investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--A September to Remember

A September to Remember

As you read this recounting of September ’ s economic reports , here ’ s some reminiscent music by Ed Ames in his own autumn years to help you remember better times as a harsh autumn and deep winter appear likely in our future .
We may not want to remember any of 2020 because it has been one of the strangest years any of us have ever known .
September , however , gave us a little reprieve — now fading — a calm beneath clouds of black swans that could alight anywhere at any time .
These circled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smokey wreath that has , so far , delivered month after month of dark surprises .
Sure , the stock market fell most of the month , but it started recovering toward the end of September , though it still ended the month down from where it was at the end of August .
Then , by the end of the month , we got our first graying news that summer ’ s economic recovery was waning .
That came in a frosty jobs report that showed the jobs market was cooling off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so early in the recovery process , showing us that recovery was not as near or as complete as many had hoped .
However , the jobs news at the start of the month was pleasant .
( I ’ ll cover all of that in a separate article , though , because the summer jobs picture was complicated and deserves to stand on its own . )
Reports of how the economy shifted during September , when those reports arrive in October , may be another story ; but most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in balmy August and through the summer of our economic reopening .
So , they recollect back to the slightly sunnier times of summer ’ s economic reopening .
The political battle remained fairly calm through most of September , and even the riots in the streets grew perhaps a little less noisy .
Through the din that did continue , if you listened hard you could maybe , maybe ever so faintly remember the peacefulness of Septembers long past .
The black swans of COVID had not , yet , landed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are circling it like vultures and could change the course of the election that already looked like a sack of troubles .
October turned downright weird — even Halloweenish — with the most rancorous presidential debate in history .
Then , just a couple of days after the debate , COVID removed the president from the campaign trail , quarantining him first in the hospital and then in the White House .
Meanwhile , the VP debate got overshadowed by a fly and a pink eye .
As a result of it all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls , while stocks started mysteriously rising again , even though stimulus talks also broke up and faded .
Some analysts say stocks rose , in spite of the failure of stimulus talks , because the growing divide in the polls reduced the risk of a national crisis that many have been fearing .
Neither side in the presidential race has seemed ready to cede if the election results are ambiguous .
What if Trump wins on November 3rd but then the mail-in ballots that are expected to run more to the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in over the days that follow ?
Will Trump yell “ fraud ” and refuse to hand over the reins ?
What if there are glitches in the mail that give a basis for contending the results if ballots are found that did not get delivered and Biden loses by the tiniest of margins ?
Will Biden yell “ fraud ?
” Or what if the election plays out just like the last presidential election where Trump closes in for a surprise come-from-behind victory with the electoral college vote , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither side looking willing to concede and supporter on both sides looking ready to fight , November could take the lid off smoldering riots and explode into a social crisis of warring sides that spooks the market right into the pits of hell .
Or it could just all blow away as nothing .
As you read September ’ s reports , remember they are mostly about what happened in August when the reopening of the economy was still fairly fresh .
With no further adieu , as we move into the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House lights flickering due to plague , let us first consider the twinkling light of consumer sentiment .
In August , consumer sentiment fell back into its abyss : Over the summer , consumer confidence slowly eroded after a slight bump in June : But then September brought some hope back into the picture : The “ highest since March ” sounds really good , but here is what that really looks like : When people are talking about consumer sentiment remaining strong , you have to keep the broader picture in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , September was a little upbeat compared to the rest of summer , and I suppose we ’ ll be glad to take what little we could get .
The concern expressed in the quotes above is that sentiment will sink if and when government stimulus and mandated housing forbearance end and people start to feel the actual pain of their job losses .
If Democrats take over all the reins of government , we will have shiploads of stimulus because no debt is too great under the Modern Monetary Theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If , however , Republicans win or government remains divided , stimulus is clearly less certain .
We ’ ll get something , but not as much .
If Biden wins , but Republicans keep the senate we could even get nothing due to the same kind of obstructionist government we saw under John Boehner , who told his party at the start of Obama ’ s first term during one of the nation ’ s worse recessions , “ Even if you like what Obama proposes , vote against it .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama.
” ( My paraphrase from memory . )
Better , in other words , to let the country flail along than to let Obama get the credit for its recovery and get re-elected .
The only sentiment left in congress is rancor .
Republicans will want Biden to start his term handicapped just as Trump began his under the dark clouds of suspicion whipped up by Democrats over Russian connections that never existed .
One thing I ’ ve observed about both parties is that they have both devolved into becoming so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country now , even in our worst hours .
This is the weirdest recession in history because it is the only recession where unemployment hit historic record highs while personal income also hit historic record highs .
The latter point answers the question raised above as to why consumer sentiment remains strong .
Zero Hedge notes that during this time , government transfer payments constituted an unheard of 30 % of all personal income !
Just like the government ’ s debt , government transfer payments to citizens ballooned over past decades , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than it did even during the Great Recession : That Atlas-like lift is why we ’ re not feeling the pain of this recession nearly as much as we would expect to for something that is really a deep depression .
The income boost has been from all those government stimulus programs , while the cost of living was reduced at the same time by government-mandated mortgage and rent forbearance .
Economist David Rosenberg described bleak times immediately ahead even with all of that intervention that has happened : September coasted through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which only means we will feel catastrophe at its worst if the stimulus and forbearance measures do not return ; but how long can the government keep such mythology-scale measures going ?
Fortunately , consumers have been smart enough to save a lot of this government magic for rainy days ahead , and that may soften the slide into depression if the government fails to maintain provisions during the hostile intermission between the election and January , should Biden win and Republicans remain in control of the senate … or should any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned above play out .
For the present , all we know is that all of that stimulus is fading and new stimulus is finding a tougher time making it through congress as the two major parties hold American hostage , using or withholding stimulus to jockey for position in the rapidly approaching election .
That , of course , could change in a day .
Here is a quick recap of September ’ s other economic headlines .
The Wall Street Journal reported “ Manhattan Offices Are Nearly Empty , Threatening New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yelp Reveals 60 % Of Business Closures Are Now Permanent.
” Zero Hedge referred to this as a measure of “ deep economic scarring.
” Between mid-July , when I think I last reported on this , the number of businesses that moved from “ temporarily closed ” on Yelp to “ permanently closed ” increased another 23 % by the end of August .
News for restaurants and theaters remained dismal through the end of Summer with a post-Labor-Day drop of diners almost back to June ’ s pandemic levels .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down 74 % , putting a big strain on surrounding businesses that cater to those office workers .
Airlines got a tiny bump in August , but by mid-September remained down 68 % from where they were pre-crisis .
Similarly , “ Movie theaters in jeopardy as studios move blockbusters to 2021 , audiences stay home.
” None of that looks likely to improve anytime soon because automobile traffic counts for major metropolitan areas remained way down even by the end of September .
We ’ re in the final quarter of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation where no one is going to restaurants , malls , movie theaters or hotels while flu season is just beginning .
The “ ISM Services Survey Weakened In August Amid “ Highly Uncertain Path Ahead.
” Technically , services were still expanding , but just not as quickly .
So , September ’ s report for August was that kind of good news that just wasn ’ t as good as you would have hoped — like getting the basketball on your tenth birthday when you were hoping for a bicycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To Highest Since 2008.
” So much for winning the trade wars .
Thanks to COVID , trade has rarely looked worse , and is certainly far worse than it was at the start of the Trump era or where it was after it had started recovering from the trade wars in late 2019 .
After rising in the first couple of months or reopening , US goods orders fell off slightly in August : Not enough to matter , perhaps , but you can see it matches exactly with where the trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .
Parts of the Northwest and Midwest are now experiencing a resurgence in COVID-19 hospitalizations , as was feared for the fall .
Even if the start of flu season doesn ’ t spread COVID worse , all those runny noses and coughing mouths from normal colds are certainly not going to make “ consumers ” want to consume any thing or any service around other people when they have no idea what is causing all the coughing and sneezing .
Restaurants that saw some reprieve due to outside dining during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find many people wanting to eat outdoors in the wind and rain either .
Housing sales normally decline this time of year , too .
So , even if we do get more stimulus , the slight reprieve that came in September may not be able to find traction on the autumn frost .
And then there is that third phase I talked about months ago — the chill winter of this crisis we ’ ve built around COVID .
After the brief second phase , which I promised would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer months of reopening , comes the third phase of this crisis I ’ ve written about where the damage that remains after reopening has run its course starts to knock over other dominoes that haven ’ t fallen yet .
So , as we now move into the spiteful winds of a chilly election season , sooth yourself with the final words of the song shared above : … and remember the green fields of sunnier times .

by David Haggith
Try to remember the kind of September, When life was slow and oh so mellow. Try to remember the kind of September When grass was green and grain was yellow. Try to remember the kind of September When you were a tender and callow fellow…. –Tom Jones
As you read this recounting of September’s economic reports, here’s some reminiscent music by Ed Ames in his own autumn years to help you remember better times as a harsh autumn and deep winter appear likely in our future.
We may not want to remember any of 2020 because it has been one of the strangest years any of us have ever known. September, however, gave us a little reprieve — now fading — a calm beneath clouds of black swans that could alight anywhere at any time. These circled the entire world this year like a smokey wreath that has, so far, delivered month after month of dark surprises.
Sure, the stock market fell most of the month, but it started recovering toward the end of September, though it still ended the month down from where it was at the end of August. Then, by the end of the month, we got our first graying news that summer’s economic recovery was waning.
That came in a frosty jobs report that showed the jobs market was cooling off more than economists had expected to see so early in the recovery process, showing us that recovery was not as near or as complete as many had hoped. However, the jobs news at the start of the month was pleasant. (I’ll cover all of that in a separate article, though, because the summer jobs picture was complicated and deserves to stand on its own.)
Reports of how the economy shifted during September, when those reports arrive in October, may be another story; but most of the tales told in September were about what happened in balmy August and through the summer of our economic reopening. So, they recollect back to the slightly sunnier times of summer’s economic reopening.
The political battle remained fairly calm through most of September, and even the riots in the streets grew perhaps a little less noisy. Through the din that did continue, if you listened hard you could maybe, maybe ever so faintly remember the peacefulness of Septembers long past. The black swans of COVID had not, yet, landed upon the White House. Now they are circling it like vultures and could change the course of the election that already looked like a sack of troubles.
October turned downright weird — even Halloweenish — with the most rancorous presidential debate in history. Then, just a couple of days after the debate, COVID removed the president from the campaign trail, quarantining him first in the hospital and then in the White House. Meanwhile, the VP debate got overshadowed by a fly and a pink eye. As a result of it all, Team Trump slid backward in the polls, while stocks started mysteriously rising again, even though stimulus talks also broke up and faded.
Some analysts say stocks rose, in spite of the failure of stimulus talks, because the growing divide in the polls reduced the risk of a national crisis that many have been fearing. Neither side in the presidential race has seemed ready to cede if the election results are ambiguous.
What if Trump wins on November 3rd but then the mail-in ballots that are expected to run more to the Democratic side slowly swamp that victory as they come in over the days that follow? Will Trump yell “fraud” and refuse to hand over the reins?
What if there are glitches in the mail that give a basis for contending the results if ballots are found that did not get delivered and Biden loses by the tiniest of margins? Will Biden yell “fraud?”
Or what if the election plays out just like the last presidential election where Trump closes in for a surprise come-from-behind victory with the electoral college vote, even though Biden wins the popular vote?
With neither side looking willing to concede and supporter on both sides looking ready to fight, November could take the lid off smoldering riots and explode into a social crisis of warring sides that spooks the market right into the pits of hell.
Or it could just all blow away as nothing.
As you read September’s reports, remember they are mostly about what happened in August when the reopening of the economy was still fairly fresh. With no further adieu, as we move into the final weeks of the election season with the White House lights flickering due to plague, let us first consider the twinkling light of consumer sentiment.
September’s sentimental journey
“The real question in my mind is why consumers are so upbeat and why they remain upbeat. Until I can answer that, I don’t know how persistent the expansion is going to be,” said Drew Matus, chief market strategist at MetLife Investment Management. “People are underestimating how long the impact of what we’ve been through is going to last. In that regard, there’s some downside risk to the outlook.” CNBC
Let’s explore that question.
In August, consumer sentiment fell back into its abyss:
Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of the U.S. gross domestic product, making it the single most important factor in recovering from one of the worst recessions on record. AP
Over the summer, consumer confidence slowly eroded after a slight bump in June:
As autumn approached with no sign of an end to the pandemic and further aid tied up in Congress, consumers appeared to be retreating once more. Analysts and economists are concerned that consumers will fall back and hunker down once again without any additional money from the government…. “It remains to be seen whether we will see that recovery continue now that these supplemental payments have stopped,” said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network.
But then September brought some hope back into the picture:
Consumer sentiment hits a six-month high in September for best reading since COVID-19 erupted The index now sits at the highest level since the pandemic erupted in March, mirroring the results of other household surveys. MarketWatch
The “highest since March” sounds really good, but here is what that really looks like:
When people are talking about consumer sentiment remaining strong, you have to keep the broader picture in perspective to understand what that really means. Still, September was a little upbeat compared to the rest of summer, and I suppose we’ll be glad to take what little we could get.
The concern expressed in the quotes above is that sentiment will sink if and when government stimulus and mandated housing forbearance end and people start to feel the actual pain of their job losses. If Democrats take over all the reins of government, we will have shiploads of stimulus because no debt is too great under the Modern Monetary Theory that is seeping through the party.
If, however, Republicans win or government remains divided, stimulus is clearly less certain. We’ll get something, but not as much. If Biden wins, but Republicans keep the senate we could even get nothing due to the same kind of obstructionist government we saw under John Boehner, who told his party at the start of Obama’s first term during one of the nation’s worse recessions, “Even if you like what Obama proposes, vote against it. We don’t want another term of Obama.” (My paraphrase from memory.) Better, in other words, to let the country flail along than to let Obama get the credit for its recovery and get re-elected.
The only sentiment left in congress is rancor. Republicans will want Biden to start his term handicapped just as Trump began his under the dark clouds of suspicion whipped up by Democrats over Russian connections that never existed. One thing I’ve observed about both parties is that they have both devolved into becoming so polarized they always put party ahead of country now, even in our worst hours.
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We’re in the world’s weirdest recession
This is the weirdest recession in history because it is the only recession where unemployment hit historic record highs while personal income also hit historic record highs. The latter point answers the question raised above as to why consumer sentiment remains strong.
Zero Hedge notes that during this time, government transfer payments constituted an unheard of 30% of all personal income! Just like the government’s debt, government transfer payments to citizens ballooned over past decades, but then skyrocketed under the Covidcrisis far more than it did even during the Great Recession:
That Atlas-like lift is why we’re not feeling the pain of this recession nearly as much as we would expect to for something that is really a deep depression. The income boost has been from all those government stimulus programs, while the cost of living was reduced at the same time by government-mandated mortgage and rent forbearance.
The problem is that should this firehose of benefits slow – or close completely – the economic collapse that was mitigated drastically thanks to the covid fiscal stimulus, will come back with a horrific vengeance. Zero Hedge
Economist David Rosenberg described bleak times immediately ahead even with all of that intervention that has happened:
“A Washington Post/University of Maryland poll shows that only 56% of consumers across the nation intend to shop at the supermarket, which I suppose is a continuous bullish data point for delivery services but that’s about it. Just 33% say they are comfortable entering a retail store. And a mere 22% say they are willing to dine in a sit-in restaurant. “All these polls say basically the same thing—it will not be ‘business as usual,’ as the bulls will try and convince you, and the best we can hope for is a partial recovery. I mean, at best. What we had on our hands was a vertical down economic decline with job losses an order of magnitude higher than anything we have witnessed since the Great Depression. So, even as the stock market is telling you it has it all figured out, I can assure you that what we face at this very moment is a very uncertain economic future. And unfortunately, most of the longer-term risks are to the downside. “We are in a depression—not a recession, but a depression.
September coasted through on the coattails of months of stimulus, which only means we will feel catastrophe at its worst if the stimulus and forbearance measures do not return; but how long can the government keep such mythology-scale measures going?
Fortunately, consumers have been smart enough to save a lot of this government magic for rainy days ahead, and that may soften the slide into depression if the government fails to maintain provisions during the hostile intermission between the election and January, should Biden win and Republicans remain in control of the senate … or should any of the other weird contested political scenarios mentioned above play out.
For the present, all we know is that all of that stimulus is fading and new stimulus is finding a tougher time making it through congress as the two major parties hold American hostage, using or withholding stimulus to jockey for position in the rapidly approaching election. That, of course, could change in a day.
A September to remember
Here is a quick recap of September’s other economic headlines.
The Wall Street Journal reported “Manhattan Offices Are Nearly Empty, Threatening New York City’s Recovery.”
“Yelp Reveals 60% Of Business Closures Are Now Permanent.” Zero Hedge referred to this as a measure of “deep economic scarring.” Between mid-July, when I think I last reported on this, the number of businesses that moved from “temporarily closed” on Yelp to “permanently closed” increased another 23% by the end of August.
News for restaurants and theaters remained dismal through the end of Summer with a post-Labor-Day drop of diners almost back to June’s pandemic levels. People going to work at the office remained down 74%, putting a big strain on surrounding businesses that cater to those office workers. Airlines got a tiny bump in August, but by mid-September remained down 68% from where they were pre-crisis.
Similarly, “Movie theaters in jeopardy as studios move blockbusters to 2021, audiences stay home.”
None of that looks likely to improve anytime soon because automobile traffic counts for major metropolitan areas remained way down even by the end of September. We’re in the final quarter of the year, and we are still in a situation where no one is going to restaurants, malls, movie theaters or hotels while flu season is just beginning.
The theater industry is “not going to recover fully until consumers are confident that they won’t die if they go to the movies,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush. CNBC
The “ISM Services Survey Weakened In August Amid “Highly Uncertain Path Ahead.” Technically, services were still expanding, but just not as quickly. So, September’s report for August was that kind of good news that just wasn’t as good as you would have hoped — like getting the basketball on your tenth birthday when you were hoping for a bicycle.
The leading economic index rose 1.2% in August, the Conference Board said Friday. This is a slower pace than the revised 2% rise in July and 3.1% gain in June. “The slowing of the improvement suggests that this summer’s economic rebound may be losing steam heading into the final stretch of 2020,” MarketWatch
The “US Trade Deficit Soared To Highest Since 2008.” So much for winning the trade wars. Thanks to COVID, trade has rarely looked worse, and is certainly far worse than it was at the start of the Trump era or where it was after it had started recovering from the trade wars in late 2019.
After rising in the first couple of months or reopening, US goods orders fell off slightly in August:
Not enough to matter, perhaps, but you can see it matches exactly with where the trend line from mid-2018 on would put it today.
(And that was the news in a fairly calm month. The two warmest tailwinds of September were jobs and housing. Because the nation’s employment situation was more complicated over the summer and being the most important factor, I’ll cover it in the next day or two in a separate article. Jobs were an area of some warmth during the summer that experienced an unexpected chill just as fall hit near the end of September. Likewise with housing, which remained a bright spot clear through September. There is enough involved in each of those topics to merit articles of their own.)
December is coming
Parts of the Northwest and Midwest are now experiencing a resurgence in COVID-19 hospitalizations, as was feared for the fall. Even if the start of flu season doesn’t spread COVID worse, all those runny noses and coughing mouths from normal colds are certainly not going to make “consumers” want to consume any thing or any service around other people when they have no idea what is causing all the coughing and sneezing.
Restaurants that saw some reprieve due to outside dining during the warm summer weather aren’t going to find many people wanting to eat outdoors in the wind and rain either. Housing sales normally decline this time of year, too. So, even if we do get more stimulus, the slight reprieve that came in September may not be able to find traction on the autumn frost.
And then there is that third phase I talked about months ago — the chill winter of this crisis we’ve built around COVID. After the brief second phase, which I promised would be a rapid but incomplete recovery during the initial summer months of reopening, comes the third phase of this crisis I’ve written about where the damage that remains after reopening has run its course starts to knock over other dominoes that haven’t fallen yet.
Going into 2021, it seems most likely that growth will turn back into negative territory. This will come as a rise in permnant unemployment causes a decline in consumer spending. Additionally, many governments will see a severe decline in revenue this year which may force them to reduce fiscal spending next year. California is already struggling to figure out how it will recoup losses and balance its budget. It seems the COVID-crash was truly a catalyst for a long-lasting economic slowdown. The short-term impacts (lockdowns, small business furloughs, etc) are now largely in the past while the long-term impacts (decline in fiscal spending, white-collar layoffs, pressure on banks) are coming into play. Seeking Alpha
So, as we now move into the spiteful winds of a chilly election season, sooth yourself with the final words of the song shared above:
Deep in December it’s nice to remember, although you know the snow will follow. Deep in December it’s nice to remember without a hurt the heart is hollow. Deep in December it’s nice to remember the fire of September that made us mellow. –Tom Jones
… and remember the green fields of sunnier times.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Paul Gosar Introduce Bill H.R.8515 to Prevent Unwanted Anti-Social Media Man

Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Paul Gosar Introduce Bill H.R.8515 to Prevent Unwanted Anti-Social Media Manipulation

As a bonus — the text of the bill is still not available ; I wonder if it ’ s just a normal delay in receiving the bill , or whether there ’ s an extra conspiracy going on against this bipartisan bill .
I think it ’ s an interesting development regarding Section 230 .
The common complaint nowadays that content curation is often biased , and it ’ s my understanding that this bill will remove some liability from companies who attempt to do things in a biased way .
Washington , DC—On Friday , Reps. Tulsi Gabbard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AZ-04 ) introduced H.R.8515 , the Don ’ t Push My Buttons Act , a bill which would reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by limiting immunity from liability for online platforms that curate content for users based on collected personal data , unless users explicitly choose to receive curated content .
“ Anti-social media companies treat us like products , exploiting and dehumanizing us for their own profits , without regard for the consequences .
They intentionally create and fuel conflict and hate , causing physical , spiritual and mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us apart and destroying our nation , ” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard .
“ Our legislation takes the power out of the hands of anti-social media corporations and puts it into the hands of the people who use their platforms .
We , the people , get to decide whether to subject ourselves to their manipulative algorithms .
Their failure to comply lifts all legal immunity they currently enjoy so we can hold them accountable and liable for the devastation and suffering they leave in their wake.
” “ Tech companies are making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are collecting user data and manipulating users , often unwittingly .
Some may find content curation options convenient , but many users are creeped out and manipulated by data collection and content curation regarding personal habits , preferences , or beliefs .
The Don ’ t Push My Buttons Act empowers users to choose , or decline , custom content curation based on collected personal data , empowering users to protect themselves from unwanted manipulation online , ” said Rep. Paul Gosar .
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally provides liability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by third-party users .
The regulation creates a “ Good Samaritan ” liability protection for those running interactive computer services should they remove third-party materials deemed obscene or objectionable so long as it is done in good faith .
The 1996 law sought to correct a New York State Supreme Court decision that held that an online bulletin board could be considered liable for the ostensibly defamatory posts of its users because it moderated posts and therefore acted analogously to a newspaper .
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i ’ s Second District , and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees .
She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee .
She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010 , and prior to that at age 21 , was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2002 , becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state .
Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard for over 17 years , is a veteran of two Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Major in the Army Reserves .
Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard…

As a bonus — the text of the bill is still not available; I wonder if it’s just a normal delay in receiving the bill, or whether there’s an extra conspiracy going on against this bipartisan bill.
I think it’s an interesting development regarding Section 230. The common complaint nowadays that content curation is often biased, and it’s my understanding that this bill will remove some liability from companies who attempt to do things in a biased way.
Washington, DC—On Friday, Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Paul Gosar (AZ-04) introduced H.R.8515, the Don’t Push My Buttons Act, a bill which would reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by limiting immunity from liability for online platforms that curate content for users based on collected personal data, unless users explicitly choose to receive curated content.
“Anti-social media companies treat us like products, exploiting and dehumanizing us for their own profits, without regard for the consequences. They intentionally create and fuel conflict and hate, causing physical, spiritual and mental suffering and pain. They are tearing us apart and destroying our nation,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. “Our legislation takes the power out of the hands of anti-social media corporations and puts it into the hands of the people who use their platforms. We, the people, get to decide whether to subject ourselves to their manipulative algorithms. Their failure to comply lifts all legal immunity they currently enjoy so we can hold them accountable and liable for the devastation and suffering they leave in their wake.”
“Tech companies are making users the product. Google and others are collecting user data and manipulating users, often unwittingly. Some may find content curation options convenient, but many users are creeped out and manipulated by data collection and content curation regarding personal habits, preferences, or beliefs. The Don’t Push My Buttons Act empowers users to choose, or decline, custom content curation based on collected personal data, empowering users to protect themselves from unwanted manipulation online,” said Rep. Paul Gosar.
Background: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally provides liability immunity for online companies that publish information provided by third-party users. The regulation creates a “Good Samaritan” liability protection for those running interactive computer services should they remove third-party materials deemed obscene or objectionable so long as it is done in good faith. The 1996 law sought to correct a New York State Supreme Court decision that held that an online bulletin board could be considered liable for the ostensibly defamatory posts of its users because it moderated posts and therefore acted analogously to a newspaper.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--The media is telling us that so many lives could have been saved if the US “acted earlier” on Covid.

The media is telling us that so many lives could have been saved if the US “acted earlier” on Covid. No more Gaslighting. Here is an actual timeline with links.

” If instead of playing down what he knew , Trump had acted decisively in early February with a strict shutdown and a consistent message to wear masks , social distance and wash hands , experts believe that thousands of American lives could have been saved ” • Jan 31 , President Trump shuts down travel to China 3 days after his advisors told him the virus would be a major threat .
Ny Times says it is “ more of an emotional or political reaction ” .
www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-media-change-tune-trump-attacks-coronavirus-china-travel-ban -February 1st joe Biden called him a xenophobe for restricting travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As we gear up to celebrate the # LunarNewYear in NYC , I want to assure New Yorkers that there is no reason for anyone to change their holiday plans , avoid the subway , or certain parts of the city because of # coronavirus ” NYC Health Commissioner mobile.twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1224043160785080320 ?
s=20 & utm_source=share & utm_medium=ios_app • Fab 24 , Pelosi encourage people to go to Chinatown www.youtube.com/watch ?
v=VAEfSHeH4Lc • March 2 , Surgeon General Jerome Adams says facemasks can increase a person ’ s chances of contracting Covid-19 www.msn.com/en-sg/news/other/stop-buying-masks-us-surgeon-general-and-vp-say-masks-wont-help-fight-coronavirus-as-demand-for-emergency-supplies-increases/ar-BB10zjmE • March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people not to wear masks mobile.twitter.com/barackobama/status/1235246706817630208 ?
lang=en & utm_source=share & utm_medium=ios_app • March 5 NYC mayor encourages people to go to the movies m.imgur.com/a/nWuUQmF ?
utm_source=share & utm_medium=ios_app • March 8 .
Fauci “ People should not be walking around masks .
There ’ s no reason to be walking around with a mask .
When you ’ re in the middle of an outbreak , wearing a mask might make people feel a little better , but it ’ s not but it ’ s not providing the perfect protection people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are un-intentioned consequences ” youtu.be/PRa6t_e7dgI • Sept 9 “ Anthony Fauci said he doesn ’ t think President Trump was publicly distorting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ” Fauci was responding to a new book written by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward in which Trump went on the record to say he publicly downplayed the threat of the emerging coronavirus pandemic despite knowing its actual danger .

The current narrative from CNN
”If instead of playing down what he knew, Trump had acted decisively in early February with a strict shutdown and a consistent message to wear masks, social distance and wash hands, experts believe that thousands of American lives could have been saved”
Jan 31, President Trump shuts down travel to China 3 days after his advisors told him the virus would be a major threat. Ny Times says it is “more of an emotional or political reaction”. www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-media-change-tune-trump-attacks-coronavirus-china-travel-ban
-February 1st joe Biden called him a xenophobe for restricting travel from China www.independentsentinel.com/biden-called-trump-a-xenophobe-for-a-travel-ban-now-says-he-acted-too-late/
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Feb 2 “As we gear up to celebrate the #LunarNewYear in NYC, I want to assure New Yorkers that there is no reason for anyone to change their holiday plans, avoid the subway, or certain parts of the city because of #coronavirus” NYC Health Commissioner mobile.twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1224043160785080320?s=20&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app
Fab 24, Pelosi encourage people to go to Chinatown www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAEfSHeH4Lc
March 2, Surgeon General Jerome Adams says facemasks can increase a person’s chances of contracting Covid-19 www.msn.com/en-sg/news/other/stop-buying-masks-us-surgeon-general-and-vp-say-masks-wont-help-fight-coronavirus-as-demand-for-emergency-supplies-increases/ar-BB10zjmE
March 4, Obama comes out and tells people not to wear masks mobile.twitter.com/barackobama/status/1235246706817630208?lang=en&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app
March 5 NYC mayor encourages people to go to the movies m.imgur.com/a/nWuUQmF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app
March 8. Fauci “People should not be walking around masks. There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little better, but it’s not but it’s not providing the perfect protection people think it is, and often there are un-intentioned consequences” youtu.be/PRa6t_e7dgI
Sept 9 “Anthony Fauci said he doesn’t think President Trump was publicly distorting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”
Fauci was responding to a new book written by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward in which Trump went on the record to say he publicly downplayed the threat of the emerging coronavirus pandemic despite knowing its actual danger.
h/t Asshole411


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--We’ve lost control of our phones – fmr Facebook exec | SophieCo. Visionaries

Social media , once created to bring millions of people together , now – to control what we think and @ @ @ @ @ us even knowing it .
We talked to Tim Kendall , former Facebook director of @ @ @ @ @ and the CEO of Moment app .

Social media, once created to bring millions of people together, now – to control what we think and how we live, without us even knowing it. We talked to Tim Kendall, former Facebook director of monetisation, ex-president of Pinterest and the CEO of Moment app.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Good question… TRUMP: Biden got caught trying to overthrow government. “How is Biden now allowed to

Good question… TRUMP: Biden got caught trying to overthrow government. “How is Biden now allowed to run for President?”

Obama , Biden , Crooked Hillary and many others got caught in a Treasonous Act of Spying and Government Overthrow @ @ @ @ @ How is Biden now allowed to run for President ?

Obama, Biden, Crooked Hillary and many others got caught in a Treasonous Act of Spying and Government Overthrow, a Criminal Act. How is Biden now allowed to run for President?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Dollar Tug Of War & Triffin’s Dilemma: US Trade Deficit Widened in August to Largest Since 2006

by Jason Burack of Wall St For Main St The way the current global financial system is setup ( on @ @ @ @ @ ) the US can not run enormous net trade surpluses anymore like President Trump claims @ @ @ @ @ monthly for our hard work creating high level , thought provoking content that includes interviews @ @ @ @ @ and short videos about investing and the economy www.patreon.com/wallstformainst

by Jason Burack of Wall St For Main St
The way the current global financial system is setup (on a Dollar standard post 1971) the US cannot run enormous net trade surpluses anymore like President Trump claims.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
FULL SHOW NOTES AND LINKS HERE
Commit to tipping us monthly for our hard work creating high level, thought provoking content that includes interviews with top experts, analysis and short videos about investing and the economy www.patreon.com/wallstformainst


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Just 14% of positive PCR tests were infectious in the UK between April and June. Disgusting Neoliber

Just 14% of positive PCR tests were infectious in the UK between April and June. Disgusting Neoliberal Globalist #FakeNews media still trying to keep baseless Covid Hysteria alive

Because they had insufficient viral load to be infectious , or they had been exposed to the virus but had now recovered and were immune , or because it was a false positive from a procedural / lab error or other cause .
Because they had insufficient viral load to be infectious , or they had been exposed to the virus but had now recovered and were immune , or because it was a false positive from a procedural / lab error or other cause .
A “ new case ” is an infectious person who becomes ill. A “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who becomes ill. 86 % of positive PCR tests were NOT this .
They were only reported as positive because the PCR tests are being run at far too many amplication cycles in .
amassive scam to create thousands of false positives .
86 % of positive PCR tests were NOT this .
They were only reported as positive because the PCR tests are being run at far too many amplication cycles in .
amassive scam to create thousands of false positives .
The percentage of false positives will now be much higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevalence is very low , and testing has been increased by 200 % to keep the unjustified panic and Lockdowns going .
The percentage of false positives will now be much higher as the epidemic has passed , viral prevalence is very low , and testing has been increased by 200 % to keep the unjustified panic and Lockdowns going .
The disgusting Totalitarian Neoliberal Globalist Fascist disinfo propaganda scumbags at the Guardian are trying to sell this as a bad thing .
The disgusting Totalitarian Neoliberal Globalist Fascist disinfo propaganda scumbags at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a bad thing .
Instead of saving lives and explaining the entire Covid Hysteria is a total scam by Big Money interests , corrupt politicians , multinational corporations and Globalist Oligarchs .
Instead of saving lives and explaining the entire Covid Hysteria is a total scam by Big Money interests , corrupt politicians , multinational corporations and Globalist Oligarchs .
If there was any justice in the world and crime didn ’ t pay , everone at the Guardian ( and the BBC , NYT , WaPo , CNN , MSNBC etc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplices to Mass Murder and enemies of humanity .
There are no words available to adequately describe the scale of the crimes that still being committed .
My blood boils and I am sick to my stomach that the criminals and fraudsters are still getting away with it .
FIGHT BACK and support the thousands of honest scientists and doctors who are fighting against this massive fraud and program of mass murder and enslavement .
Get out on the streets and protest against it .

Because they had insufficient viral load to be infectious, or they had been exposed to the virus but had now recovered and were immune, or because it was a false positive from a procedural / lab error or other cause.
Because they had insufficient viral load to be infectious, or they had been exposed to the virus but had now recovered and were immune, or because it was a false positive from a procedural / lab error or other cause.
A “new case” is an infectious person who becomes ill.
A “new case” is an infectious person who becomes ill.
86% of positive PCR tests were NOT this. They were only reported as positive because the PCR tests are being run at far too many amplication cycles in. amassive scam to create thousands of false positives.
86% of positive PCR tests were NOT this. They were only reported as positive because the PCR tests are being run at far too many amplication cycles in. amassive scam to create thousands of false positives.
The percentage of false positives will now be much higher as the epidemic has passed, viral prevalence is very low, and testing has been increased by 200% to keep the unjustified panic and Lockdowns going.
The percentage of false positives will now be much higher as the epidemic has passed, viral prevalence is very low, and testing has been increased by 200% to keep the unjustified panic and Lockdowns going.
The disgusting Totalitarian Neoliberal Globalist Fascist disinfo propaganda scumbags at the Guardian are trying to sell this as a bad thing.
The disgusting Totalitarian Neoliberal Globalist Fascist disinfo propaganda scumbags at the Guardian are trying to sell this as a bad thing.
Instead of saving lives and explaining the entire Covid Hysteria is a total scam by Big Money interests, corrupt politicians, multinational corporations and Globalist Oligarchs.
Instead of saving lives and explaining the entire Covid Hysteria is a total scam by Big Money interests, corrupt politicians, multinational corporations and Globalist Oligarchs.
If there was any justice in the world and crime didn’t pay, everone at the Guardian (and the BBC, NYT, WaPo, CNN, MSNBC etc.) would be locked up as accomplices to Mass Murder and enemies of humanity.
There are no words available to adequately describe the scale of the crimes that still being committed.
My blood boils and I am sick to my stomach that the criminals and fraudsters are still getting away with it.
FIGHT BACK and support the thousands of honest scientists and doctors who are fighting against this massive fraud and program of mass murder and enslavement.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--The Virus That Isn’t There: The CDC does NOT have SARS-CoV-2 in its possession, because it is “unava

The Virus That Isn’t There: The CDC does NOT have SARS-CoV-2 in its possession, because it is “unavailable.”

“ But…but…there is a study which says a few researchers in a lab isolated the virus… ” Science is not assumptions .
The pandemic is a fraud , down to the root of the poisonous tree .
The Smoking Gun : Where is the coronavirus ?
The CDC says it isn ’ t available .
The CDC document is titled , “ CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel.
” It is dated July 13 , 2020 .
Buried deep in the document , on page 39 , in a section titled , “ Performance Characteristics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no quantified virus isolates of the 2019-nCoV are currently available , assays [ diagnostic tests ] designed for detection of the 2019-nCoV RNA were tested with characterized stocks of in vitro transcribed full length RNA… ” The key phrase there is : “ Since no quantified virus isolates of the 2019-nCoV are currently available… ” Every object that exists can be quantified , which is to say , measured .
The use of the term “ quantified ” in that phrase means : the CDC has no measurable amount of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HAS NO VIRUS .

by axolotl_peyotl
“But…but…there is a study which says a few researchers in a lab isolated the virus…” Science is not assumptions. The pandemic is a fraud, down to the root of the poisonous tree.
source
The Smoking Gun: Where is the coronavirus? The CDC says it isn’t available.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The CDC document is titled, “CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel.” It is dated July 13, 2020.
Buried deep in the document, on page 39, in a section titled, “Performance Characteristics,” we have this: “Since no quantified virus isolates of the 2019-nCoV are currently available, assays [diagnostic tests] designed for detection of the 2019-nCoV RNA were tested with characterized stocks of in vitro transcribed full length RNA…”
The key phrase there is: “Since no quantified virus isolates of the 2019-nCoV are currently available…”
Every object that exists can be quantified, which is to say, measured. The use of the term “quantified” in that phrase means: the CDC has no measurable amount of the virus, because it is unavailable. THE CDC HAS NO VIRUS.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Apple Starts Shipping Devices From Stores to Speed Up Deliveries

( Bloomberg ) — Apple Inc. is starting to use its network of retail stores as distribution centers for shipping @ @ @ @ @ a trend popularized by other retailers .
The Cupertino , California-based technology giant has typically @ @ @ @ @ Macs , iPads , and accessories from warehouses located across a customer ’ s region @ @ @ @ @ Now items that are in stock can be shipped directly to consumers from a network @ @ @ @ @ spread across the U.S. and Canada , according to people familiar with the matter .
@ @ @ @ @ will mean faster delivery times for customers who live further from distribution centers than from @ @ @ @ @ people who asked not to be identified discussing internal policies .
The products will be @ @ @ @ @ Inc. in Canada and FedEx Corp. in the U.S. via ground shipping and may be @ @ @ @ @ day after a customer ’ s order , Apple told its staff .
The program @ @ @ @ @ live within 100 miles from a store , the people said .

finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-starts-shipping-devices-stores-203514688.html
(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. is starting to use its network of retail stores as distribution centers for shipping products to consumers, joining a trend popularized by other retailers.
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has typically shipped devices like iPhones, Macs, iPads, and accessories from warehouses located across a customer’s region or directly from China. Now items that are in stock can be shipped directly to consumers from a network of almost 300 retail stores spread across the U.S. and Canada, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apple told staff the shift will mean faster delivery times for customers who live further from distribution centers than from stores, according to the people who asked not to be identified discussing internal policies. The products will be shipped through United Parcel Service Inc. in Canada and FedEx Corp. in the U.S. via ground shipping and may be delivered as early as the day after a customer’s order, Apple told its staff. The program will apply to customers who live within 100 miles from a store, the people said.


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--UNEXPECTEDLY: U.S. states with brief or no lockdown measures (e.g. South Dakota and Nebraska) experi

UNEXPECTEDLY: U.S. states with brief or no lockdown measures (e.g. South Dakota and Nebraska) experienced the smallest degrees of economic damage.

The Devastating Economic Impact of Covid-19 Shutdowns t.co/WUB00CDA7m from @ aier

The Devastating Economic Impact of Covid-19 Shutdowns t.co/WUB00CDA7m from @aier
— Jeffrey A Tucker (@jeffreyatucker) October 10, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--All of our institutions are corrupt. Every Single One

And Big Tech and the media .
Related .

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
And Big Tech and the media. Related.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Also:
h/t Glenn


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Non-medical face coverings don’t protect from COVID-19 – PPE instructor Chris Schaefer speaks out: “

Non-medical face coverings don’t protect from COVID-19 – PPE instructor Chris Schaefer speaks out: “It’s a slow form of suffocation”

The mask is about control and submission , not about health .
If someone in government said wearing underwear on @ @ @ @ @ the next day more than half of the population would start doing it .

The mask is about control and submission, not about health. If someone in government said wearing underwear on your head would protect you the next day more than half of the population would start doing it.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
h/t Razerer92


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--There It Is: Democrat Senatorial Candidate Steve Bullocks Announces Support for Packing the Supreme

There It Is: Democrat Senatorial Candidate Steve Bullocks Announces Support for Packing the Supreme Court – Which Will Destroy US Constitution

THATS RIGHT Democrats WANT TO Destroy US Constitution For several days now Democrat Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala @ @ @ @ @ on their plans to pack the Supreme Court .
The Democrat strategy will effectively end @ @ @ @ @ know it .
These radical justices will pass every single crazy idea Democrats ever had @ @ @ @ @ health care for illegals , destroying the US energy sector , taxpayer funded abortions until @ @ @ @ @ eliminate gun laws , etc .

THATS RIGHT
Democrats WANT TO Destroy US Constitution
For several days now Democrat Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have dodged the question on their plans to pack the Supreme Court.
The Democrat strategy will effectively end the United States as we know it.
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/10/democrat-senatorial-candidate-steve-bullocks-announces-support-packing-supreme-court-will-destroy-us-constitution/
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🚨 WOW — Democrat Steve Bullocks comes out in FAVOR of the far-lefts dangerous court-packing plan — and Senator Daines OBLITERATES him for it#MTsen #MTpol pic.twitter.com/YSHmUF4tl7 — Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) October 11, 2020
These radical justices
will pass every single crazy idea
Democrats ever had
including
open borders,
funding health care for illegals,
destroying the US energy sector,
taxpayer funded abortions until birth,
socialist policies,
eliminate gun laws,
etc.
Biden is again asked why voters don’t deserve to know his views on court packing. He responds: “The only court packing going on right now is going on with Republicans packing the court right now … I’m going to stay focused on it so we don’t take our eyes off the ball here." pic.twitter.com/E9H5rIXMX2 — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) October 10, 2020
h/t Buzz


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--I’m not happy with your compliance, your home is dangerous, it’s all for the new world order!

Im not happy with your compliance , your home is dangerous , it ’ s all for the new world @ @ @ @

A Freudian slip by the Aussie government…
NEW WORLD ORDER…
Im not happy with your compliance, your home is dangerous, it’s all for the new world order! Wow pic.twitter.com/fKKuMIFNB0
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) October 8, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--James Woods Nails It

James Woods Nails It

I feel I may have been a bit harsh to Democrats , so in the spirit of fairness , here @ @ @ @ @ words .
You will recognize the voices… pic.twitter.com/tgUG77ZQx1

I feel I may have been a bit harsh to Democrats, so in the spirit of fairness, here they are in their own words. You will recognize the voices… pic.twitter.com/tgUG77ZQx1
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Rand Paul: Trump told me he wants to END the war in Afghanistan by Christmas!

In his term , @ realDonaldTrump has already brought home thousands of our brave soldiers .
He wants the rest @ @ @ @ @ stop to our endless wars .

In his term, @realDonaldTrump has already brought home thousands of our brave soldiers. He wants the rest home by Christmas and a stop to our endless wars.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--House Democrats’ HEROES Act Is a Huge Giveaway to Billionaires

House Democrats ’ latest stimulus bill , the HEROES Act , is designed to lay out the party ’ s basic principles for coronavirus recovery .
Unfortunately , those principles include Democrats being very happy to shore up corporations ’ and billionaires ’ profits and political control of Washington .
n Friday , House Democrats passed the HEROES Act , a bill meant to outline Democrats ’ core principles in their negotiations with Senate Republicans about additional stimulus measures to deal with the coronavirus crisis .
The legislation has some good items .
It would help ensure that all voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute necessity given that COVID-19 isn ’ t going away .
The bill includes another round of $ 1,200 stimulus payments to individuals , which is less than progressive lawmakers wanted , but at least it ’ s money that normal people get .
Undocumented immigrants would get checks this time .
It has funding for hazard pay for essential workers .
But if this indeed is a message bill rather than a final proposal , then the newsiest part of the legislation is Democrats ’ desire to send a reassuring message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations and billionaires know that the party is intent on fortifying the industry groups that already control Washington .
Since the pandemic started , 27 million Americans have lost their employer-based health insurance .
Instead of covering the uninsured through Medicare or Medicaid , Democrats decided it would be better to pay COBRA premiums through January for people who have lost their health insurance .
COBRA is expensive and wouldn ’ t help Americans who were already uninsured — but the move would deliver more revenue to the health care industry that wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on the insurance plans they just lost .
No HEROES here : Democrats seek tax breaks for rich donors & lobbyists in $ 3 TRILLION Covid-19 wishlist bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s proposed $ 3 trillion coronavirus aid bill contains massive tax breaks for wealthy Democrat donors and lobbyists but precious little for working Americans , and has an odd preoccupation with cannabis .
Dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions ( HEROES ) Act , the bill is gargantuan in scope and size – its summary alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text runs over 1,800 – but despite being a wish list of Democrat priorities , manages to exclude many things dear to the party ’ s Progressive Caucus .
One of the more incendiary provisions would give access to small-business loans to Washington-based lobbying groups , as multiple progressive activists pointed out on Tuesday .

House Democrats’ latest stimulus bill, the HEROES Act, is designed to lay out the party’s basic principles for coronavirus recovery. Unfortunately, those principles include Democrats being very happy to shore up corporations’ and billionaires’ profits and political control of Washington.
n Friday, House Democrats passed the HEROES Act, a bill meant to outline Democrats’ core principles in their negotiations with Senate Republicans about additional stimulus measures to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
The legislation has some good items. It would help ensure that all voters can vote absentee this fall, an absolute necessity given that COVID-19 isn’t going away. The bill includes another round of $1,200 stimulus payments to individuals, which is less than progressive lawmakers wanted, but at least it’s money that normal people get. Undocumented immigrants would get checks this time. It has funding for hazard pay for essential workers.
But if this indeed is a message bill rather than a final proposal, then the newsiest part of the legislation is Democrats’ desire to send a reassuring message to monied interests — one that deliberately lets corporations and billionaires know that the party is intent on fortifying the industry groups that already control Washington.
Since the pandemic started, 27 million Americans have lost their employer-based health insurance. Instead of covering the uninsured through Medicare or Medicaid, Democrats decided it would be better to pay COBRA premiums through January for people who have lost their health insurance. COBRA is expensive and wouldn’t help Americans who were already uninsured — but the move would deliver more revenue to the health care industry that wants the government to pay top-dollar to keep people on the insurance plans they just lost.
… more at link
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
www.jacobinmag.com/2020/05/house-democrats-heroes-act-lobbying-ppp-cobra-pelosi
No HEROES here: Democrats seek tax breaks for rich donors & lobbyists in $3 TRILLION Covid-19 wishlist bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s proposed $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill contains massive tax breaks for wealthy Democrat donors and lobbyists but precious little for working Americans, and has an odd preoccupation with cannabis.
Dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the bill is gargantuan in scope and size – its summary alone is 90 pages, and the full text runs over 1,800 – but despite being a wish list of Democrat priorities, manages to exclude many things dear to the party’s Progressive Caucus.
One of the more incendiary provisions would give access to small-business loans to Washington-based lobbying groups, as multiple progressive activists pointed out on Tuesday.
www.rt.com/usa/488486-democrats-heroes-coronavirus-bill/
NEWS: Provisions in Dems' new bill would empower Washington lobbying groups for private equity firms, Wall Street banks, airlines & for-profit colleges to grab small business loans that were meant for mom-and-pop small businesses in local communities t.co/6PLmIXrdIx pic.twitter.com/ZBN3s6O6PR — David Sirota (@davidsirota) May 12, 2020
Just half of American adults have jobs right now. Pelosi is using this moment to push for tax breaks for the rich. t.co/QkfD7bd8mp — Vince Coglianese (@VinceCoglianese) May 12, 2020
h/t Jake


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Biden calls for $15 million dollar minimum wage

Biden reading the teleprompter calls for a $ 15 million dollar per hour minimum wagepic.twitter.com/8qkoTJDPYB

Biden reading the teleprompter calls for a $15 million dollar per hour minimum wagepic.twitter.com/8qkoTJDPYB
— Women for America First (@america1stwomen) October 10, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Axel Merk – Boatloads of Money Coming No Matter Who Wins. Markets Not Pricing in Panic

Money manager Axel Merk manages about $ 1 billion in assets .
Merk says , “ We love one guy @ @ @ @ @ .
I care more about fiscal spending .
As I said earlier , yeah , @ @ @ @ @ a boatload of money .
They are going to spend it a little differently and @ @ @ @ @ they are going to spend a boatload of money .
They are politicians , and @ @ @ @ @ it .
One big difference with Trump is we are going to get a reduction @ @ @ @ @ , and with Biden we will get an increase.
” Merk likes gold because of @ @ @ @ @ the eventual inflation that is surely coming from printing all those digital dollars .
He @ @ @ @ @ , but one of his very favorite investments is gold .
Merk tells me he @ @ @ @ @ would and is holding it as a core investment .
His simple advice for the @ @ @ @ @ Spend less money than you make so you can save more .
”

Money manager Axel Merk manages about $1 billion in assets. Merk says, “We love one guy and hate the other guy. I care more about fiscal spending. As I said earlier, yeah, we are going to spend a boatload of money. They are going to spend it a little differently and on different priorities, but they are going to spend a boatload of money. They are politicians, and they can’t help it. One big difference with Trump is we are going to get a reduction in regulation and regulatory burden, and with Biden we will get an increase.”
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Merk likes gold because of all the money printing and the eventual inflation that is surely coming from printing all those digital dollars. He also likes a diversified portfolio, but one of his very favorite investments is gold. Merk tells me he holds more than some people would and is holding it as a core investment. His simple advice for the little guy is, “Spend less money than you make so you can save more.”


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Covid? What’s that? UNDAUNTED: Trump to intensify campaign schedule, will be speaking at battlegroun

Covid? What’s that? UNDAUNTED: Trump to intensify campaign schedule, will be speaking at battleground states.

Trump to intensify campaign schedule , will be speaking at battleground states .
President Trump on Saturday added a pair of critical battleground states to his itinerary next week , as his reelection campaign resumes in earnest less than two weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19 .
Trump will headline a “ Make America Great Again ” rally in Johnstown , Pennsylvania , Tuesday , and another the next day in Des Moines , Iowa , his campaign announced .
An energized President Trump spoke Saturday to a raucous crowd of supporters at the White House , his first public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wearing a white face mask , Trump emerged from the White House ’ s Blue Room to speak from a podium set up on the Truman Balcony , pumping his fist several times — and then doffing his coronavirus covering with a flourish , tucking it into his pocket .
“ Keep that enthusiasm going !
” Trump implored the crowd , which chanted “ Four more years !
” “ We have to vote these people into oblivion , ” he added .
The event , dubbed a “ peaceful protest for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of blue-clad members of Blexit , a campaign spearheaded by Candace Owens that urges Black Americans to leave the Democratic Party .
The group was in Washington for a previously organized Back the Blue rally , to support law enforcement .
“ You ’ ve just marched to the White House because you understand that to protect the lives of black Americans , and all Americans , you have to have your police support you , ” Trump said .
I ’ m glad it ’ s a peaceful protest , so we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any disease spreading .
Good thinking !
UPDATE : Seen on Facebook : “ We should probably vote for the guy who has immunity to the coronavirus.
” PREFERENCES , REVEALED AND CONCEALED : How Trump ’ s ‘ enthusiasm factor ’ could lead to another surprise win on Election Day .
Related , from a friend on Facebook who ’ s going door-to-door in Pennsylvania : Latest news from the GOTV front : I personally still never hear anyone who switched to or from Trump bc of Covid or debates or media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) or Bristol/Levittown .
My boss in Bristol says TONS of people switched – streaming into office to chg registration to GOP bc : 1 ) Philly riots that went right up to the county line but Bucks Co police stopped them from coming in .
+ lots have cops family members or friends .
2 ) COVID : many out of work for months , flatten the curve goalposts moving , fed up .
3 ) debates : Harris bitchface , Pence steady nice guy .
Historically as lower Bucks Cty goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this email from a friend about his lunch with three Hispanic co-workers : They are all mid 20 ’ s and working full time .
They are all perfectly bi-lingual .
Two were born in the USA and one in Mexico .
I asked them what they thought about Trump and Biden .
This is what it all boiled down to : ‘ Trump ’ s going to win .
He says stupid shit but he actually does what he says he will do so they [ other politicians ] hate him.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one wants to elect a child molester.
’ They all then went on about the videos of Biden sniffing children .
They were viscerally disgusted .
They also wondered why they heard so much about Hillary and absolutely nothing about Biden .
They figured they [ politicians again ] were keeping Biden quiet because “ he liked to creep on girls.
” ( Their words ) .
I was pretty shocked at the whole conversation , as I guess I just assumed they ’ d vote Biden .
None of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internet poll .
They are afraid of Antifa finding out .
They are all armed and have concealed carry permits .
One bought his first gun and the other two bought more guns recently .
They also talked of Antifa and a coming Civil War and are on the side of law and order .
Even so , they think the police are definitely prejudiced against “ brown people ” and they really want serious police reform .
I was really shocked by the whole conversation .
Is there a hidden Trump vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We ’ ll see .
And don ’ t get cocky .
Pedal to the metal all the way .

Trump to intensify campaign schedule, will be speaking at battleground states.
President Trump on Saturday added a pair of critical battleground states to his itinerary next week, as his reelection campaign resumes in earnest less than two weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Trump will headline a “Make America Great Again” rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, and another the next day in Des Moines, Iowa, his campaign announced.
Trump makes first live public address since COVID-19 hospitalization.
An energized President Trump spoke Saturday to a raucous crowd of supporters at the White House, his first public address since being hospitalized with COVID-19. Wearing a white face mask, Trump emerged from the White House’s Blue Room to speak from a podium set up on the Truman Balcony, pumping his fist several times — and then doffing his coronavirus covering with a flourish, tucking it into his pocket. “Keep that enthusiasm going!” Trump implored the crowd, which chanted “Four more years!” “We have to vote these people into oblivion,” he added. The event, dubbed a “peaceful protest for law and order,” drew hundreds of blue-clad members of Blexit, a campaign spearheaded by Candace Owens that urges Black Americans to leave the Democratic Party. The group was in Washington for a previously organized Back the Blue rally, to support law enforcement. “You’ve just marched to the White House because you understand that to protect the lives of black Americans, and all Americans, you have to have your police support you,” Trump said.
I’m glad it’s a peaceful protest, so we don’t have to worry about any disease spreading. Good thinking!
UPDATE: Seen on Facebook: “We should probably vote for the guy who has immunity to the coronavirus.”
PREFERENCES, REVEALED AND CONCEALED: How Trump’s ‘enthusiasm factor’ could lead to another surprise win on Election Day.
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Related, from a friend on Facebook who’s going door-to-door in Pennsylvania:
Latest news from the GOTV front: I personally still never hear anyone who switched to or from Trump bc of Covid or debates or media bombs. South Brooklyn (NY 11) or Bristol/Levittown. My boss in Bristol says TONS of people switched – streaming into office to chg registration to GOP bc:
1) Philly riots that went right up to the county line but Bucks Co police stopped them from coming in. + lots have cops family members or friends. 2) COVID: many out of work for months, flatten the curve goalposts moving, fed up. 3) debates: Harris bitchface, Pence steady nice guy. Historically as lower Bucks Cty goes, so goes PA. PS DONT GET COCKY.
And I got this email from a friend about his lunch with three Hispanic co-workers:
They are all mid 20’s and working full time. They are all perfectly bi-lingual. Two were born in the USA and one in Mexico. I asked them what they thought about Trump and Biden. This is what it all boiled down to: ‘Trump’s going to win. He says stupid shit but he actually does what he says he will do so they [other politicians] hate him.’ ‘Biden’s going to lose. No one wants to elect a child molester.’ They all then went on about the videos of Biden sniffing children. They were viscerally disgusted. They also wondered why they heard so much about Hillary and absolutely nothing about Biden. They figured they [politicians again] were keeping Biden quiet because “he liked to creep on girls.” (Their words). I was pretty shocked at the whole conversation, as I guess I just assumed they’d vote Biden. None of them are willing to take a phone or internet poll. They are afraid of Antifa finding out. They are all armed and have concealed carry permits. One bought his first gun and the other two bought more guns recently. They also talked of Antifa and a coming Civil War and are on the side of law and order. Even so, they think the police are definitely prejudiced against “brown people” and they really want serious police reform. I was really shocked by the whole conversation.
Is there a hidden Trump vote? Absolutely. How big is it? We’ll see. And don’t get cocky. Pedal to the metal all the way.
h/t Glenn


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Microsoft outage locks users out of Office 365, exposing the need for local, individual control over

Microsoft outage locks users out of Office 365, exposing the need for local, individual control over apps

( Natural News ) In 2013 , Microsoft introduced a subscription-based model for their popular Microsoft Office software .
That year Microsoft debuted Office 365 , making it available through cloud-based apps that automatically update the newest security measures to protect against phishing .
The downside of subscription-based software compared to licensed software is that the user can get locked out of the software if an outage occurs .
This vulnerability was recently observed with Microsoft ’ s latest Office 365 platform .
Millions of users across the globe were locked out of their Microsoft Office , Outlook and Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2:25 p.m. PT on Monday , September 28 .
Microsoft outage breaks up team communications for millions around the globe , reveals weakness of cloud-dependent software The outage lasted for hours , knocking out critical communications for work forces across the world .
Microsoft wrote that they experienced an authentication outage that blocked users from their Microsoft products ( that they pay an annual subscription for . )
This problem exposes the need for local , individualized control over cloud-based apps , and underscores the durability of licensed software and the privacy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the software on an individual computer .
Microsoft 365 subscribers around the world are collectively at the mercy of Microsoft ’ s security infrastructure and are dependent on the company ’ s ability to provide and maintain that infrastructure .
When the outage occurred , workers around the globe were unable to complete their tasks .
Microsoft Teams , for example , has become a primary means of communication for office employees during the pandemic .
This platform allows employees to collaborate on files in real time , but relies on Microsoft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours , users around the world were unable to communicate .
Government users were greatly impacted , and 911 communications were temporarily disrupted in 14 states .
Microsoft had to temporarily reroute traffic to alternate infrastructure while they investigated the issue .
( Related : Why does Microsoft control 911 services across dozens of cities ? )
With local control , any task carried out in Office 365 wouldn ’ t be relayed to a vulnerable Microsoft Cloud , that compromises user privacy and makes users collectively dependent on its infrastructure .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out when the network is down .
With local control tasks could be carried out more quickly without depending on the cloud .
A system that respects user privacy is more reliable because users are not dependent on Microsoft and their vulnerable , data-gleaning infrastructure .
Local control respects individual privacy and gives the user control over the information and data they share through the software .

by: Lance D Johnson
(Natural News) In 2013, Microsoft introduced a subscription-based model for their popular Microsoft Office software. That year Microsoft debuted Office 365, making it available through cloud-based apps that automatically update the newest security measures to protect against phishing.
The downside of subscription-based software compared to licensed software is that the user can get locked out of the software if an outage occurs. This vulnerability was recently observed with Microsoft’s latest Office 365 platform. Millions of users across the globe were locked out of their Microsoft Office, Outlook and Microsoft Teams accounts after an outage occurred at 2:25 p.m. PT on Monday, September 28.
Microsoft outage breaks up team communications for millions around the globe, reveals weakness of cloud-dependent software
The outage lasted for hours, knocking out critical communications for work forces across the world. Microsoft wrote that they experienced an authentication outage that blocked users from their Microsoft products (that they pay an annual subscription for.)
This problem exposes the need for local, individualized control over cloud-based apps, and underscores the durability of licensed software and the privacy and sovereignty that comes with having personal control over the software on an individual computer.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Microsoft 365 subscribers around the world are collectively at the mercy of Microsoft’s security infrastructure and are dependent on the company’s ability to provide and maintain that infrastructure. When the outage occurred, workers around the globe were unable to complete their tasks. Microsoft Teams, for example, has become a primary means of communication for office employees during the pandemic. This platform allows employees to collaborate on files in real time, but relies on Microsoft cloud. When it went down for hours, users around the world were unable to communicate. Government users were greatly impacted, and 911 communications were temporarily disrupted in 14 states. Microsoft had to temporarily reroute traffic to alternate infrastructure while they investigated the issue. (Related: Why does Microsoft control 911 services across dozens of cities?)
With local control, any task carried out in Office 365 wouldn’t be relayed to a vulnerable Microsoft Cloud, that compromises user privacy and makes users collectively dependent on its infrastructure. With local control, tasks could be carried out when the network is down. With local control tasks could be carried out more quickly without depending on the cloud. A system that respects user privacy is more reliable because users are not dependent on Microsoft and their vulnerable, data-gleaning infrastructure. Local control respects individual privacy and gives the user control over the information and data they share through the software.
Sources include:
Breitbart.com
NaturalNews.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--Study warns US farmland is now 48 TIMES more TOXIC to insects: Are neonicotinoids to blame for the i

Study warns US farmland is now 48 TIMES more TOXIC to insects: Are neonicotinoids to blame for the impending “insect apocalypse?”

( Natural News ) Researchers have determined that the nation ’ s farmland is now 48 times more toxic to insects than it was just 25 years ago , and much of this rise in toxicity is being blamed on the widespread use of a dangerous category of pesticides known as neonicotinoids .
The study , which was published in the PLOS ONE journal , provided a thorough assessment of the use of pesticides in America and was the first study to determine just how dangerous our fields have grown for insects in recent years .
The role of pesticides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neonicotinoids were responsible for a remarkable 92 percent of the rise in toxicity .
Part of the problem is that neonicotinoids create a cumulative toxic burden because they are far more persistent within the environment than other types of commonly used insecticides , which is why the burden today is so much higher than it was a quarter century ago and is likely to grow even higher .
Study co-author Kendra Klein , Ph.D. , said : “ It is alarming that U.S. agriculture has become so much more toxic to insect life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to phase out neonicotinoid pesticides to protect bees and other insects that are critical to biodiversity and the farms that feed us.
” She also called for a shift from our food system ’ s dependence on dangerous pesticides toward organic methods of farming that work in harmony with nature instead of destroying it .
Will there be any insects left on our planet in the decades to come ?
The problem is growing so significantly that some scientists are warning that we could soon be seeing an “ insect apocalypse.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neonicotinoid use and honeybee colony collapse disorder .
Honeybees are considered one of the planet ’ s most important food crop pollinators , and at least a third of the food humans consume relies on this type of pollination .
Three neonicotinoids that became popular in the mid-2000s were singled out by the study as being responsible for the rising toxic loads in farmland : Bayer ’ s imidacloprid and clothianidin , along with Syngenta-ChemChina ’ s thiamethoxam .
These three chemicals have already been banned in Europe for all types of farming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put restrictions in place on the chemicals out of concern for the honeybee population , but they are still in wide use in other places .
A nationwide survey by the University of Maryland ’ s nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership found that beekeepers in America lost 40.7 percent of their bee colonies in the year from April 2018 to April 2019 .
This represented a slight increase over the yearly average of 38.7 percent and marked the highest winter losses in the study ’ s history .
Meanwhile , a report from UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bug species are facing extinction .
One of the authors , Dave Goulson , explained the dangers to the media , saying : “ Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators .
Crops will begin to fail .
We won ’ t have things like strawberries .
We can ’ t feed 7.5 billion people without insects.
” He added that pesticide reduction targets would help tremendously .
According to the report , five species of bumblebees have experienced massive declines in North America in the last 25 years , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ butterfly population , meanwhile , has dropped by a third , while the overall abundance of moths has dropped by 28 percent in Britain .
In addition to the indisputably vital role of pollination , some of the insects that are seeing population declines play other important roles , such as recycling nutrients and aerating soil .
If the use of dangerous pesticides and the resultant insect losses continue , particularly in honeybees , we could see significant crop losses and food shortages in the near future .

by: Cassie B.
(Natural News) Researchers have determined that the nation’s farmland is now 48 times more toxic to insects than it was just 25 years ago, and much of this rise in toxicity is being blamed on the widespread use of a dangerous category of pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
The study, which was published in the PLOS ONE journal, provided a thorough assessment of the use of pesticides in America and was the first study to determine just how dangerous our fields have grown for insects in recent years. The role of pesticides was dramatic; the scientists found that neonicotinoids were responsible for a remarkable 92 percent of the rise in toxicity.
Part of the problem is that neonicotinoids create a cumulative toxic burden because they are far more persistent within the environment than other types of commonly used insecticides, which is why the burden today is so much higher than it was a quarter century ago and is likely to grow even higher.
Study co-author Kendra Klein, Ph.D., said: “It is alarming that U.S. agriculture has become so much more toxic to insect life in the past two decades. We need to phase out neonicotinoid pesticides to protect bees and other insects that are critical to biodiversity and the farms that feed us.”
She also called for a shift from our food system’s dependence on dangerous pesticides toward organic methods of farming that work in harmony with nature instead of destroying it.
Will there be any insects left on our planet in the decades to come?
The problem is growing so significantly that some scientists are warning that we could soon be seeing an “insect apocalypse.” Of particular concern is the link between neonicotinoid use and honeybee colony collapse disorder. Honeybees are considered one of the planet’s most important food crop pollinators, and at least a third of the food humans consume relies on this type of pollination.
Three neonicotinoids that became popular in the mid-2000s were singled out by the study as being responsible for the rising toxic loads in farmland: Bayer’s imidacloprid and clothianidin, along with Syngenta-ChemChina’s thiamethoxam. These three chemicals have already been banned in Europe for all types of farming activity. Several American states have also put restrictions in place on the chemicals out of concern for the honeybee population, but they are still in wide use in other places.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
A nationwide survey by the University of Maryland’s nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership found that beekeepers in America lost 40.7 percent of their bee colonies in the year from April 2018 to April 2019. This represented a slight increase over the yearly average of 38.7 percent and marked the highest winter losses in the study’s history.
Meanwhile, a report from UK Wildlife Trusts found that 41 percent of bug species are facing extinction. One of the authors, Dave Goulson, explained the dangers to the media, saying: “Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators. Crops will begin to fail. We won’t have things like strawberries. We can’t feed 7.5 billion people without insects.” He added that pesticide reduction targets would help tremendously.
According to the report, five species of bumblebees have experienced massive declines in North America in the last 25 years, with one going extinct. Ohio’s butterfly population, meanwhile, has dropped by a third, while the overall abundance of moths has dropped by 28 percent in Britain.
In addition to the indisputably vital role of pollination, some of the insects that are seeing population declines play other important roles, such as recycling nutrients and aerating soil. If the use of dangerous pesticides and the resultant insect losses continue, particularly in honeybees, we could see significant crop losses and food shortages in the near future.
Sources for this article include:
WakingTimes.com
Edition.CNN.com
ZeroHedge.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--The Dominos Are Falling and It Begins With THIS. Financial Crisis Part 2 is On

Sources Used in This Video : bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020 The global economy relies on spending .
More and more spending .
If @ @ @ @ @ iPhones , they don ’ t need as many parts .
If they don ’ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t need the raw materials .
Everything is connected .
It goes @ @ @ @ @ industry that is joined at the hip is the financial and housing industries .
We @ @ @ @ @ was all about but unfortunately haven ’ t learned our lessons whatsoever .
PIA ’ @ @ @ @ @ York to shut down due to weak economy | Reuters Microsoft is letting more employees @ @ @ @ @ The Verge ( 1 ) Quoth the Raven on Twitter : “ LOL they probably @ @ @ @ @ ticket to hear this great “ analysis ” ” / Twitter Manhattan Apartments Haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ Rent Since 2013 – Bloomberg

Sources Used in This Video:
bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020
The global economy relies on spending. More and more spending. If people aren’t buying iPhones, they don’t need as many parts. If they don’t need the parts, they don’t need the raw materials. Everything is connected. It goes for any industry. One industry that is joined at the hip is the financial and housing industries. We learned in 2008 what it was all about but unfortunately haven’t learned our lessons whatsoever.
CMBX | IHS Markit
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PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel in New York to shut down due to weak economy | Reuters
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Press Releases | The Broadway League | Broadway Update On Performance Cancellations
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Broadway shutdown extended until May 30
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Museums Sell Picasso and Warhol, Embrace Diversity to Survive
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Movie theater operator B&B Theatres says it’s months from bankruptcy
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www.cnbc.com/2020/10/09/movie-theater-operator-bb-theatres-says-its-months-from-bankruptcy.html
Microsoft is letting more employees work from home permanently – The Verge
www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21508964/microsoft-remote-work-from-home-covid-19-coronavirus
The Island Brokers Are Overwhelmed – DNyuz
dnyuz.com/2020/10/09/the-island-brokers-are-overwhelmed/
Chicago Fed President Charles Evans speaks with Yahoo Finance [Transcript]
finance.yahoo.com/news/chicago-fed-president-charles-evans-yahoo-finance-transcript-october-2020-130133969.html
(1) Quoth the Raven on Twitter: “LOL they probably charged like $10,000 a ticket to hear this great “analysis”” / Twitter
twitter.com/QTRResearch/status/1314242324088709121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1314242324088709121%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fmarkets%2Fnot-clear-bernanke-stock-prices-are-wildly-overvalued
World food price index rise 5% year-on-year in September – FAO | Reuters
www.reuters.com/article/global-economy-food-int/world-food-price-index-rise-5-year-on-year-in-september-fao-idUSKBN26T1BB
Manhattan Apartments Haven’t Been This Cheap to Rent Since 2013 – Bloomberg
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-08/manhattan-apartments-haven-t-been-this-cheap-to-rent-since-2013?srnd=markets-vp&sref=RJ2RlMrh
ESPN preparing another round of layoffs amid coronavirus pandemic – nj.com
www.nj.com/giants/2020/10/espn-preparing-another-round-of-layoffs-amid-coronavirus-pandemic.html


investmentwatchblog--2020-10-11--JPMorgan Unveils $30 Billion Push to Bridge Racial Wealth Gap (Good Timing On JPMorgan’s Behalf)

( Wall Street Journal ) Morgan Chase & Co. said it would extend billions of dollars in additional loans to Black and Latino home buyers and small-business owners as part of a push to narrow America ’ s racial wealth gap .
The bank—America ’ s largest—said it is committing a total of $ 30 billion over five years to the effort , which focuses heavily on expanding access to affordable housing as well as boosting minority-owned small businesses .
Some $ 8 billion will go toward funding an additional 40,000 mortgages to Black and Latino home buyers .
JPMorgan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion to finance 100,000 affordable rental units , lend $ 2 billion to small businesses in majority Black and Latino communities and open new branches in underserved areas of Chicago , Los Angeles and Detroit .
Black homeownership rates are already at their highest in history ( red line ) while black median weekly real earnings growth is also at its all-time high .
Hispanic ( Latino ) homeownership rates are already at their highest in history ( blue line ) while Hispanic/Latino median weekly real earnings growth are also at its all-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of the housing bubble ( circa 2005 ) .
JPMC ’ s residential mortgage share of total lending is near its lowest level since 2005 .
And JPMC ’ s stock price and EPS are rebounding from the Covid shutdowns .
In summary , this is a relatively safe time for JP Morgan to commit $ 30 billion to bridge racial wealth gap .

by confoundedinterest17
Good timing on JPMorgan’s behalf.
(Wall Street Journal) Morgan Chase & Co. said it would extend billions of dollars in additional loans to Black and Latino home buyers and small-business owners as part of a push to narrow America’s racial wealth gap.
The bank—America’s largest—said it is committing a total of $30 billion over five years to the effort, which focuses heavily on expanding access to affordable housing as well as boosting minority-owned small businesses.
Some $8 billion will go toward funding an additional 40,000 mortgages to Black and Latino home buyers. JPMorgan also said it would devote $14 billion to finance 100,000 affordable rental units, lend $2 billion to small businesses in majority Black and Latino communities and open new branches in underserved areas of Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Black homeownership rates are already at their highest in history (red line) while black median weekly real earnings growth is also at its all-time high.
Hispanic (Latino) homeownership rates are already at their highest in history (blue line) while Hispanic/Latino median weekly real earnings growth are also at its all-time high. Even higher than at the peak of the housing bubble (circa 2005).
JPMC’s residential mortgage share of total lending is near its lowest level since 2005.
And JPMC’s stock price and EPS are rebounding from the Covid shutdowns.
In summary, this is a relatively safe time for JP Morgan to commit $30 billion to bridge racial wealth gap.