is extended to show 2020, the current blow-out of federal debt and the Federal Reserve asset purchases dwarfs everything that came before.
To measure the “proportionate” growth of the economy versus the growth of the debt to spur the economy, rather than using debt to GDP, I’m simply showing GDP minus the federal debt. Using GDP minus federal debt to gauge economic change portrays an ugly reality since 2007…the US economy is falling fast and ever greater debt and interest rate manipulation is being used to mask the truth (and avoid the hard, painful, but necessary decisions to right the ship).
Some will suggest the chart above is unfair as I’m showing an annual (GDP) versus a cumulative (federal debt). So, the chart below shows the quarterly change in GDP, on a year over year basis, versus the same change in federal debt. This is essentially the “growth” that was achieved after backing out the debt incurred as part of that growth. I wonder if Trump will sign this chart as he did a recent stock market surge? There is nothing “MAGA” about this. And not to make this political, (as neither party represents much of anybody in America…except well funded special interests), but the trend of lower interest rates has allowed for significantly higher incursions of debt, with rising growth in the Federal Reserve balance sheet, sadly culminating in continually decelerating GDP growth. A Look Into The Fed’s Balance Sheet…And Gauging Impacts Prior to 2008, the Federal Reserve holdings of Treasury debt was uneventful and predictable. The Fed primarily held T-bills (up to 1 year in duration) and Notes (2 to 10 years in duration), with a small and stable assortment of long bonds (10+ years in duration). But in early 2008, the Fed initiated what has been a wild and seemingly chaotic ride, buying certain durations while dumping others in an attempt to directly establish rates across the curve (no “free-market” appreciated here). And this doesn’t include the MBS and assorted “other” assets. Prior to QE1, the Fed sold off two thirds of it’s holdings of Bills and shorter duration Notes and trimmed the balance sheet. From there, the Fed undertook a total selloff of bills and used the proceeds to load up on Notes and Bonds. But prior to the completion of QE3, the Fed began a massive sell-off of longer duration Bonds through the end of QT…but prior to Corona-virus, the Fed pivoted to begin purchasing nearly all durations…and then with C-virus the Fed accelerated what was already underway…a wholesale monetization of all new debt being created by the Treasury. First, Fed holdings of Bills versus the 3 month Treasury rate. About 24% of Treasury debt outstanding are bills and the Fed now owns about 22% of the outstanding bills. Prior to the ’08 GFC, the Fed sold highly liquid short duration and bought longer duration…but not this time. This time the Fed is loading up on Bills all while many complain of a lack of liquidity. Why would the Fed need to purchase $900 billion in bills during a liquidity crisis? Is the Fed attempting to create a liquidity crisis…or is there just too much supply and too few buyers at an elevated market set rate the Fed is unwilling to accept? Unfortunately, I don’t know but near the sudden and abrupt end to QT, the three month rate reached 2.4%…and since then but beginning well before Corona-virus, the Fed went to work. Fed held Notes of one to five years versus the three year Treasury rate. Again, during QT, rates spiked until the reversal of QT to QE, well before Corona-virus. Notes (1 to 10 years in duration) make up 60% of outstanding Treasury debt and the Fed now owns 23% of total outstanding Notes. Fed held 5 to 10 year Treasuries. The 10 year rate is so critical as it is the foundational basis for the 30 year fixed rate mortgage, upon which all bank costs / fees are added. Fed held Bonds. Bonds make up about 15% of outstanding Treasury debt but the Fed owns 37% of outstanding Bonds, a significantly larger portion than it does other durations. So What? The point of these charts is to illuminate the length the Federal Reserve is willing to go. As Chairman Powell recently stated on 60 Minutes, “there is no limit” to what the Fed can do…and “there’s a lot more we can do to support the economy, and we’re committed to doing everything we can as long as we need to”. But remember, this is an in an effort to avoid a “free-market” pricing of US Treasury debt, that would almost surely cause large portions of federal taxation to be utilized just to pay the interest on the debt…leaving Congress with nothing but difficult compromises between taxation (likely significantly higher) and spending (likely significantly lower). That would be bring a whole lot of third rail issues into immediate focus, not exactly the platform that gets many sitting Congressman or Presidents re-elected.
I have written repeatedly on the impacts of the Federal Reserve interest rate and balance sheet activities on the economy, raising asset prices absent higher wages to offset the fast rising rent/ insurance/ daycare/ education/ etc. etc. This is resulting in an inequitable burden on young adults and they are responding by focusing on scraping together an income…at the expense of marriage and/or children. Using births as the ultimate indicator of confidence, check the rises in births/fertility into 1990, 2000, and 2007. Since 2007, young adults are showing unequivocally this isn’t working for them.
But looking at the Census estimates for births from 2000, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2017…the Census has continually misunderstood the surging costs of the Fed’s policies negatively impacting family formation. Instead, Census models (like Fed models), continually predict a sharp and sustained upturn.
While debt and asset valuations (held by a small minority) are surging, the footprint of America’s future has never surged and despite the US population of nearly 320 million persons, the births (complete with those of all immigrants) has never really surpassed that 1957 peak…and is now tumbling while interest rate policy, federal debt, and Federal Reserve purchasing are being substituted for the lack of actual growth (2020 #’s are year-end guestimates).
This fourth branch of governments policy is just blowing larger bubbles (record household financial assets as a percentage of disposable personal income), rewarding the asset holders (primarily elderly, wealthy, institutions, corporations) and punishing the vast majority for their lack of assets (2020 #’s are current through today except HH assets through Q4, 2019).
Perhaps its about time for a discussion of who the Fed is, who they serve, and either amend the Constitution to include them…or follow the Constitution and discard them?


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--ATTENTION CALIFORNIANS!! If you oppose the effort to repeal Proposition 209, please voice your oppos

ATTENTION CALIFORNIANS!! If you oppose the effort to repeal Proposition 209, please voice your opposition directly to your California legislators.

Some talented tech guys have made it a bit easier to send messages via email to those legislators .
If you use this link , I am told your zip code will cause your message to be directed to the correct member of each house .
If for any reason that link fails , this link goes to all members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee , which needs to deal with the bill next .
If you ’ re in a hurry , the software contains a pre-programmed message that you can send .
But it ’ s even better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own message .
Short messages ( such as “ Vote NO on ACA-5.
” ) are just fine .
If you don ’ t know what the heck I ’ m talking about , here ’ s the background : In 1996 , California voters adopted Proposition 209 .
It amended the state constitution to read : “ The state shall not discriminate against , or grant preferential treatment to , any individual or group on the basis of race , sex , color , ethnicity , or national origin in the operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or public contracting.
” In other words , Prop 209 is a matter of simple justice : The state should not decide who gets a job , who gets contract , or who gets into the most competitive university based on the applicant ’ s race , sex or ethnicity .
The California Legislature wants to engineer a repeal of 209 .
To get rid of it , however , they need 2/3 majorities in both houses and a vote by the people .
We ’ re trying to prevent any of that @ @ @ @ @

Some talented tech guys have made it a bit easier to send messages via email to those legislators. If you use this link, I am told your zip code will cause your message to be directed to the correct member of each house. If for any reason that link fails, this link goes to all members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, which needs to deal with the bill next.
If you’re in a hurry, the software contains a pre-programmed message that you can send. But it’s even better if you have time to write your own message. Short messages (such as “Vote NO on ACA-5.”) are just fine.
If you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, here’s the background: In 1996, California voters adopted Proposition 209. It amended the state constitution to read: “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” In other words, Prop 209 is a matter of simple justice: The state should not decide who gets a job, who gets contract, or who gets into the most competitive university based on the applicant’s race, sex or ethnicity.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The California Legislature wants to engineer a repeal of 209. To get rid of it, however, they need 2/3 majorities in both houses and a vote by the people. We’re trying to prevent any of that from coming to pass.
(Not a Californian? These days, that means lucky you. But if you have friends or relatives here who are likely to want to oppose ACA-5, please alert them. Also we are working on a way for ex-Californians as well as people have never been within 100 miles of California to email our legislators. The more the merrier.)
h/t GH


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--WHITE HOUSE latest TWEET!

WHITE HOUSE latest TWEET!

This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence .
However , has determined that it will allow terrorists , @ @ @ @ @ to abuse its platform .

This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However,
has determined that it will allow terrorists, dictators, and foreign propagandists to abuse its platform.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--We Are Being Told To Prepare For High Prices At Grocery And Its Likely Food Shortages Only Get Worse

Empty shelves and inflated prices are the new normal in grocery stores across the United States .
For months now , previously affordable items have become significantly more expensive , or even impossible to find at all .
Many Americans have looked forward to state and local governments lifting restrictions , taking this as a sign that the worst of the pandemic is coming to an end and that things will return to some semblance of regular life soon .
However , experts are now shifting their predictions .
They say that , despite easing restrictions , the food shortages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , we are going to tell you which products will be hit the hardest and what experts predict will happen with these ongoing food shortage .
With meat processing plants shutting down across the country , the food supply chain has been seriously disrupted , which is what causes prices to spike for typically cheap basics like meats .
During cookout season , items such as chicken and ground beef will come with a much higher price tag than usual .
Last week , Tyson Foods said that 570 out of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poultry plant in Greensboro , North Carolina , tested positive .
Tyson is the world ’ s second largest processor and marketer of chicken , beef , and pork , as well as the largest exporter of beef in the United States .
There are now more than 11,000 coronavirus cases tied to Tyson Foods , as well as other meat giants like Smithfield Foods and JBS .
The company says the affected workers would get paid time off until they meet guidelines put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point they will be allowed to return to work .
Situations like these will likely continue to happen throughout the summer , meaning that higher prices at the grocery stores could last well into June or beyond .
While customers suffer from higher prices , grocery store employees will also see their paychecks reduced , further emphasizing the strain on working households .
To make matters worse , major chains like Kroger have removed the “ Hero ” bonus , an extra $ 2 an hour paid to employees who work on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Food and Commercial Workers International Union criticized these stores for their change in policy .
The union argued that the health crisis is far from over , and that dangers for store workers may have even increased lately , as American shoppers wanting to return to normal get frustrated , confrontational , and in some cases violent over continued store safety policies like wearing masks and implementing social distancing .
The prices Americans paid for basics like eggs , meat , cereal and milk jumped up in April as people rushed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food , worried that widespread government lockdowns would keep them from getting needed resources .
The Labor Department reported that the cost of groceries for Americans jumped by 2.6 percent last month , representing the largest one-month spike that has occurred in almost 50 years , since February 1974 .
There were no one or two products affected more than any others .
The pandemic has shown little discrimination in which industries and sectors it damages the most , and the food market is no different .
The spike in supermarket prices was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ham to oatmeal and tuna .
Meat companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in an attempt to speed up the process of reopening their plants and bringing in profit .
Much of the disturbance in the food supply chain is a result not even of the pandemic itself , but the extreme fear around its potential to impact workers and businesses .
The devastation we are currently experiencing spells trouble for what would be to come should a more serious or prolonged economic collapse hit the country .
In that scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fend for themselves in terms of basic necessities like food .
So , in the short-term , expect to see food prices continue to rise .
As the federal government borrows and spends trillions of newly printed dollars during this pandemic , and the Federal Reserve fails to regulate any of it in attempts to guard against eventual disaster , the US dollar is rapidly plummeting in value .
Eventually , this will inevitably lead to extreme inflation .
If food prices seem high now , brace yourself .
They are only going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If America stays on the path that it is currently on , the end of America is going to come far more rapidly than most people would dare to imagine , ” he said then .
Now , he warns that Americans should stock up on essential goods , as food prices continue to rise and the economy becomes increasingly unstable .
Food has always seemed like a constant and accessible resource in the United States , but we may very well see the day when that idea is seriously threatened .

Empty shelves and inflated prices are the new normal in grocery stores across the United States. For months now, previously affordable items have become significantly more expensive, or even impossible to find at all. Many Americans have looked forward to state and local governments lifting restrictions, taking this as a sign that the worst of the pandemic is coming to an end and that things will return to some semblance of regular life soon. However, experts are now shifting their predictions. They say that, despite easing restrictions, the food shortages may get worse yet.
In this video, we are going to tell you which products will be hit the hardest and what experts predict will happen with these ongoing food shortage.
With meat processing plants shutting down across the country, the food supply chain has been seriously disrupted, which is what causes prices to spike for typically cheap basics like meats. During cookout season, items such as chicken and ground beef will come with a much higher price tag than usual.
Last week, Tyson Foods said that 570 out of more than 2,200 of their employees at a poultry plant in Greensboro, North Carolina, tested positive. Tyson is the world’s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, as well as the largest exporter of beef in the United States.
There are now more than 11,000 coronavirus cases tied to Tyson Foods, as well as other meat giants like Smithfield Foods and JBS.
The company says the affected workers would get paid time off until they meet guidelines put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tyson itself, at which point they will be allowed to return to work. Situations like these will likely continue to happen throughout the summer, meaning that higher prices at the grocery stores could last well into June or beyond.
While customers suffer from higher prices, grocery store employees will also see their paychecks reduced, further emphasizing the strain on working households.
To make matters worse, major chains like Kroger have removed the “Hero” bonus, an extra $2 an hour paid to employees who work on the front lines during the pandemic. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union criticized these stores for their change in policy.
The union argued that the health crisis is far from over, and that dangers for store workers may have even increased lately, as American shoppers wanting to return to normal get frustrated, confrontational, and in some cases violent over continued store safety policies like wearing masks and implementing social distancing.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The prices Americans paid for basics like eggs, meat, cereal and milk jumped up in April as people rushed to supermarkets in order to stock up on food, worried that widespread government lockdowns would keep them from getting needed resources.
The Labor Department reported that the cost of groceries for Americans jumped by 2.6 percent last month, representing the largest one-month spike that has occurred in almost 50 years, since February 1974.
There were no one or two products affected more than any others. The pandemic has shown little discrimination in which industries and sectors it damages the most, and the food market is no different. The spike in supermarket prices was broad, impacting items from broccoli and ham to oatmeal and tuna.
Meat companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in an attempt to speed up the process of reopening their plants and bringing in profit.
Much of the disturbance in the food supply chain is a result not even of the pandemic itself, but the extreme fear around its potential to impact workers and businesses. The devastation we are currently experiencing spells trouble for what would be to come should a more serious or prolonged economic collapse hit the country.
In that scenario, many Americans will be left to fend for themselves in terms of basic necessities like food.
So, in the short-term, expect to see food prices continue to rise. As the federal government borrows and spends trillions of newly printed dollars during this pandemic, and the Federal Reserve fails to regulate any of it in attempts to guard against eventual disaster, the US dollar is rapidly plummeting in value. Eventually, this will inevitably lead to extreme inflation. If food prices seem high now, brace yourself. They are only going to go up from here.
“If America stays on the path that it is currently on, the end of America is going to come far more rapidly than most people would dare to imagine,” he said then. Now, he warns that Americans should stock up on essential goods, as food prices continue to rise and the economy becomes increasingly unstable. Food has always seemed like a constant and accessible resource in the United States, but we may very well see the day when that idea is seriously threatened.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--MASS Salary Cuts On Top of MASS Unemployment! Permanently Crush Economy

Many who were fortunate enough to retain their job have been unable to retain their salary .
Stores are closing .
Many small businesses will be simply unable to recover .
Most industries suffered major setbacks which ultimately crushed their bottom line .
The stock market has ignored this key information but it really doesn ’ t matter , the Fed is here to tuck you in at night , and sing you a lullaby .
US Jobs News : Salaries Get Cut for Many Who Kept Their Jobs – Bloomberg Tuesday Morning is about to close 130 stores .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are Boeing is laying off more than 6,000 employees this week as coronavirus hurts demand Amtrak says it needs additional bailout of nearly $ 1.5 billion to stay afloat – The Washington Post An ‘ Avalanche of Evictions ’ Could Be Bearing Down on America ’ s Renters – Tounesna News Even In Well-To-Do Glen Ellyn , Food Pantries See Surge In Demand As Pandemic Hammers Economy – CBS Chicago Fed Beige Book : Many workers don ’ t want to come back to their jobs ( 2 ) Sven Henrich on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest asset bubble inside of a recession ever .
Total market cap to GDP exceeding 140 % in pre-market right into a key historic bear market rally resistance pivot as unemployment is exceeding 20 % w/ earnings growth -20 % for the year at least .
Dangerous.
” / Twitter Why your Social Security could be cut next year – MarketWatch

Many who were fortunate enough to retain their job have been unable to retain their salary. Stores are closing. Many small businesses will be simply unable to recover. Most industries suffered major setbacks which ultimately crushed their bottom line. The stock market has ignored this key information but it really doesn’t matter, the Fed is here to tuck you in at night, and sing you a lullaby.
US Jobs News: Salaries Get Cut for Many Who Kept Their Jobs – Bloomberg
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-27/salaries-get-chopped-for-many-americans-who-manage-to-keep-jobs
Tuesday Morning is about to close 130 stores. Here’s a map of where they are
www.cnbc.com/2020/05/27/tuesday-morning-is-about-to-close-130-stores-heres-a-map-of-where-they-are.html
CBS News Hit Hard by Layoffs: “Everyone Is Shocked” | Hollywood Reporter
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-news-hit-hard-by-layoffs-is-shocked-1296157
Boeing is laying off more than 6,000 employees this week as coronavirus hurts demand
www.cnbc.com/2020/05/27/boeing-to-begin-laying-off-thousands-of-employees-this-week.html
Amtrak says it needs additional bailout of nearly $1.5 billion to stay afloat – The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/05/26/amtrak-says-it-needs-another-15-billion-bailout-stay-afloat/
An ‘Avalanche of Evictions’ Could Be Bearing Down on America’s Renters – Tounesna News
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
tounesnanews.com/2020/05/27/an-avalanche-of-evictions-could-be-bearing-down-on-americas-renters/
Even In Well-To-Do Glen Ellyn, Food Pantries See Surge In Demand As Pandemic Hammers Economy – CBS Chicago
chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/05/27/even-in-well-to-do-glen-ellyn-food-pantries-see-surge-in-demand-as-pandemic-hammers-economy/
Fed Beige Book: Many workers don’t want to come back to their jobs
www.cnbc.com/2020/05/27/fed-beige-book-many-workers-dont-want-to-come-back-to-their-jobs.html
U.S. small firms leave $150 billion in coronavirus stimulus untapped – Reuters
www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-ppp/u-s-small-firms-leave-150-billion-in-coronavirus-stimulus-untapped-idUSKBN232199
(2) Sven Henrich on Twitter: “We’re witnessing the largest asset bubble inside of a recession ever. Total market cap to GDP exceeding 140% in pre-market right into a key historic bear market rally resistance pivot as unemployment is exceeding 20% w/ earnings growth -20% for the year at least. Dangerous.” / Twitter
twitter.com/NorthmanTrader/status/1265236313999114240
Why your Social Security could be cut next year – MarketWatch
www.marketwatch.com/story/why-your-social-security-could-be-cut-next-year-11590598671


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--James Carville Exposes the Sad Truth Behind Joe Biden’s Racist Comments

Chris Donaldson from Trending Politics reports , The condescending attitude that white Democrats hold for African-Americans has never been more @ @ @ @ @ following Joe Biden ’ s epic racist gaffe .
The presumptive nominee found himself at @ @ @ @ @ of controversy after he went on a radio show with a large black audience and @ @ @ @ @ that black people who vote for President Trump and not him “ ain ’ t @ @ @

Chris Donaldson from Trending Politics reports, The condescending attitude that white Democrats hold for African-Americans has never been more obvious than it is today following Joe Biden’s epic racist gaffe. The presumptive nominee found himself at the center of a firestorm of controversy after he went on a radio show with a large black audience and delivered the insulting racist remark that black people who vote for President Trump and not him “ain’t black.”
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Read More/Source/Credit/FairUse:
trendingpolitics.com/james-ca…


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--THe Shady Truth Behind USA Lockdown…

THe Shady Truth Behind USA Lockdown…

How a 14 year-old girl ’ s science project became the basis for ‘ shutting down America ’ … There was nothing normal about it all .
We ’ ll be trying to figure out what happened to us for decades hence .
Whatever the answer , it ’ s got to be a bizarre tale .
What ’ s truly surprising is just how recent the theory behind lockdown and forced distancing actually is .
So far as anyone can tell , the intellectual machinery that made this mess was invented 14 years ago , and not by epidemiologists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopted not by experienced doctors – they warned ferociously against it – but by politicians .
Let ’ s start with the phrase social distancing , which has mutated into forced human separation .
The first I had heard it was in the 2011 movie Contagion .
The first time it appeared in the New York Times was February 12 , 2006 : If the avian flu goes pandemic while Tamiflu and vaccines are still in short supply , experts say , the only protection most Americans will have is “ social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct way of saying “ quarantine.
” Maybe you don ’ t remember that the avian flu of 2006 didn ’ t amount to much .
It ’ s true , despite all the extreme warnings about its lethality , H5N1 didn ’ t turn into much at all .
What it did do , however , was send the existing president , George W. Bush , to the library to read about the 1918 flu and its catastrophic results .
He asked for some experts to submit some plans to him about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes along .
The New York Times ( April 22 , 2020 ) tells the story from there : Fourteen years ago , two federal government doctors , Richard Hatchett and Carter Mecher , met with a colleague at a burger joint in suburban Washington for a final review of a proposal they knew would be treated like a piñata : telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic .
When they presented their plan not long after , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridicule by senior officials , who like others in the United States had grown accustomed to relying on the pharmaceutical industry , with its ever-growing array of new treatments , to confront evolving health challenges .
Drs .
Hatchett and Mecher were proposing instead that Americans in some places might have to turn back to an approach , self-isolation , first widely employed in the Middle Ages .
How that idea — born out of a request by President George W. Bush to ensure the nation was better prepared for the next contagious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national playbook for responding to a pandemic is one of the untold stories of the coronavirus crisis .
It required the key proponents — Dr. Mecher , a Department of Veterans Affairs physician , and Dr. Hatchett , an oncologist turned White House adviser — to overcome intense initial opposition .
And it had some unexpected detours , including a deep dive into the history of the 1918 Spanish flu and an important discovery kicked off by a high school research project pursued by the daughter of a scientist at the Sandia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing is now intimately familiar to almost everyone .
But as it first made its way through the federal bureaucracy in 2006 and 2007 , it was viewed as impractical , unnecessary and politically infeasible .
Notice that in the course of this planning , neither legal nor economic experts were brought in to consult and advise .
Instead it fell to Mecher ( formerly of Chicago and an intensive care doctor with no previous expertise in pandemics ) and the oncologist Hatchett .
But what is this mention of the high-school daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M. Glass , and she recently declined to be interviewed when the Albuquerque Journal did a deep dive of this history .
Laura , with some guidance from her dad , devised a computer simulation that showed how people – family members , co-workers , students in schools , people in social situations – interact .
What she discovered was that school kids come in contact with about 140 people a day , more than any other group .
Based on that finding , her program showed that in a hypothetical town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a pandemic if no measures were taken , but only 500 would be infected if the schools were closed .
Laura ’ s name appears on the foundational paper arguing for lockdowns and forced human separation .
That paper is Targeted Social Distancing Designs for Pandemic Influenza ( 2006 ) .
It set out a model for forced separation and applied it with good results backwards in time to 1957 .
They conclude with a chilling call for what amounts to a totalitarian lockdown , all stated very matter-of-factly .
Implementation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely must be imposed for the duration of the local epidemic and possibly until a strain-specific vaccine is developed and distributed .
If compliance with the strategy is high over this period , an epidemic within a community can be averted .
However , if neighboring communities do not also use these interventions , infected neighbors will continue to introduce influenza and prolong the local epidemic , albeit at a depressed level more easily accommodated by healthcare systems .
In other words , it was a high-school science experiment that eventually became law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circuitous route propelled not by science but politics .
The primary author of this paper was Robert J .
Glass , a complex-systems analyst with Sandia National Laboratories .
He had no medical training , much less an expertise in immunology or epidemiology .
That explains why Dr. D.A .
Henderson , “ who had been the leader of the international effort to eradicate smallpox , ” completely rejected the whole scheme .
Dr. Henderson was convinced that it made no sense to force schools to close or public gatherings to stop .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at the mall .
School lunch programs would close , and impoverished children would not have enough to eat .
Hospital staffs would have a hard time going to work if their children were at home .
The measures embraced by Drs .
Mecher and Hatchett would “ result in significant disruption of the social functioning of communities and result in possibly serious economic problems , ” Dr. Henderson wrote in his own academic paper responding to their ideas .
The answer , he insisted , was to tough it out : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who get sick and work quickly to develop a vaccine to prevent it from coming back .
AIER ’ s Phil Magness got to work to find the literature responding to the 2006 paper by Robert and Sarah Glass and discovered the following manifesto : Disease Mitigation Measures in the Control of Pandemic Influenza .
The authors included D.A .
Henderson , along with three professors from Johns Hopkins : infectious disease specialist Thomas V.Inglesby , epidemiologist Jennifer B. Nuzzo , and physician Tara O ’ Toole .
Their paper is a remarkably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are no historical observations or scientific studies that support the confinement by quarantine of groups of possibly infected people for extended periods in order to slow the spread of influenza .
… It is difficult to identify circumstances in the past half-century when large-scale quarantine has been effectively used in the control of any disease .
The negative consequences of large-scale quarantine are so extreme ( forced confinement of sick people with the well ; complete restriction of movement of large populations ; difficulty in getting critical supplies , medicines , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone ) that this mitigation measure should be eliminated from serious consideration…

www.aier.org/article/the-2006-or…down-idea/
How a 14 year-old girl’s science project became the basis for ‘shutting down America’…
There was nothing normal about it all. We’ll be trying to figure out what happened to us for decades hence.
Whatever the answer, it’s got to be a bizarre tale. What’s truly surprising is just how recent the theory behind lockdown and forced distancing actually is. So far as anyone can tell, the intellectual machinery that made this mess was invented 14 years ago, and not by epidemiologists but by computer-simulation modelers. It was adopted not by experienced doctors – they warned ferociously against it – but by politicians.
Let’s start with the phrase social distancing, which has mutated into forced human separation. The first I had heard it was in the 2011 movie Contagion. The first time it appeared in the New York Times was February 12, 2006:
If the avian flu goes pandemic while Tamiflu and vaccines are still in short supply, experts say, the only protection most Americans will have is “social distancing,” which is the new politically correct way of saying “quarantine.”
Maybe you don’t remember that the avian flu of 2006 didn’t amount to much. It’s true, despite all the extreme warnings about its lethality, H5N1 didn’t turn into much at all. What it did do, however, was send the existing president, George W. Bush, to the library to read about the 1918 flu and its catastrophic results. He asked for some experts to submit some plans to him about what to do when the real thing comes along.
The New York Times (April 22, 2020) tells the story from there:
Fourteen years ago, two federal government doctors, Richard Hatchett and Carter Mecher, met with a colleague at a burger joint in suburban Washington for a final review of a proposal they knew would be treated like a piñata: telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic.
When they presented their plan not long after, it was met with skepticism and a degree of ridicule by senior officials, who like others in the United States had grown accustomed to relying on the pharmaceutical industry, with its ever-growing array of new treatments, to confront evolving health challenges.
Drs. Hatchett and Mecher were proposing instead that Americans in some places might have to turn back to an approach, self-isolation, first widely employed in the Middle Ages.
How that idea — born out of a request by President George W. Bush to ensure the nation was better prepared for the next contagious disease outbreak — became the heart of the national playbook for responding to a pandemic is one of the untold stories of the coronavirus crisis.
It required the key proponents — Dr. Mecher, a Department of Veterans Affairs physician, and Dr. Hatchett, an oncologist turned White House adviser — to overcome intense initial opposition.
And it had some unexpected detours, including a deep dive into the history of the 1918 Spanish flu and an important discovery kicked off by a high school research project pursued by the daughter of a scientist at the Sandia National Laboratories.
The concept of social distancing is now intimately familiar to almost everyone. But as it first made its way through the federal bureaucracy in 2006 and 2007, it was viewed as impractical, unnecessary and politically infeasible.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Notice that in the course of this planning, neither legal nor economic experts were brought in to consult and advise. Instead it fell to Mecher (formerly of Chicago and an intensive care doctor with no previous expertise in pandemics) and the oncologist Hatchett.
But what is this mention of the high-school daughter of 14? Her name is Laura M. Glass, and she recently declined to be interviewed when the Albuquerque Journal did a deep dive of this history.
Laura, with some guidance from her dad, devised a computer simulation that showed how people – family members, co-workers, students in schools, people in social situations – interact. What she discovered was that school kids come in contact with about 140 people a day, more than any other group. Based on that finding, her program showed that in a hypothetical town of 10,000 people, 5,000 would be infected during a pandemic if no measures were taken, but only 500 would be infected if the schools were closed.
Laura’s name appears on the foundational paper arguing for lockdowns and forced human separation. That paper is Targeted Social Distancing Designs for Pandemic Influenza (2006). It set out a model for forced separation and applied it with good results backwards in time to 1957. They conclude with a chilling call for what amounts to a totalitarian lockdown, all stated very matter-of-factly.
Implementation of social distancing strategies is challenging. They likely must be imposed for the duration of the local epidemic and possibly until a strain-specific vaccine is developed and distributed. If compliance with the strategy is high over this period, an epidemic within a community can be averted. However, if neighboring communities do not also use these interventions, infected neighbors will continue to introduce influenza and prolong the local epidemic, albeit at a depressed level more easily accommodated by healthcare systems.
In other words, it was a high-school science experiment that eventually became law of the land, and through a circuitous route propelled not by science but politics.
The primary author of this paper was Robert J. Glass, a complex-systems analyst with Sandia National Laboratories. He had no medical training, much less an expertise in immunology or epidemiology.
That explains why Dr. D.A. Henderson, “who had been the leader of the international effort to eradicate smallpox,” completely rejected the whole scheme.
Says the NYT:
Dr. Henderson was convinced that it made no sense to force schools to close or public gatherings to stop. Teenagers would escape their homes to hang out at the mall. School lunch programs would close, and impoverished children would not have enough to eat. Hospital staffs would have a hard time going to work if their children were at home.
The measures embraced by Drs. Mecher and Hatchett would “result in significant disruption of the social functioning of communities and result in possibly serious economic problems,” Dr. Henderson wrote in his own academic paper responding to their ideas.
The answer, he insisted, was to tough it out: Let the pandemic spread, treat people who get sick and work quickly to develop a vaccine to prevent it from coming back.
AIER’s Phil Magness got to work to find the literature responding to the 2006 paper by Robert and Sarah Glass and discovered the following manifesto: Disease Mitigation Measures in the Control of Pandemic Influenza. The authors included D.A. Henderson, along with three professors from Johns Hopkins: infectious disease specialist Thomas V.Inglesby, epidemiologist Jennifer B. Nuzzo, and physician Tara O’Toole.
Their paper is a remarkably readable refutation of the entire lock-down model.
There are no historical observations or scientific studies that support the confinement by quarantine of groups of possibly infected people for extended periods in order to slow the spread of influenza. … It is difficult to identify circumstances in the past half-century when large-scale quarantine has been effectively used in the control of any disease. The negative consequences of large-scale quarantine are so extreme (forced confinement of sick people with the well; complete restriction of movement of large populations; difficulty in getting critical supplies, medicines, and food to people inside the quarantine zone) that this mitigation measure should be eliminated from serious consideration…


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-29--VIX is rising and the Fed is withdrawing liquidity…. JPMorgan: We are dialing down our positive outl

VIX is rising and the Fed is withdrawing liquidity…. JPMorgan: We are dialing down our positive outlook on stocks…Credit Suisse: The Fed has created the illusion of years of forward earnings in 2 months with QE

by charvo
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Liquidity withdraw. Lowest weekly Fed stimulus since the market top. Not only that: Public debt increased ~4x the Fed’s $60B in the last 7 days! Largest net decline in Fed assets vs. government debt since the repo crisis started. Debt overhang sucking all new liquidity. pic.twitter.com/lcFjk2PuX5 — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) May 29, 2020
“We are dialing down our positive outlook” on stocks, says JPMorgan’s @MarkoKolanovic4. A delayed reopening of the economy (as #COVID19 gets politicized) and a “complete breakdown” of US/China relations “would justify equities trading drastically lower.” pic.twitter.com/hCRIIbK9m4 — Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) May 28, 2020
CREDIT SUISSE: THE FED HAS CREATED THE ILLUSION OF YEARS OF FORWARD EARNINGS IN 2 MONTHS WITH QE – CNBC bubble — FXHedge (@Fxhedgers) May 28, 2020
There is war of power.. i’m not surprised to see a real war.. china is getting stronger.. too much strong for trump pic.twitter.com/8Jv8AHhj59 — Alessio Urban (@AlessioUrban) May 28, 2020
It’s undeniable. Overwhelmingly bullish sentiment at record valuations. t.co/HqRTlOFWtK — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) May 29, 2020
They haven't been very good since 2013.
They certainly don't justify past or current valuations. t.co/fmTiKZhPTm — Jack Scott (@JackPScott) May 28, 2020
Sentiment & stock prices have continued to disconnect if looking particularly at UM’s measure of consumer confidence … spread between 1m % change in S&P 500 vs. UM sentiment has never been wider @WSJ @DowJones pic.twitter.com/ITRSEz9cp3 — Liz Ann Sonders (@LizAnnSonders) May 28, 2020
Latest survey from @doxo shows that individuals still very likely to delay bill payment, with rent topping list @SoberLook pic.twitter.com/E1GWgc486g — Liz Ann Sonders (@LizAnnSonders) May 28, 2020
– Parts of Minneapolis are burning – More than 40m jobs have been lost – On the 31st of July additional Federal unemployment payments end – Meanwhile Wall St heads ever higher after trillions in ongoing govt intervention It sounds like a scenario from a dystopian novel pic.twitter.com/4kDmbW3c7x — Avid Commentator 🇦🇺 (@AvidCommentator) May 29, 2020
Live footage of Amy Klobuchar’s VP chances t.co/7GZOs3FpQY — Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) May 29, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-30--John Rubino: ‘Normal is never going to happen again’

It keeps getting better .
Japan announces a $ 1.1 trillion bailout plan , which equals 40 percent of their GDP .
The EU just announced an $ 826 billion liquidity plan .
Lufthansa gets $ 10 billion bailout offer but doesn ’ t like the strings that came with it .
Economies around the world are starting to reopen .
Korea is having issues .
In the US and elsewhere things are going pretty well .
No vaccine or cure coming soon , but not being able to reopen assures an endless depression .
However , the debt continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the most likely result , but we could encounter a hyperinflationary bubble .
You can create the illusion of health and normality by increasing debt , but is the latest debt enough to do it ?
The next year is going to be really interesting .
If we don ’ t go back into lockdown , we ’ ll see how everyone handles the increased debt burden .
Corporations have been on a borrowing binge this last month .
They maxxed out their credit lines and issued new bonds to cover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and manager of the popular financial website DollarCollapse.com .
Mr. Rubino is the co-author , with GoldMoney ’ s James Turk , of The Money Bubble and The Collapse of the Dollar and How to Profit from It .
He spent the 1980 ’ s on Wall Street as a Eurodollar trader , equity analyst and junk bond analyst .
During the 1990 ’ s he was a featured columnist with TheStreet.com and a frequent contributor to Individual Investor , Online Investor , and Consumers Digest , among many other publications .
He @ @ @ @ @ @

Financial Survival Network, Released on 5/29/20
It keeps getting better. Japan announces a $1.1 trillion bailout plan, which equals 40 percent of their GDP. The EU just announced an $826 billion liquidity plan. Lufthansa gets $10 billion bailout offer but doesn’t like the strings that came with it. Economies around the world are starting to reopen. Korea is having issues. In the US and elsewhere things are going pretty well. No vaccine or cure coming soon, but not being able to reopen assures an endless depression. However, the debt continues to increase geometrically. Stagflation seems to be the most likely result, but we could encounter a hyperinflationary bubble. You can create the illusion of health and normality by increasing debt, but is the latest debt enough to do it? The next year is going to be really interesting. If we don’t go back into lockdown, we’ll see how everyone handles the increased debt burden. Corporations have been on a borrowing binge this last month. They maxxed out their credit lines and issued new bonds to cover the difference.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
John Rubino is the founder and manager of the popular financial website DollarCollapse.com. Mr. Rubino is the co-author, with GoldMoney’s James Turk, of The Money Bubble and The Collapse of the Dollar and How to Profit from It. He spent the 1980’s on Wall Street as a Eurodollar trader, equity analyst and junk bond analyst. During the 1990’s he was a featured columnist with TheStreet.com and a frequent contributor to Individual Investor, Online Investor, and Consumers Digest, among many other publications. He currently writes for CFA Magazine.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-30--Most of us have a severe dopamine addiction, causing us to be depressed, anxious, isolated, lonely,

Most of us have a severe dopamine addiction, causing us to be depressed, anxious, isolated, lonely, and never satisfied.

Mayoclinic describes the following symptoms for alcohol addiction : • Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink • Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so • Spending a lot of time drinking , getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use • Failing to fulfill major obligations at work , school or home due to repeated alcohol use • Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it ’ s causing physical , social or interpersonal problems • Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not safe , such as when driving or swimming • Developing a tolerance to alcohol so you need more to feel its effect or you have a reduced effect from the same amount • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea , sweating and shaking — when you don ’ t drink , or drinking to avoid these symptoms Now replace “ drink alcohol ” with “ using your phone ” .
The symptoms still make sense .
I have a feeling most of us , if not all , have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media , news media , porn , video games , television , etc .
Here is a really good video that describes this : youtu.be/NMq_MyOFtW8 This causes us all to feel lonely , isolated , unfulfilled , depressed , and anxious .
The solutions that are fed to us via advertising through media is to take medication to become happy again , or play a new game , watch porn , purchase a product , or post a new picture on social media to get a shot of dopamine via “ likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very thing that keeps us addicted and coming back for more .
Doing “ hard ” things isn ’ t fun and we avoid them , like starting a business or learning a new talent .
Basically anything that isn ’ t an easy , fast , reward .
Today I am going to start a dopamine detox : youtu.be/9QiE-M1LrZk I will report back in a couple weeks to let you know how it goes and if my mood or life improves in any way .
My plans are to : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as messaging , calling someone , music , or Googling something like a recipe or tutorial for a home project • No social media of any kind , including reddit • Leave my phone at home when I go out unless I am going somewhere new ( for maps ) Let ’ s see what happens .

by mamaluigi007
Mayoclinic describes the following symptoms for alcohol addiction:
Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so
Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use
Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol
Failing to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home due to repeated alcohol use
Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it’s causing physical, social or interpersonal problems
Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies
Using alcohol in situations where it’s not safe, such as when driving or swimming
Developing a tolerance to alcohol so you need more to feel its effect or you have a reduced effect from the same amount
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea, sweating and shaking — when you don’t drink, or drinking to avoid these symptoms
Now replace “drink alcohol” with “using your phone”. The symptoms still make sense.
I have a feeling most of us, if not all, have a sever dopamine addiction caused by overuse of social media, news media, porn, video games, television, etc. Here is a really good video that describes this: youtu.be/NMq_MyOFtW8
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
This causes us all to feel lonely, isolated, unfulfilled, depressed, and anxious. The solutions that are fed to us via advertising through media is to take medication to become happy again, or play a new game, watch porn, purchase a product, or post a new picture on social media to get a shot of dopamine via “likes”. The “cure” is the very thing that keeps us addicted and coming back for more.
Doing “hard” things isn’t fun and we avoid them, like starting a business or learning a new talent. Basically anything that isn’t an easy, fast, reward. Today I am going to start a dopamine detox: youtu.be/9QiE-M1LrZk
I will report back in a couple weeks to let you know how it goes and if my mood or life improves in any way. My plans are to:
Only use my phone for direct communication such as messaging, calling someone, music, or Googling something like a recipe or tutorial for a home project
No social media of any kind, including reddit
Leave my phone at home when I go out unless I am going somewhere new (for maps)
No video games or TV
Let’s see what happens.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-30--Nothing Inappropriate – DNI John Ratcliffe Releases Wiretapped Flynn-Kislyak Transcripts…

DNI John Ratcliffe has released the transcripts and FBI generated summaries known as “ CR cuts ” from the telephone calls between incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
[ pdf version here ] .
A fast review of the transcripts ( also embed below ) shows there was nothing inappropriate or improper about the conversations at all .
Quite the opposite : Lt. General Flynn was direct , diplomatic , polite and represented the interests of U.S. policy from both the outgoing Obama administration and incoming Trump administration .
The views expressed by Lt. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing Obama policy nor did they undermine any position during the transition .
Any media reporting to the contrary was completely false .
The FBI summaries or “ CR Cuts ” , created by FBI analysts , are what FBI Director James Comey gave to former DNI James Clapper on January 4th , for use in briefing former President Obama .
The summaries are FBI interpretations of what the calls contained .
It has been my long-standing suspicion the FBI summaries ( CR Cuts ) will not accurately reflect the content of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI to give a false impression that Flynn was undermining Obama .
I am doing that comparison now .

DNI John Ratcliffe has released the transcripts and FBI generated summaries known as “CR cuts” from the telephone calls between incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. [pdf version here].
A fast review of the transcripts (also embed below) shows there was nothing inappropriate or improper about the conversations at all. Quite the opposite: Lt. General Flynn was direct, diplomatic, polite and represented the interests of U.S. policy from both the outgoing Obama administration and incoming Trump administration.
The views expressed by Lt. General Flynn did not impede or obstruct outgoing Obama policy nor did they undermine any position during the transition. Any media reporting to the contrary was completely false.
The FBI summaries or “CR Cuts”, created by FBI analysts, are what FBI Director James Comey gave to former DNI James Clapper on January 4th, for use in briefing former President Obama. The summaries are FBI interpretations of what the calls contained.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
It has been my long-standing suspicion the FBI summaries (CR Cuts) will not accurately reflect the content of the calls; and were purposefully manipulated by the FBI to give a false impression that Flynn was undermining Obama. I am doing that comparison now.
Here’s the summaries and transcripts:
.
More to follow…


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-30--(2008) R.I.P. “Peak Oil!” (2020) R.I.P. “Climate Change!”

Events likely to happen during the remaining 7 months of 2020 : * Terrible GDP numbers * Terrible Retail Sales @ @ @ @ @ * US U6 Unemployment rate ( now 23 % ) that fails to drop * @ @ @ @ @ Currency Crisis * Oil Crisis for producers ( state and private ) once low prices @ @ @ @ @ in December Suggest more for this list…..

by mark000
Events likely to happen during the remaining 7 months of 2020:
* Terrible GDP numbers
* Terrible Retail Sales numbers
* Crashing House prices
* US U6 Unemployment rate (now 23%) that fails to drop
* European Banking Crisis
* EM Currency Crisis
* Oil Crisis for producers (state and private) once low prices finally bite
* Hard Brexit in December
Suggest more for this list…..


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-30--China’s Stability Control: CCP Monitors and Traces All Chinese People

A Chinese citizen shared a personal experience on social media that reveals how tightly the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP @ @ @ @ @ .
A local Disease Prevention and Control Center called him when he was on a @ @ @ @ @ ’ t answer the call as he was on another call .
Then the center @ @ @ @ @ to him and asked that person to inform him to answer its call .
However @ @ @ @ @ next-seat didn ’ t buy a ticket at the bus station ( where the authorities @ @ @ @ @ information ) .
He just got on the bus and bought the ticket .
So @ @ @ @ @ out about him in order to call him ?
Could this happen here ?

A Chinese citizen shared a personal experience on social media that reveals how tightly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is monitoring its people.
A local Disease Prevention and Control Center called him when he was on a long-distance bus. He didn’t answer the call as he was on another call. Then the center called the person sitting next to him and asked that person to inform him to answer its call.
However, the person in the next-seat didn’t buy a ticket at the bus station (where the authorities could have collected his contact information). He just got on the bus and bought the ticket. So how did the authorities find out about him in order to call him?
chinascope.org/archives/23404?doing_wp_cron=1590770191.8905138969421386718750
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Good question.
Could this happen here?
h/t Lily