investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--The Fuel Shortage in Venezuela Will Lead to Starvation

Dear readers , those who already know me are aware I used to write about confirmed facts we all care about as preppers .
At this point in my life I hardly can be considered a prepper , though .
A survivor ?
Sure .
I ’ ve been in much better conditions ( as I have mentioned earlier in previous articles ) than other migrants .
Always had a roof and something to eat , and could buy my kiddo a good meal every now and then and even an ice cream , cookies and the occasional chocolate when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not eaten a grilled steak every two days , but I haven ’ t starved .
Have I seen myself rationing ?
Sure .
At least I have something to ration .
I know I have been a little…disperse .
I have realized that facing with a reality you had only had imagined in your worst scenario fantasies , is harder than I thought .
That´s why I´ve been trying to recover myself , and getting used to the quite grim possibility of death far away from my homeland .
This said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation that is presenting given the scarcity of gasoline that has already impacted the food supply .
The person sending me these materials is reliable , and informed me that indeed that happened .
The local majors , governors , and uniforms have confiscated the fuel , and they sell them in dollars , for their own personal profit .
This way they are bypassing tax controls , impeding the audit , and pocketing all the money they collect .
They are trafficking with the fuel , and this brings along two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not that they care , of course .
The Chinese need Venezuela with the least amount of people possible .
They want our land for themselves and this is evident .
Almost one million square km , plenty of water , and mineral resources with an extremely low-density population ?
That leaving outside the extremely privilege its position means .
This geopolitical comment is because I need the world to know exactly what is happening .
We didn ’ t “ choose ” poorly .
This was imposed .
If we didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been just another coup d ’ etat .
And another , until thugs could control the country by force like it is happening now .
The other consequence is much worse .
No crops , no food .
People will die by the thousands unless extreme measures are taken .
And I mean really extreme .
We don ’ t deserve this .
People are getting fed up .
What has happened is , in one town in the Falcon state in the West of Venezuela ( relatively close to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not producing even a drop of fuel ) , the fuel trafficking was so shameless that the entire town ( and I hope this is will be an increasing trend ) kicked the heck ( literally ! )
out of the major and one middle-low rank uniforms , who is in the hospital right now .
This collective beating means that crowds are starting to walk on the loose .
This is an isolated case , but this information spreads like wildfire even with the strongest of censorships .
They took out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniforms the 300 $ he had made ( illegally ) selling gasoline in the middle of the night to the always existent privileged wealthy inhabitants .
Be no mistaken , this money is part of the laundering system they have turned the country in .
Selling gasoline to Colombian smugglers , they get CASH .
Huge amounts of it .
This cash is going to be stockpiled God knows where and for what reason .
In another town ( the part where the footage in my channel is taken from ) there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on all kinds of bikes ( mostly the low-income class , on those cheap Chinese bikes ) .
I ’ ve been in bike shows with many other riders but this was an aggressive , criminal-abundant pileup of guys on bikes .
Truly scary .
Never would consider getting close to such herd .
I ’ d prefer to face a zombie herd with a baseball bat that getting into one of those .
These are the kind of situations where one of them pulls a gun , shoots , take a nice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dodge .
Nobody saw anything , there is no record of what happened .
I know how things are with this failure of a State we are now .
And this leads me to another situation that deserves careful thinking .
I ’ ve had to re-evaluate again our spot .
With the gasoline scarcity the only ones being able to travel some distance , quarantine or not , are the guys riding these bikes .
A few dollars spent in gasoline will be enough for them to travel long distances .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But a respectable amount are , enough to make you trigger a red alert if a couple of men on one of these bikes gets suddenly in your way .
There are dirty cops that will have made previous arrangements .
They will have sometimes free passage because they work for someone high in the political sphere , more often than you can think of .
This makes me think that , under the situation we are currently , not even being close to a road is a safe bet .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my kiddo and live peacefully in the mountains , until things settle down .
It seems that doing this without an arsenal at home would be not the best of the ideas until the house itself has been adequately remodeled .
I would like to remark on something .
Please don ’ t waste time .
Start prepping and keep prepping .
I always thought I would have more time to prep , but things happened too fast .
Now that I need my house with minimal conditions , don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or if it has been looted or trespassed .
My family can not even go to check if everything is OK there because there is no fuel and town access is closed .
My old folks can not leave home , even when there is not one single case of the Chinese virus SARS/Cov2 in the entire state , 300 km around , one of the biggest states in the country .
Of course , this entire situation is a total mess : not being able to have a certain degree of mobility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe location under isolation makes you rely on your preps .
One of the main items I can say people should start stocking now is soap and detergent , for clothes , dishes , and personal hygiene .
If the industries producing them happens to be severely affected these products will disappear from the market .
Same as medical supplies like alcohol , disinfection products , and supplies .
I don´t mean just “ stockpile ” , I mean to be able to produce these items yourself as I have mentioned in previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steady source of good homemade distilled alcohol than a huge stockpile and no means nor knowledge to produce it in the future .
We all are seeing how fragile the supply chain of our “ modern ” world is .
Thugs control the gasoline and diesel supply , and every product will see its price rising to levels so incredible that it´s inevitable the thin society fabric survives to such stress .
First rips are being seen in Venezuela .
Good thing is , people are directing their violence to those directly responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , people won´t fight back , just a small percentage with courage enough , but without weapons .
If that is going to change , I see the possibility , once despair has become epidemic .
Then , the last ( and unpredictable ) stage will be present : the civil war .
They are giving fuel for free just to the cars of the red elite , high-rank members of the party , “ official ” vehicles ( whatever this means ) , and ambulances .
This is not happening just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well in the smaller towns .
Even worst because unarmed people can be controlled much easier by a gang of trained killers .
That is exactly what we are seeing there .
Cubans trained the most ductile ( and stoopid ) minds to spy , and made them become the snitches of those opposing some sort of violent resistance since the 2014 demonstrations .
Remember these thugs are the support of a very complex structure , involving narcos and Islamic terrorism .
I could have prepared , indeed , but it would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible ( nor it is ) but a major change in my lifestyle was needed , and with a family over my shoulders , they needed some sort of stability back in those years .
Use the time you have wisely .
I am now in much better condition , indeed .
All of this “ free ” time ( I always have found something to do to earn a few bucks here and there using the web ) has been wisely used to download and gather information , make partnerships , design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve fellow preppers life , and see where my preps really failed badly .
Just for the record , one of the wiser choice ( maybe the only one I have had in a decade , to be honest ) was the diversification of my income .
Not depending on just one source has been the key , even in this quite difficult conditions : a foreign country , my health details here and there , psychological impacts on my nerves , seeing all my former life going to the drain and finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early retirement…well , this is life , isn´t it ?
.
Thanks for your words , your encouragement , and stay safe .
Jose is an upper middle class professional .
He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor ’ s degree from one of the best national Universities .
He has a small 4 members family , plus two cats and a dog .
An old but in good shape SUV , a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood , in a small but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle size malls .
Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela .
Thanks to your help Jose has gotten his family out of Venezuela .
They are currently setting up a new life in another country .
Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon .
Donations : paypal.me/JoseM151

by J.G. Martinez D.
Dear readers, those who already know me are aware I used to write about confirmed facts we all care about as preppers. At this point in my life I hardly can be considered a prepper, though. A survivor? Sure. I’ve been in much better conditions (as I have mentioned earlier in previous articles) than other migrants. Always had a roof and something to eat, and could buy my kiddo a good meal every now and then and even an ice cream, cookies and the occasional chocolate when he asked for it. Maybe I have not eaten a grilled steak every two days, but I haven’t starved. Have I seen myself rationing? Sure. At least I have something to ration. I know I have been a little…disperse. I have realized that facing with a reality you had only had imagined in your worst scenario fantasies, is harder than I thought. That´s why I´ve been trying to recover myself, and getting used to the quite grim possibility of death far away from my homeland.
This said, I received a few audios about a situation that is presenting given the scarcity of gasoline that has already impacted the food supply. The person sending me these materials is reliable, and informed me that indeed that happened.
There’s a fuel shortage in Venezuela
The local majors, governors, and uniforms have confiscated the fuel, and they sell them in dollars, for their own personal profit. This way they are bypassing tax controls, impeding the audit, and pocketing all the money they collect. They are trafficking with the fuel, and this brings along two consequences.
One, crops were lost. Not that they care, of course. The Chinese need Venezuela with the least amount of people possible. They want our land for themselves and this is evident. Almost one million square km, plenty of water, and mineral resources with an extremely low-density population? That leaving outside the extremely privilege its position means.
This geopolitical comment is because I need the world to know exactly what is happening. We didn’t “choose” poorly. This was imposed. If we didn’t elect Hugo, the result would have been just another coup d’etat. And another, until thugs could control the country by force like it is happening now.
The other consequence is much worse. No crops, no food. People will die by the thousands unless extreme measures are taken. And I mean really extreme. We don’t deserve this.
People are getting fed up.
What has happened is, in one town in the Falcon state in the West of Venezuela (relatively close to the major refineries in South America, which are not producing even a drop of fuel), the fuel trafficking was so shameless that the entire town (and I hope this is will be an increasing trend) kicked the heck (literally!) out of the major and one middle-low rank uniforms, who is in the hospital right now. This collective beating means that crowds are starting to walk on the loose.
This is an isolated case, but this information spreads like wildfire even with the strongest of censorships. They took out of the pockets of one of the uniforms the 300$ he had made (illegally) selling gasoline in the middle of the night to the always existent privileged wealthy inhabitants. Be no mistaken, this money is part of the laundering system they have turned the country in. Selling gasoline to Colombian smugglers, they get CASH. Huge amounts of it. This cash is going to be stockpiled God knows where and for what reason.
In another town (the part where the footage in my channel is taken from) there was a massive protest when thousands of riders on all kinds of bikes (mostly the low-income class, on those cheap Chinese bikes). I’ve been in bike shows with many other riders but this was an aggressive, criminal-abundant pileup of guys on bikes. Truly scary. Never would consider getting close to such herd. I’d prefer to face a zombie herd with a baseball bat that getting into one of those. These are the kind of situations where one of them pulls a gun, shoots, take a nice shiny bike, and gets out of dodge. Nobody saw anything, there is no record of what happened. I know how things are with this failure of a State we are now.
And this leads me to another situation that deserves careful thinking. I’ve had to re-evaluate again our spot. With the gasoline scarcity the only ones being able to travel some distance, quarantine or not, are the guys riding these bikes. A few dollars spent in gasoline will be enough for them to travel long distances. Not all of them are thugs, sure. But a respectable amount are, enough to make you trigger a red alert if a couple of men on one of these bikes gets suddenly in your way. There are dirty cops that will have made previous arrangements. They will have sometimes free passage because they work for someone high in the political sphere, more often than you can think of.
This makes me think that, under the situation we are currently, not even being close to a road is a safe bet. I mean, my goal was to go with my kiddo and live peacefully in the mountains, until things settle down. It seems that doing this without an arsenal at home would be not the best of the ideas until the house itself has been adequately remodeled.
Don’t delay your preparations.
I would like to remark on something. Please don’t waste time. Start prepping and keep prepping. I always thought I would have more time to prep, but things happened too fast. Now that I need my house with minimal conditions, don’t even know how ruined it is, or if it has been looted or trespassed. My family cannot even go to check if everything is OK there because there is no fuel and town access is closed. My old folks cannot leave home, even when there is not one single case of the Chinese virus SARS/Cov2 in the entire state, 300 km around, one of the biggest states in the country.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Of course, this entire situation is a total mess: not being able to have a certain degree of mobility, provided you are already in your safe location under isolation makes you rely on your preps. One of the main items I can say people should start stocking now is soap and detergent, for clothes, dishes, and personal hygiene. If the industries producing them happens to be severely affected these products will disappear from the market. Same as medical supplies like alcohol, disinfection products, and supplies. I don´t mean just “stockpile”, I mean to be able to produce these items yourself as I have mentioned in previous articles. It´s better to have a steady source of good homemade distilled alcohol than a huge stockpile and no means nor knowledge to produce it in the future.
We all are seeing how fragile the supply chain of our “modern” world is.
Thugs control the gasoline and diesel supply, and every product will see its price rising to levels so incredible that it´s inevitable the thin society fabric survives to such stress. First rips are being seen in Venezuela. Good thing is, people are directing their violence to those directly responsible for the abuse.
On the other hand, people won´t fight back, just a small percentage with courage enough, but without weapons. If that is going to change, I see the possibility, once despair has become epidemic. Then, the last (and unpredictable) stage will be present: the civil war.
They are giving fuel for free just to the cars of the red elite, high-rank members of the party, “official” vehicles (whatever this means), and ambulances.
This is not happening just in the cities. It´s happening as well in the smaller towns. Even worst because unarmed people can be controlled much easier by a gang of trained killers. That is exactly what we are seeing there. Cubans trained the most ductile (and stoopid) minds to spy, and made them become the snitches of those opposing some sort of violent resistance since the 2014 demonstrations.
Remember these thugs are the support of a very complex structure, involving narcos and Islamic terrorism. I could have prepared, indeed, but it would have required tons of resources. It wasn´t impossible (nor it is) but a major change in my lifestyle was needed, and with a family over my shoulders, they needed some sort of stability back in those years.
Use the time you have wisely.
I am now in much better condition, indeed. All of this “free” time (I always have found something to do to earn a few bucks here and there using the web) has been wisely used to download and gather information, make partnerships, design some devices that will be available to improve fellow preppers life, and see where my preps really failed badly.
Just for the record, one of the wiser choice (maybe the only one I have had in a decade, to be honest) was the diversification of my income. Not depending on just one source has been the key, even in this quite difficult conditions: a foreign country, my health details here and there, psychological impacts on my nerves, seeing all my former life going to the drain and finding myself broke when I had planned an early retirement…well, this is life, isn´t it?.
Thanks for your words, your encouragement, and stay safe.
We will prevail.
J.
About Jose
Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has a small 4 members family, plus two cats and a dog. An old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Thanks to your help Jose has gotten his family out of Venezuela. They are currently setting up a new life in another country. Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--The most important number in the world right now is the forecast for US GDP growth in Q3: +15%

Q1 first estimate announced today is -5 % .
Current Q2 forecast is -30 % .
This is the development in late Feb/March ( back around then the forecast changed from positive to -20 % because OMG pandemics are Bad ! )
that caused the stockmarkets to crash -35 % below the recent all time highs .
A Q3 GDP growth of +15 % is why markets are so upbeat the last few weeks .
All the current hope and market calmness revolves around this very positive event occurring .
If the outlook deteriorates , this number will tank and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are now… You can track it here : www.cnbc.com/rapid-update/ [ Scroll to bottom of page and find the Median 2020Q3 number . ]
They ’ re goddamned delusional .
Anyone who has even the foggiest sense of how this thing works will quickly realize that Q3 is going to be worse than Q1 .
I mean , hell , we ’ ve had record unemployment and bailouts already , but we haven ’ t had bank failures .
Anyone who thinks the economy is doing bad right now should just wait until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocking on the bottom lines of the world ’ s banks — after we ’ ve already shot half our load on QE .
That will make Q1 look like a cake walk .

by mark000
Q1 first estimate announced today is -5%.
Current Q2 forecast is -30%. This is the development in late Feb/March (back around then the forecast changed from positive to -20% because OMG pandemics are Bad!) that caused the stockmarkets to crash -35% below the recent all time highs.
A Q3 GDP growth of +15% is why markets are so upbeat the last few weeks. All the current hope and market calmness revolves around this very positive event occurring. If the outlook deteriorates, this number will tank and things might get a lot worse than they are now…
You can track it here:
www.cnbc.com/rapid-update/
[Scroll to bottom of page and find the Median 2020Q3 number.]
They’re goddamned delusional. Anyone who has even the foggiest sense of how this thing works will quickly realize that Q3 is going to be worse than Q1.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
I mean, hell, we’ve had record unemployment and bailouts already, but we haven’t had bank failures. Anyone who thinks the economy is doing bad right now should just wait until the loan defaults and delinquency rates start knocking on the bottom lines of the world’s banks — after we’ve already shot half our load on QE. That will make Q1 look like a cake walk.
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--‘The Squad’ Proposes Bill Allowing Feds To Literally Cancel Property Rights During Pandemic

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has introduced a radical measure that would dismantle Americans ’ property rights .
If @ @ @ @ @ Mortgage Cancellation Act would come dangerously close to the socialist dream of stripping people of @ @ @ @ @ property and would allow for another massive government expansion .
This bill , introduced April @ @ @ @ @ rent and mortgage payments , regardless of income or employment , for the duration of @ @ @ @

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has introduced a radical measure that would dismantle Americans’ property rights.
If enacted, the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act would come dangerously close to the socialist dream of stripping people of the right to control their property and would allow for another massive government expansion.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
This bill, introduced April 17, would cancel all rent and mortgage payments, regardless of income or employment, for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
www.westernjournal.com/squad-proposes-bill-allowing-feds-literally-cancel-property-rights-pandemic/?utm_source=site&utm_medium=protrumpnews&utm_campaign=can


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--Power hungry cops hassle woman over her kids playing

Caught On Video : A pair of Wisconsin police officers on a crazed power trip show up at a woman @ @ @ @ @ “ violated a state order ” by allowing her daughter to play at a neighbor @ @ @ @

Caught On Video: A pair of Wisconsin police officers on a crazed power trip show up at a woman’s home because she “violated a state order” by allowing her daughter to play at a neighbor’s house pic.twitter.com/JTtogvoE1X
— Darrin McBreen (@MediaRival) April 29, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--UN Flags down all day, is it happening?

UN Flags down all day, is it happening?

The flags are raised manually by UN Security officers every weekday morning at approximately 8am and lowered every weekday at @ @ @ @ @ the cases of bad weather .
The flags are organized in English alphabetical order from @ @ @ @ @ weekends , only the UN flag is raised .
Further information can be found in @ @ @ @ @ UN Chronicle : “ So Proudly They Wave … Flags of the United Nations ” @ @ @ @ @ UN Chronicle , Vol .
29 , No .
4 ( December 1992 )

An anon had posted that UN flags were down. I just confirmed it in person. What does it mean? Interesting… pic.twitter.com/5z0YV6EqLe — Valerie Gilbert (@valeriebgilbert) April 29, 2020
The flags are raised manually by UN Security officers every weekday morning at approximately 8am and lowered every weekday at around 4pm, except in the cases of bad weather. The flags are organized in English alphabetical order from north to south. On weekends, only the UN flag is raised. Further information can be found in this 1992 article from the UN Chronicle:
“So Proudly They Wave … Flags of the United Nations”, Endrst, Elsa B. UN Chronicle, Vol. 29, No. 4 (December 1992)
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
ask.un.org/faq/14461
h/t Builder


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--#JOURNALISM: RealClearInvestigations: The NY Times Used to Correct Its Whoppers. But Not These Two.

#JOURNALISM: RealClearInvestigations: The NY Times Used to Correct Its Whoppers. But Not These Two. Here’s Why.

A fuller accounting by the Times is especially necessary because the media ’ s pushing of Trump-Russia conspiracy theories was central to an unprecedented and possibly criminal effort to subvert or remove a president under false pretenses .
Unless the Times and other sources come clean about who was feeding them misleading and partisan information , we may never understand this momentous chapter of history .
Protecting confidential sources is , of course , one of the bedrocks of journalism .
The free flow of information depends on people being able to share hard truths without jeopardizing their careers or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mislead .
When that happens , the confidentiality deal is off and “ your responsibility would be to set the record straight , ” Lynn Walsh , ethics chair of the Society of Professional Journalists , confirmed to me recently in a general conversation about SPJ ’ s standards for anonymous sourcing .
When sources engage in gross deception on a matter of such import , even committing national security crimes in the process , the news media involved should honor their higher duty – to their readers or viewers – to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s a less exalted incentive for the Times to revisit its reporting : damage control before the Justice Department releases the findings of prosecutor John H. Durham ’ s criminal probe of Trump-Russia ’ s origins .
The auguries , however , are not good .

via realclearinvestigations
A fuller accounting by the Times is especially necessary because the media’s pushing of Trump-Russia conspiracy theories was central to an unprecedented and possibly criminal effort to subvert or remove a president under false pretenses. Unless the Times and other sources come clean about who was feeding them misleading and partisan information, we may never understand this momentous chapter of history.
Protecting confidential sources is, of course, one of the bedrocks of journalism. The free flow of information depends on people being able to share hard truths without jeopardizing their careers or lives.
But not when sources lie or mislead. When that happens, the confidentiality deal is off and “your responsibility would be to set the record straight,” Lynn Walsh, ethics chair of the Society of Professional Journalists, confirmed to me recently in a general conversation about SPJ’s standards for anonymous sourcing.
When sources engage in gross deception on a matter of such import, even committing national security crimes in the process, the news media involved should honor their higher duty – to their readers or viewers – to expose the malfeasance and correct the record.
There’s a less exalted incentive for the Times to revisit its reporting: damage control before the Justice Department releases the findings of prosecutor John H. Durham’s criminal probe of Trump-Russia’s origins.
The auguries, however, are not good.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--Not a Single Person in Congress Actually Writes Legislation or Laws. It’s All Subbed Out to K-Street

Not a Single Person in Congress Actually Writes Legislation or Laws. It’s All Subbed Out to K-Street.

With congress saying they will not be returning to work next week , it appears Kentucky representative Thomas Massie has decided to use the opportunity to expose Washington DC ’ s biggest secret .
Something 99 % of American voters do not understand : Oh dear , he ’ s telling secrets .
You see , congress doesn ’ t actually write legislation .
The last item of legislation written by congress was sometime around the mid 1990 ’ s .
Modern legislation is sub-contracted to K-Street .
Lobbyists write the laws ; congress sells the laws ; lobbyists then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the modern legislative business in DC .
CTH often describes the background DC motives with the phrase : “ There are Trillions at Stake.
” The process of creating legislation is behind that phrase .
DC politics is not quite based on the ideas that frame most voter ’ s reference points .
With people taking notice of DC politics for the first time ; and with people not as familiar with the purpose of DC politics ; perhaps it is valuable to provide clarity .
Most people think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -a House or Senate representative- they are voting for a person who will go to Washington DC and write or enact legislation .
This is the old-fashioned “ schoolhouse rock ” perspective based on decades past .
There is not a single person in congress writing legislation or laws .
In modern politics not a single member of the House of Representatives or Senator writes a law , or puts pen to paper to write out a legislative construct .
This simply doesn ’ t happen .
Over the past several decades a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington DC that more resembles a business operation than a legislative body .
Here ’ s how it works right now .
Outside groups , often called “ special interest groups ” , are entities that represent their interests in legislative constructs .
These groups are often representing foreign governments , Wall Street multinational corporations , banks , financial groups or businesses ; or smaller groups of people with a similar connection who come together and form a larger group under an umbrella of interest specific to their affiliation .
Sometimes the groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate groups , environmental interests etc .
The social interest groups are usually non-profit constructs who depend on the expenditures of government to sustain their cause or need .
The for-profit groups ( mostly business ) have a purpose in Washington DC to shape policy , legislation and laws favorable to their interests .
They have fully staffed offices just like any business would – only their ‘ business ‘ is getting legislation for their unique interests .
These groups are filled with highly-paid lawyers who represent the interests of the entity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the modern era this is actually the origination of the laws that we eventually see passed by congress .
Within the walls of these buildings within Washington DC is where the ‘ sausage ’ is actually made .
Again , no elected official is usually part of this law origination process .
Almost all legislation created is not ‘ high profile ’ , they are obscure changes to current laws , regulations or policies that no-one pays attention to .
The passage of the general bills within legislation is not covered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens without anyone outside the system even paying any attention to it .
Once the corporation or representative organizational entity has written the law they want to see passed – they hand it off to the lobbyists .
The lobbyists are people who have deep contacts within the political bodies of the legislative branch , usually former House/Senate staff or former House/Senate politicians themselves .
The lobbyist takes the written brief , the legislative construct , and it ’ s their job to go to congress and sell it .
“ Selling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the brief , sponsor their bill and eventually get it to a vote and passage .
The lobbyist does this by visiting the politician in their office , or , most currently familiar , by inviting the politician to an event they are hosting .
The event is called a junket when it involves travel .
Often the lobbying “ event ” might be a weekend trip to a ski resort , or a “ conference ” that takes place at a resort .
The actual sales pitch for the bill is usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time is just like a mini vacation etc .
The size of the indulgence within the event , the amount of money the lobbyist is spending , is customarily related to the scale of benefit within the bill the sponsoring business entity is pushing .
If the sponsoring business or interest group can gain a lot of financial benefit from the legislation they spend a lot on the indulgences .
Recap : Corporations ( special interest group ) write the legislation .
Lobbyists take the law and go find politician ( s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support from their peers using tenure and status etc .
Eventually , if things go according to norm , the legislation gets a vote .
Within every step of the process there are expense account lunches , dinners , trips , venue tickets and a host of other customary financial way-points to generate/leverage a successful outcome .
The amount of money spent is proportional to the benefit derived from the outcome .
The important part to remember is that the origination of the entire process is EXTERNAL to congress .
Congress does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups do .
Lobbyists are paid , some very well paid , to get politicians to go along with the need of the legislative group .
When you are voting for a Congressional Rep or a U.S .
Senator you are not voting for a person who will write laws .
Your rep only votes on legislation to approve or disapprove of constructs that are written by outside groups and sold to them through lobbyists who work for those outside groups .
While all of this is happening the same outside groups who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaigns of the politicians they need to pass them .
This construct sets up the quid-pro-quo of influence , although much of it is fraught with plausible deniability .
This is the way legislation is created .
If your frame of reference is not established in this basic understanding you can often fall into the trap of viewing a politician , or political vote , through a false prism .
The modern origin of all legislative constructs is not within congress .
Once you understand this process you can understand how politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate member becomes educated on the intent of the legislation , they have attended the sales pitch ; and when they find out the likelihood of support for that legislation ; they can then position their own ( or their families ) financial interests to benefit from the consequence of passage .
It is a process similar to insider trading on Wall Street , except the trading is based on knowing who will benefit from a legislative passage .
The legislative construct passes from K-Street into the halls of congress through congressional committees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the full House or Senate .
Committee seats which vote on these bills are therefore more valuable to the lobbyists .
Chairs of these committees are exponentially more valuable .
Now , think about this reality against the backdrop of the 2016 Presidential Election .
Legislation is passed based on ideology .
In the aftermath of the 2016 election the system within DC was not structurally set-up to receive a Donald Trump presidency .
If Hillary Clinton had won the election , her Oval Office desk would be filled with legislation passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing .
Heck , she ’ d have writer ’ s cramp from all of the special interest legislation , driven by special interest groups that supported her campaign , that would be flowing to her desk .
Simply because the authors of the legislation , the originating special interest and lobbying groups , were spending millions to fund her campaign .
Hillary Clinton would be signing K-Street constructed special interest legislation to repay all of those donors/investors .
Congress would be fast-tracking the passage because the same interest groups also fund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the election threw a monkey wrench into the entire DC system… .
In early 2017 the modern legislative machine was frozen in place .
The “ America First ” policies represented by candidate Donald Trump were not within the legislative constructs coming from the K-Street authors of the legislation .
There were no MAGA lobbyists waiting on Trump ideology to advance legislation based on America First objectives .
As a result of an empty feeder system , in early 2017 congress had no bills to advance because all of the myriad of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with President Trump policy .
There was simply no entity within DC writing legislation that was in-line with President Trump ’ s America-First ’ economic and foreign policy agenda .
Exactly the opposite was true .
All of the DC legislative briefs and constructs were/are antithetical to Trump policy .
There were hundreds of file boxes filled with thousands of legislative constructs that became worthless when Donald Trump won the election .
Those legislative constructs ( briefs ) representing tens of millions of dollars worth of time and influence were just sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in closets amid K-Street and the congressional offices .
Legislation needed to be in-line with an entire new political perspective , and there was no-one , no special interest or lobbying group , currently occupying DC office space with any interest in synergy with Trump policy .
Think about the larger ramifications within that truism .
That is also why there was/is so much opposition .
No legislation provided by outside interests means no work for lobbyists who sell it .
No work means no money .
No money means no expense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their own indulgences etc .
Politicians were not happy without their indulgences , but the issue was actually bigger .
No K-Street expenditures also means no personal benefit ; and no opportunity to advance financial benefit from the insider trading system .
Without the ability to position personal wealth for benefit , why would a politician stay in office ?
The income of many long-term politicians on both Republican and Democrat sides of the aisle was completely disrupted by President Trump winning the election .
That is one of the key reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When we understand the business of DC , we understand the difference between legislation with a traditional purpose and modern legislation with a financial and political agenda .
Lastly , this is why -when signing legislation- President Trump often says “ they ’ ve been trying to get this through for a long time ” etc .
Most of the legislation passed by congress and signed by President Trump in his first term is older legislative proposals , with little indulgent value , that were shelved in years past .
Example : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial benefit to the legislative bodies , and there was no financial interest funding the politicians to pass the bill .
If you look at most of the bills President Trump has signed , with the exception of a few economic bills , they stem from congressional construction many years , even decades , ago .

With congress saying they will not be returning to work next week, it appears Kentucky representative Thomas Massie has decided to use the opportunity to expose Washington DC’s biggest secret. Something 99% of American voters do not understand:
Oh dear, he’s telling secrets. You see, congress doesn’t actually write legislation. The last item of legislation written by congress was sometime around the mid 1990’s. Modern legislation is sub-contracted to K-Street. Lobbyists write the laws; congress sells the laws; lobbyists then pay congress commissions for passing their laws. That’s the modern legislative business in DC.
CTH often describes the background DC motives with the phrase: “There are Trillions at Stake.” The process of creating legislation is behind that phrase. DC politics is not quite based on the ideas that frame most voter’s reference points.
With people taking notice of DC politics for the first time; and with people not as familiar with the purpose of DC politics; perhaps it is valuable to provide clarity.
Most people think when they vote for a federal politician -a House or Senate representative- they are voting for a person who will go to Washington DC and write or enact legislation. This is the old-fashioned “schoolhouse rock” perspective based on decades past. There is not a single person in congress writing legislation or laws.
In modern politics not a single member of the House of Representatives or Senator writes a law, or puts pen to paper to write out a legislative construct. This simply doesn’t happen.
Over the past several decades a system of constructing legislation has taken over Washington DC that more resembles a business operation than a legislative body. Here’s how it works right now.
Outside groups, often called “special interest groups”, are entities that represent their interests in legislative constructs. These groups are often representing foreign governments, Wall Street multinational corporations, banks, financial groups or businesses; or smaller groups of people with a similar connection who come together and form a larger group under an umbrella of interest specific to their affiliation.
Sometimes the groups are social interest groups; activists, climate groups, environmental interests etc. The social interest groups are usually non-profit constructs who depend on the expenditures of government to sustain their cause or need.
The for-profit groups (mostly business) have a purpose in Washington DC to shape policy, legislation and laws favorable to their interests. They have fully staffed offices just like any business would – only their ‘business‘ is getting legislation for their unique interests.
These groups are filled with highly-paid lawyers who represent the interests of the entity and actually write laws and legislation briefs.
In the modern era this is actually the origination of the laws that we eventually see passed by congress. Within the walls of these buildings within Washington DC is where the ‘sausage’ is actually made.
Again, no elected official is usually part of this law origination process.
Almost all legislation created is not ‘high profile’, they are obscure changes to current laws, regulations or policies that no-one pays attention to. The passage of the general bills within legislation is not covered in media. Ninety-nine percent of legislative activity happens without anyone outside the system even paying any attention to it.
Once the corporation or representative organizational entity has written the law they want to see passed – they hand it off to the lobbyists.
The lobbyists are people who have deep contacts within the political bodies of the legislative branch, usually former House/Senate staff or former House/Senate politicians themselves.
The lobbyist takes the written brief, the legislative construct, and it’s their job to go to congress and sell it.
“Selling it” means finding politicians who will accept the brief, sponsor their bill and eventually get it to a vote and passage. The lobbyist does this by visiting the politician in their office, or, most currently familiar, by inviting the politician to an event they are hosting. The event is called a junket when it involves travel.
Often the lobbying “event” might be a weekend trip to a ski resort, or a “conference” that takes place at a resort. The actual sales pitch for the bill is usually not too long and the majority of the time is just like a mini vacation etc.
The size of the indulgence within the event, the amount of money the lobbyist is spending, is customarily related to the scale of benefit within the bill the sponsoring business entity is pushing. If the sponsoring business or interest group can gain a lot of financial benefit from the legislation they spend a lot on the indulgences.
Recap: Corporations (special interest group) write the legislation. Lobbyists take the law and go find politician(s) to support it. Politicians get support from their peers using tenure and status etc. Eventually, if things go according to norm, the legislation gets a vote.
Within every step of the process there are expense account lunches, dinners, trips, venue tickets and a host of other customary financial way-points to generate/leverage a successful outcome. The amount of money spent is proportional to the benefit derived from the outcome.
The important part to remember is that the origination of the entire process is EXTERNAL to congress.
Congress does not write laws or legislation, special interest groups do. Lobbyists are paid, some very well paid, to get politicians to go along with the need of the legislative group.
When you are voting for a Congressional Rep or a U.S. Senator you are not voting for a person who will write laws. Your rep only votes on legislation to approve or disapprove of constructs that are written by outside groups and sold to them through lobbyists who work for those outside groups.
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While all of this is happening the same outside groups who write the laws are providing money for the campaigns of the politicians they need to pass them. This construct sets up the quid-pro-quo of influence, although much of it is fraught with plausible deniability.
This is the way legislation is created.
If your frame of reference is not established in this basic understanding you can often fall into the trap of viewing a politician, or political vote, through a false prism.
The modern origin of all legislative constructs is not within congress.
“we’ll have to pass the bill to, well, find out what is in the bill” etc. ~ Nancy Pelosi 2009 “We rely upon the stupidity of the American voter” ~ Johnathan Gruber 2011, 2012.
Once you understand this process you can understand how politicians get rich.
When a House or Senate member becomes educated on the intent of the legislation, they have attended the sales pitch; and when they find out the likelihood of support for that legislation; they can then position their own (or their families) financial interests to benefit from the consequence of passage. It is a process similar to insider trading on Wall Street, except the trading is based on knowing who will benefit from a legislative passage.
The legislative construct passes from K-Street into the halls of congress through congressional committees. The law originates from the committee to the full House or Senate. Committee seats which vote on these bills are therefore more valuable to the lobbyists. Chairs of these committees are exponentially more valuable.
Now, think about this reality against the backdrop of the 2016 Presidential Election. Legislation is passed based on ideology. In the aftermath of the 2016 election the system within DC was not structurally set-up to receive a Donald Trump presidency.
If Hillary Clinton had won the election, her Oval Office desk would be filled with legislation passed by congress which she would have been signing. Heck, she’d have writer’s cramp from all of the special interest legislation, driven by special interest groups that supported her campaign, that would be flowing to her desk.
Why?
Simply because the authors of the legislation, the originating special interest and lobbying groups, were spending millions to fund her campaign. Hillary Clinton would be signing K-Street constructed special interest legislation to repay all of those donors/investors.
Congress would be fast-tracking the passage because the same interest groups also fund the members of congress.
President Donald Trump winning the election threw a monkey wrench into the entire DC system…. In early 2017 the modern legislative machine was frozen in place.
The “America First” policies represented by candidate Donald Trump were not within the legislative constructs coming from the K-Street authors of the legislation. There were no MAGA lobbyists waiting on Trump ideology to advance legislation based on America First objectives.
As a result of an empty feeder system, in early 2017 congress had no bills to advance because all of the myriad of bills and briefs written were not in line with President Trump policy. There was simply no entity within DC writing legislation that was in-line with President Trump’s America-First’ economic and foreign policy agenda.
Exactly the opposite was true. All of the DC legislative briefs and constructs were/are antithetical to Trump policy. There were hundreds of file boxes filled with thousands of legislative constructs that became worthless when Donald Trump won the election.
Those legislative constructs (briefs) representing tens of millions of dollars worth of time and influence were just sitting there piled up in boxes under desks and in closets amid K-Street and the congressional offices. Legislation needed to be in-line with an entire new political perspective, and there was no-one, no special interest or lobbying group, currently occupying DC office space with any interest in synergy with Trump policy.
Think about the larger ramifications within that truism. That is also why there was/is so much opposition.
No legislation provided by outside interests means no work for lobbyists who sell it. No work means no money. No money means no expense accounts. No expenses means politicians paying for their own indulgences etc.
Politicians were not happy without their indulgences, but the issue was actually bigger. No K-Street expenditures also means no personal benefit; and no opportunity to advance financial benefit from the insider trading system.
Without the ability to position personal wealth for benefit, why would a politician stay in office? The income of many long-term politicians on both Republican and Democrat sides of the aisle was completely disrupted by President Trump winning the election. That is one of the key reason why so many politicians retired immediately thereafter.
When we understand the business of DC, we understand the difference between legislation with a traditional purpose and modern legislation with a financial and political agenda.
Lastly, this is why -when signing legislation- President Trump often says “they’ve been trying to get this through for a long time” etc. Most of the legislation passed by congress and signed by President Trump in his first term is older legislative proposals, with little indulgent value, that were shelved in years past.
Example: Criminal justice reform did not carry a financial benefit to the legislative bodies, and there was no financial interest funding the politicians to pass the bill. If you look at most of the bills President Trump has signed, with the exception of a few economic bills, they stem from congressional construction many years, even decades, ago.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--Covid Quarantine Will Destroy the Economy, Not Save Lives

The media has riled our people into a state of absolute panic over Covid-19 .
In response , Western governments have instituted strict “ social distancing ” protocols to contain the infection .
We are not allowed to work .
We are not allowed to see our friends or family .
We can not worship—our greatest cathedrals and churches were empty this Easter .
Simply going to the grocery store has become a harrowing task .
We have limited our freedoms of movement and religion—thereby ignoring the fundamental precepts of liberty enshrined in our Constitution—we have ruined our economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 .
Was it worth it ?
The data is in .
Covid-19 is just the flu .
Social distancing must end .
The economy must restart .
Now is the time for Americans to demand the government to return the control of our economy , society , and nation to we , the people .
The media has whipped America into a neurotic frenzy over Covid-19 , a frenzy bordering on hysteria—on madness .
They tell us that 5.6 percent of Americans infected with the pathogen will die .
Not only that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : up to 13.7 percent of infected patients in the United Kingdom will perish .
Globally , Covid-19 is expected to be worse than the Spanish Flu , which killed some 50 million people in the wake of the First World War .
This is nothing but a pack of lies .
Numerous recent studies have found that Covid-19 is little more than a bad case of the flu .
As such , there is no reason to shut down our entire civilization .
Iceland was the first Western nation to issue mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , they had tested 3.4 percent of their entire population .
They found two things .
First , the number of people infected with Covid-19 was far higher than originally estimated .
Second , the majority of people infected with Covid-19 were asymptomatic—they didn ’ t even know they had it .
This is important because it means that our infection rate is far higher than we initially thought—if we only test people with symptoms , we necessarily exclude all of those without symptoms from the infection pool .
This means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mortality rate .
Evidence from America shows the same thing : Covid-19 is not that deadly .
For example , mass testing from Los Angeles County suggest that 4.1 percent of the county ’ s population—approximately 442,000 people—have already been infected .
This is an order of magnitude more than the number of previous “ confirmed cases ” , which stood at a paltry 13,816 .
Why is this important ?
Because the mortality rate is calculated in reference to the number of infected people .
The more infected people , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calculate Covid-19 ’ s mortality rate using these more recent—and more accurate—figures , we find that Covid-19 ’ s mortality rate is .
0.15 percent .
In comparison , seasonal influenza ’ s mortality rate is between 0.1 and 0.2 percent .
Covid-19 is just the flu .
If you ’ re still unconvinced , consider the new data from New York State : a random sample of 3,000 people indicates that some 14 percent of individuals had already been infected with Covid-19 .
In New York City—the pandemic ’ s epicenter—21 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Again , because this dramatically increases the size of the infected population , it correspondingly decreases Covid-19 ’ s mortality rate .
Plugging the number of fatalities from Covid-19 into the new infected population ( which I estimate at 2,700,000 people ) reveals that Covid-19 ’ s mortality rate in New York is 0.59 percent .
This is higher than the seasonal flu—but not by much .
Finally , we need to be aware that the way in which the government counts Covid-19 fatalities differs from place to place .
For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death toll is so high is because patients who died while infected were presumed to have died from the infection .
This is not the same thing .
Italy ’ s health minister now claims that the nation ’ s Covid-19 death toll is overestimated by 88 percent .
This also explains the difference in France and Germany ’ s mortality rates .
In France , Covid-19 has allegedly killed 14 percent of people it infects .
Meanwhile , it has only killed 3.7 percent of Germans .
This makes no sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , economic , and technological profiles—the difference can only be explained in the way that Covid-19 deaths are being tracked .
But what of the anecdotal evidence of hospitals being flooded with Covid-19 patients ?
What of the mass graves ?
If Covid-19 is just like the flu , then why is the healthcare system collapsing ?
One word : efficiency .
Take for example a hospital that admits an average of 1,000 people every day .
This varies over the course of the year .
In summer 900 people are admitted daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In order to avoid maintaining extra overhead the hospital administrators equip the hospital to deal with 1,100 daily admissions .
Now imagine that a “ second flu ” hits and suddenly 1,200 people are admitted to the hospital daily .
What happens ?
One hundred people are without beds .
One hundred people are without medicine .
One hundred people are without healthcare .
Because the healthcare system priorities efficiency over robustness , even a small increase in hospitalizations can bring the system to its knees .
In fact , the healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few years .
Remember that in 2018 both Time and the Associated Press ran headline pieces lamenting that hospitals were overflowing with influenza patients .
Covid-19 is just the flu .
America has shut down its economy for fear of Covid-19 .
More than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs—and this does not include all of those people who have not been laid off , but who are simply not receiving hours ( these untold millions are rotting in limbo ) .
Millions more have kept their jobs but are now working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get worse .
The Federal Reserve estimates that up to 47 million Americans could lose their jobs—one-third of the entire labor force .
Add this to the already sky-high U6 unemployment rate of ~8 percent and we are looking at unemployment rates that will dwarf those of both the Great Recession and the Great Depression .
We are now experiencing the worst labor market in American history .
If we ’ re not careful , we will also experience the greatest economic collapse in American history .
And unlike America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will not be able to return to their family farms to eke out a subsistence living .
We will be quarantined in our bourgeois apartment complexes—penned in like animals .
Mass unemployment will be catastrophic for our society .
Consider that some 78 percent of workers live paycheck to paycheck , while 30 percent of adults have no savings whatsoever .
One in three Americans will not be able to support themselves or their children in the coming months .
Strapped for cash and without hope , tens of millions will look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will receive welfare—and on welfare they will stay .
Uncle Sam is a dealer and the dole is his drug .
Welfare is addictive .
This is why the rustbelt votes democrat to this day , and it is why we are still living with the repercussions of Roosevelt ’ s New Deal almost 90 years later .
Those that do not qualify for the dole will be forced to borrow ever-greater sums to cover their expenses .
Millions will become wage-slaves , working their years , decades , and lifetimes way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massacre small businesses .
Why ?
Your local bakery , restaurant , and mom-and-pop shop simply lack the savings to weather a prolonged storm .
Meanwhile , big chains and online stores will slink onwards , scathed but not slain .
This is the start of another round of economic consolidation—the nail in the coffin for America ’ s pillaged middle class .
Of course , economics is a means to an end—not the end itself .
We can not ignore the social implications of the quarantine .
Job losses , financial stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriages—China has already seen a massive surge of divorces .
America will follow suit .
I am a divorce lawyer .
I tell you now that divorce hurts children—even when the parents do everything ‘ right ’ .
The facts make this quite clear .
Children of divorce have significantly higher crime rates , they achieve less academically , they suffer from a plethora of emotional , psychological , and physical health problems that last well into adulthood .
Additionally , more broken families means lower birth rates , permanently decreased economic growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden surge in anxiety , fear , poverty—hopelessness—will push many to commit suicide .
Every year 50,000 Americans kill themselves .
Most of these are white men .
Men with broken families .
Men who are out of work .
Who lack a sense of purpose .
Covid-19 will exacerbate this .
Indeed , suicides have already increased by 150 percent in Great Britain .
If the quarantine continues more people will take their own lives than will Covid-19 .
Lastly , deindustrialization has already cost America up to 15 million jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the outstretched arms of addition .
Substance abuse .
The opioid crisis is the unholy child of economic globalization—of asymmetrical trade with Mexico and China .
Last year nearly 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses .
Some 70 percent died of opioids .
I ask you : how many millions will succumb to drugs and alcohol when 50 million Americans lose their jobs ?
When hundreds of thousands lose their small businesses—their life ’ s work , their family legacies ?
How many will overdose ?
How many will die ?
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop Covid-19 .
To stop the flu .
But are we prepared—can we be prepared—for the fallout ?
Our economy , our society , is on the breaking point .
People ’ s lives are balanced on the knife ’ s edge .
An economic shutdown of this magnitude could plunge America into a depression from which it may not recover .
All this for the flu .

by Spencer P Morrison
The media has riled our people into a state of absolute panic over Covid-19.
In response, Western governments have instituted strict “social distancing” protocols to contain the infection. We are not allowed to work. We are not allowed to see our friends or family. We cannot worship—our greatest cathedrals and churches were empty this Easter. Simply going to the grocery store has become a harrowing task.
We have limited our freedoms of movement and religion—thereby ignoring the fundamental precepts of liberty enshrined in our Constitution—we have ruined our economy, impoverished millions all in the name of Covid-19. Was it worth it?
No.
The data is in. Covid-19 is just the flu. Social distancing must end. The economy must restart. Now is the time for Americans to demand the government to return the control of our economy, society, and nation to we, the people.
‘Lies, damned lies, and statistics.’
The media has whipped America into a neurotic frenzy over Covid-19, a frenzy bordering on hysteria—on madness. They tell us that 5.6 percent of Americans infected with the pathogen will die.
Not only that, we’re getting off easy: up to 13.7 percent of infected patients in the United Kingdom will perish. Globally, Covid-19 is expected to be worse than the Spanish Flu, which killed some 50 million people in the wake of the First World War.
This is nothing but a pack of lies. Numerous recent studies have found that Covid-19 is little more than a bad case of the flu. As such, there is no reason to shut down our entire civilization.
Iceland was the first Western nation to issue mass Covid-19 tests. As of March 25, 2020, they had tested 3.4 percent of their entire population. They found two things. First, the number of people infected with Covid-19 was far higher than originally estimated. Second, the majority of people infected with Covid-19 were asymptomatic—they didn’t even know they had it.
This is important because it means that our infection rate is far higher than we initially thought—if we only test people with symptoms, we necessarily exclude all of those without symptoms from the infection pool. This means that we are grossly overestimating Covid-19’s mortality rate.
Evidence from America shows the same thing: Covid-19 is not that deadly.
For example, mass testing from Los Angeles County suggest that 4.1 percent of the county’s population—approximately 442,000 people—have already been infected. This is an order of magnitude more than the number of previous “confirmed cases”, which stood at a paltry 13,816.
Why is this important? Because the mortality rate is calculated in reference to the number of infected people. The more infected people, the lower the mortality rate. If we calculate Covid-19’s mortality rate using these more recent—and more accurate—figures, we find that Covid-19’s mortality rate is. 0.15 percent.
In comparison, seasonal influenza’s mortality rate is between 0.1 and 0.2 percent. Covid-19 is just the flu.
If you’re still unconvinced, consider the new data from New York State: a random sample of 3,000 people indicates that some 14 percent of individuals had already been infected with Covid-19. In New York City—the pandemic’s epicenter—21 percent of the people had already been infected.
Again, because this dramatically increases the size of the infected population, it correspondingly decreases Covid-19’s mortality rate. Plugging the number of fatalities from Covid-19 into the new infected population (which I estimate at 2,700,000 people) reveals that Covid-19’s mortality rate in New York is 0.59 percent. This is higher than the seasonal flu—but not by much.
Finally, we need to be aware that the way in which the government counts Covid-19 fatalities differs from place to place. For example, the main reason that Italy’s death toll is so high is because patients who died while infected were presumed to have died from the infection. This is not the same thing. Italy’s health minister now claims that the nation’s Covid-19 death toll is overestimated by 88 percent.
This also explains the difference in France and Germany’s mortality rates. In France, Covid-19 has allegedly killed 14 percent of people it infects. Meanwhile, it has only killed 3.7 percent of Germans. This makes no sense given that both nations have similar demographic, economic, and technological profiles—the difference can only be explained in the way that Covid-19 deaths are being tracked.
But what of the anecdotal evidence of hospitals being flooded with Covid-19 patients? What of the mass graves? If Covid-19 is just like the flu, then why is the healthcare system collapsing? One word: efficiency.
Take for example a hospital that admits an average of 1,000 people every day. This varies over the course of the year. In summer 900 people are admitted daily. In winter, 1,100 are admitted. In order to avoid maintaining extra overhead the hospital administrators equip the hospital to deal with 1,100 daily admissions.
Now imagine that a “second flu” hits and suddenly 1,200 people are admitted to the hospital daily. What happens? One hundred people are without beds. One hundred people are without medicine. One hundred people are without healthcare.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Because the healthcare system priorities efficiency over robustness, even a small increase in hospitalizations can bring the system to its knees. In fact, the healthcare system is brought to its knees every few years. Remember that in 2018 both Time and the Associated Press ran headline pieces lamenting that hospitals were overflowing with influenza patients.
Covid-19 is just the flu.
‘A horse, a horse! My Kingdom for a horse!’
America has shut down its economy for fear of Covid-19. More than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs—and this does not include all of those people who have not been laid off, but who are simply not receiving hours (these untold millions are rotting in limbo). Millions more have kept their jobs but are now working part time.
It’s going to get worse.
The Federal Reserve estimates that up to 47 million Americans could lose their jobs—one-third of the entire labor force. Add this to the already sky-high U6 unemployment rate of ~8 percent and we are looking at unemployment rates that will dwarf those of both the Great Recession and the Great Depression.
We are now experiencing the worst labor market in American history. If we’re not careful, we will also experience the greatest economic collapse in American history.
And unlike America’s experience during the Great Depression, our people will not be able to return to their family farms to eke out a subsistence living. We will be quarantined in our bourgeois apartment complexes—penned in like animals.
Mass unemployment will be catastrophic for our society. Consider that some 78 percent of workers live paycheck to paycheck, while 30 percent of adults have no savings whatsoever. One in three Americans will not be able to support themselves or their children in the coming months.
Strapped for cash and without hope, tens of millions will look to the government for help. Many will receive welfare—and on welfare they will stay. Uncle Sam is a dealer and the dole is his drug. Welfare is addictive. This is why the rustbelt votes democrat to this day, and it is why we are still living with the repercussions of Roosevelt’s New Deal almost 90 years later.
Those that do not qualify for the dole will be forced to borrow ever-greater sums to cover their expenses. Millions will become wage-slaves, working their years, decades, and lifetimes way to pay back the banks.
Quarantines will massacre small businesses. Why? Your local bakery, restaurant, and mom-and-pop shop simply lack the savings to weather a prolonged storm. Meanwhile, big chains and online stores will slink onwards, scathed but not slain. This is the start of another round of economic consolidation—the nail in the coffin for America’s pillaged middle class.
Of course, economics is a means to an end—not the end itself. We cannot ignore the social implications of the quarantine. Job losses, financial stress, and social distancing are breaking apart marriages—China has already seen a massive surge of divorces. America will follow suit.
I am a divorce lawyer. I tell you now that divorce hurts children—even when the parents do everything ‘right’. The facts make this quite clear.
Children of divorce have significantly higher crime rates, they achieve less academically, they suffer from a plethora of emotional, psychological, and physical health problems that last well into adulthood. Additionally, more broken families means lower birth rates, permanently decreased economic growth, and degraded social cohesion.
The sudden surge in anxiety, fear, poverty—hopelessness—will push many to commit suicide. Every year 50,000 Americans kill themselves. Most of these are white men. Men with broken families. Men who are out of work. Who lack a sense of purpose.
Covid-19 will exacerbate this. Indeed, suicides have already increased by 150 percent in Great Britain. If the quarantine continues more people will take their own lives than will Covid-19.
Lastly, deindustrialization has already cost America up to 15 million jobs, and pushed millions of our unemployed brothers into the outstretched arms of addition. Substance abuse. The opioid crisis is the unholy child of economic globalization—of asymmetrical trade with Mexico and China. Last year nearly 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses. Some 70 percent died of opioids.
I ask you: how many millions will succumb to drugs and alcohol when 50 million Americans lose their jobs? When hundreds of thousands lose their small businesses—their life’s work, their family legacies? How many will overdose? How many will die?
We are prepared to do what it takes to stop Covid-19. To stop the flu. But are we prepared—can we be prepared—for the fallout?
Our economy, our society, is on the breaking point. People’s lives are balanced on the knife’s edge. An economic shutdown of this magnitude could plunge America into a depression from which it may not recover.
All this for the flu.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--California Cops Heckled As They Tell 93-Year-Old Couple They Can’t Sit in Chairs on the Beach

A video of law enforcement officers telling a 93-year-old couple that they can ’ t sit in chairs on a @ @ @ @ @ , is currently going viral on social media .
The officers , who were on @ @ @ @ @ other beachgoers for harassing the couple about their chairs .
The beaches are currently open @ @ @ @ @ be allowed to be there — as long as they ditched the chairs and sat @ @ @ @

A video of law enforcement officers telling a 93-year-old couple that they can’t sit in chairs on a beach in Oxnard, California, is currently going viral on social media.
The officers, who were on horseback, were heckled by other beachgoers for harassing the couple about their chairs.
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The beaches are currently open, and the couple would be allowed to be there — as long as they ditched the chairs and sat in the sand.
fromthetrenchesworldreport.com/california-cops-heckled-as-they-tell-93-year-old-couple-they-cant-sit-in-chairs-on-the-beach/266997


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--Civil war will start in California.- Gavin Newsom said Churches and various businesses cannot reopen

Civil war will start in California.- Gavin Newsom said Churches and various businesses cannot reopen for MONTHS

Today California governor Gavin Newsom and Department of Public Health leader Dr. Sonia Angell outlined a broad plan to reopen the state ’ s economy , including the limited reintroduction of in-room dining for restaurants and other openings for non-essential businesses like manufacturing , childcare facilities , retail , and even gyms and hair salons .
Newsom continued to decline to give an official reopening date , but noted that “ we believe we are weeks , not months away , from making meaningful modifications ” to the state ’ s stay-at-home directive .
Phase two includes lower-risk spaces like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modified for more consistent curbside pickups and limited physical interactions .
As for schools , Newsom said that the state is considering moving up the fall 2020 school year to “ July or early August , ” with restaurants and retail expected to reopen before that .
Newsom and Dr. Angell were cautious about the third phase of reopenings , which could require “ significant modifications ” before taking place .
These included close-encounter facilities like gyms and hair and nail salons , as well as church gatherings .
The fourth phase , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consists of “ larger public venues , concerts , and events , ” Newsom said .
Phase three and four are months , not weeks away , Newsom said in his closing remarks .

Today California governor Gavin Newsom and Department of Public Health leader Dr. Sonia Angell outlined a broad plan to reopen the state’s economy, including the limited reintroduction of in-room dining for restaurants and other openings for non-essential businesses like manufacturing, childcare facilities, retail, and even gyms and hair salons. Newsom continued to decline to give an official reopening date, but noted that “we believe we are weeks, not months away, from making meaningful modifications” to the state’s stay-at-home directive.
Phase two includes lower-risk spaces like restaurants and retail, which could be modified for more consistent curbside pickups and limited physical interactions. As for schools, Newsom said that the state is considering moving up the fall 2020 school year to “July or early August,” with restaurants and retail expected to reopen before that.
Newsom and Dr. Angell were cautious about the third phase of reopenings, which could require “significant modifications” before taking place. These included close-encounter facilities like gyms and hair and nail salons, as well as church gatherings. The fourth phase, considered to be many months away, consists of “larger public venues, concerts, and events,” Newsom said. Phase three and four are months, not weeks away, Newsom said in his closing remarks.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-30--Short interview with one of the largest dairy farms in the midwest. Good look into how the virus is

Short interview with one of the largest dairy farms in the midwest. Good look into how the virus is impacting farmers right now.

Johnson Farms is the largest dairy farm of Michigan ’ s Upper Peninsula .
Owner and operator Dave Johnson was @ @ @ @ @ give a detailed look at the current impact that the economic effects of Covid-19 has @ @ @ @ @ as well a forecast of the potential crisis and shortage to come .
[ Filmed @ @ @ @ @

Johnson Farms is the largest dairy farm of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Owner and operator Dave Johnson was willing to sit down and give a detailed look at the current impact that the economic effects of Covid-19 has had on the food sector as well a forecast of the potential crisis and shortage to come. [Filmed April 19, 2020]
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investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Remember the woman who told the media that Trump killed her husband after her husband allegedly dran

Remember the woman who told the media that Trump killed her husband after her husband allegedly drank fish tank cleaner containing chloroquine phosphate at Trump ’ s urging ?
Police are now investigating whether that man was killed by his wife .
t.co/S6lH5UiH1Z The Mesa City Police Department ’ s homicide division is investigating the death of Gary Lenius , the Arizona man whose wife served him soda mixed with fish tank cleaner in what she claimed was a bid to fend off the coronavirus .
A detective handling the case confirmed the investigation to the Washington Free Beacon on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free Beacon ’ s interviews with Lenius ’ s wife , Wanda .
Gary Lenius , 68 , died on March 22 .
Wanda , 61 , told several news outlets last month that both she and her husband had ingested a substance used to clean aquariums after hearing President Donald Trump tout one of its ingredients , chloroquine phosphate , from the White House briefing room .
Detective Teresa Van Galder , the homicide detective handling the case for the Mesa City Police Department , confirmed that the investigation is ongoing but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As this is an active investigation , I can not go into any details at this time regarding the case , ” Van Galder said .
The Free Beacon provided a recording of its interview last month with Wanda Lenius .
News of the police probe comes after a series of Free Beacon stories raised questions about the portrayal of the couple in the initial NBC News report that vaulted the story onto the national stage .

Remember the woman who told the media that Trump killed her husband after her husband allegedly drank fish tank cleaner containing chloroquine phosphate at Trump’s urging? Police are now investigating whether that man was killed by his wife. t.co/S6lH5UiH1Z
The Mesa City Police Department’s homicide division is investigating the death of Gary Lenius, the Arizona man whose wife served him soda mixed with fish tank cleaner in what she claimed was a bid to fend off the coronavirus. A detective handling the case confirmed the investigation to the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday after requesting a recording of the Free Beacon’s interviews with Lenius’s wife, Wanda.
Gary Lenius, 68, died on March 22. Wanda, 61, told several news outlets last month that both she and her husband had ingested a substance used to clean aquariums after hearing President Donald Trump tout one of its ingredients, chloroquine phosphate, from the White House briefing room.
Detective Teresa Van Galder, the homicide detective handling the case for the Mesa City Police Department, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing but declined to provide additional details.
“As this is an active investigation, I cannot go into any details at this time regarding the case,” Van Galder said. The Free Beacon provided a recording of its interview last month with Wanda Lenius.
News of the police probe comes after a series of Free Beacon stories raised questions about the portrayal of the couple in the initial NBC News report that vaulted the story onto the national stage.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--Mind The FANMAG Gaps

Mind The FANMAG Gaps

We ’ ve just entered the heart of earnings season and it ’ s during this time I typically like to take a look at a wide variety of stocks and how their valuations compare with their fundamentals .
One of my favorite ways to do this is to simply compare a stock ’ s price-to-sales metric with its sales growth over time .
Usually there is a pretty tight correlation , at least with the most popular growth names in the market .
However , there are times when these two diverge and this is a pretty good indicator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going forward .
When the price-to-sales ratio jumps ahead of sales growth , investors are optimistic and vice versa .
With the stock market rallying strongly over the past month in the face of deteriorating fundamentals , it ’ s clear investors are beginning to expect brighter days ahead .
Nowhere is that more true than in the case of the FANG stocks .
Starting with Facebook , the relationship between the price-to-sales ratio and the company ’ s revenue growth should be obvious with just a glance at the chart below .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative territory , investors have pushed up the multiple of those sales leaving a widening gap .
Amazon is a little different story as sales are expected to hold up well relative to most other companies during this pandemic .
Still , the valuation seems to be discounting a doubling of revenue growth going forward , quite a herculean assumption .
Netflix , like Amazon , seems to be fairing very well during this time and also for obvious reasons .
But here again investors seem to be extrapolating its recent sales gains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alphabet ( formerly known as Google ) , just reported financial results that investors saw fit to celebrate .
Even though it is expected to see sales growth turn negative next quarter , its multiple of those sales is hitting a new 1-year high today .
We can also add a couple of other popular stocks to the list , expanding FANG to FANMAG , as some have been wont to do .
Looking at Apple , over the past year or so this stock has completely parted ways with its fundamentals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid its lowest sales growth of the past decade ( a far cry from the incredible value it offered in 2013 ) .
Even more dramatically has Microsoft seen its valuation triple even as sales have remained range bound .
There seems to be almost no relationship here , whatsoever .
Using a different metric , though , and taking a longer-term time frame we can start to see that Microsoft has traded at a price-to-free cash flow ratio closely in line with its long-term free cash flow growth .
That is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same valuation it did in the summer of 2001 , when its long-term free cash flow growth rate was more than 4-times greater than it is today .
In all of these stocks , there is some form of optimism embedded into the price .
In some cases , like Apple and Microsoft , this simply has to do with their long-term assumptions about the company ’ s ability to grow sales or cash flow .
In others , like Netflix and Amazon , it has more to do with investors extrapolating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic .
In every case , though , it seems investors are happy to assume the pandemic is nothing more than a speed bump and that sales and earnings growth will soon get back to normal .
( Normal being what we have seen over the past decade , never mind the improbability of compounding at these growth rates forever ) .
The yawning gaps between valuations and fundamentals are a visual testament to this .
During a prolonged bear market precipitated by recession , these sorts of valuation anomalies simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either what we have witnessed so far this year is simply another dip to be bought and business will soon return to normal , or it won ’ t and valuations will catch down with fundamentals .
And , considering just how wide some of these gaps have become , this could make the March decline look tame .
Time will tell .

by jessefelder
We’ve just entered the heart of earnings season and it’s during this time I typically like to take a look at a wide variety of stocks and how their valuations compare with their fundamentals. One of my favorite ways to do this is to simply compare a stock’s price-to-sales metric with its sales growth over time. Usually there is a pretty tight correlation, at least with the most popular growth names in the market.
However, there are times when these two diverge and this is a pretty good indicator of what investors expect from sales performance going forward. When the price-to-sales ratio jumps ahead of sales growth, investors are optimistic and vice versa.
With the stock market rallying strongly over the past month in the face of deteriorating fundamentals, it’s clear investors are beginning to expect brighter days ahead. Nowhere is that more true than in the case of the FANG stocks.
Starting with Facebook, the relationship between the price-to-sales ratio and the company’s revenue growth should be obvious with just a glance at the chart below. Yet with sales expected to drop into negative territory, investors have pushed up the multiple of those sales leaving a widening gap.
Amazon is a little different story as sales are expected to hold up well relative to most other companies during this pandemic. Still, the valuation seems to be discounting a doubling of revenue growth going forward, quite a herculean assumption.
Netflix, like Amazon, seems to be fairing very well during this time and also for obvious reasons. But here again investors seem to be extrapolating its recent sales gains well into the future.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Finally, Alphabet (formerly known as Google), just reported financial results that investors saw fit to celebrate. Even though it is expected to see sales growth turn negative next quarter, its multiple of those sales is hitting a new 1-year high today.
We can also add a couple of other popular stocks to the list, expanding FANG to FANMAG, as some have been wont to do. Looking at Apple, over the past year or so this stock has completely parted ways with its fundamentals. The stock trades at its highest valuation amid its lowest sales growth of the past decade (a far cry from the incredible value it offered in 2013).
Even more dramatically has Microsoft seen its valuation triple even as sales have remained range bound. There seems to be almost no relationship here, whatsoever.
Using a different metric, though, and taking a longer-term time frame we can start to see that Microsoft has traded at a price-to-free cash flow ratio closely in line with its long-term free cash flow growth. That is, until recently. Microsoft trades today at the same valuation it did in the summer of 2001, when its long-term free cash flow growth rate was more than 4-times greater than it is today.
In all of these stocks, there is some form of optimism embedded into the price. In some cases, like Apple and Microsoft, this simply has to do with their long-term assumptions about the company’s ability to grow sales or cash flow. In others, like Netflix and Amazon, it has more to do with investors extrapolating their recent situational successes as a product of the pandemic.
In every case, though, it seems investors are happy to assume the pandemic is nothing more than a speed bump and that sales and earnings growth will soon get back to normal. (Normal being what we have seen over the past decade, never mind the improbability of compounding at these growth rates forever). The yawning gaps between valuations and fundamentals are a visual testament to this.
During a prolonged bear market precipitated by recession, these sorts of valuation anomalies simply don’t survive. So, either what we have witnessed so far this year is simply another dip to be bought and business will soon return to normal, or it won’t and valuations will catch down with fundamentals. And, considering just how wide some of these gaps have become, this could make the March decline look tame. Time will tell.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-29--[USA] Florida medical examiners were releasing coronavirus death data. The state made them stop.

State officials have stopped releasing the list of coronavirus deaths being compiled by Florida ’ s medical examiners , which has at times shown a higher death toll than the state ’ s published count .
The list had previously been released in real time by the state Medical Examiners Commission .
But earlier this month , after the Tampa Bay Times reported that the medical examiners ’ death count was 10 percent higher than the figure released by the Florida Department of Health , state officials said the list needed to be reviewed and possibly redacted .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , without providing any of the information or specifying what they plan to remove .
Dr. Stephen Nelson , the chairman of the state Medical Examiners Commission , said the change in policy came after the state health department intervened .
The medical examiners ’ list does not include names .
But it provides demographic information , probable cause of death and case summaries with information about each person ’ s medical and travel history .
Nelson — who is also the medical examiner for Polk , Highlands and Hardee counties — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove causes of death and case descriptions .
Without that information , the list is meaningless , he said .
Nelson said he believes the entirety of the list is public information — a stance supported by Florida public records experts .
“ This is no different than any other public record we deal with , ” Nelson said .
“ It ’ s paid for by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayers have a right to know.
” The health department acknowledged that it “ participated in conference calls ” with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides administrative support to the Medical Examiners Commission .
The topic was “ privacy concerns for the individuals that passed away related to COVID-19 , ” health department spokesman Alberto Moscoso said .
The agency has attempted at least once to block information about deaths from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , from becoming public .
Last month , it tried to persuade the medical examiner ’ s office in Miami-Dade County to restrict access to its death records , according to the Miami Herald and correspondence between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The county released the records , which include the names of those who died , anyway .
Other Florida medical examiner offices have been making the information public , including the offices that cover Pinellas and Pasco counties ; Polk , Highlands and Hardee counties ; Orange and Osceola counties ; and Broward county .
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner used to provide a spreadsheet of its COVID-related deaths , but was directed last week by county attorneys to stop releasing it , that office ’ s operations manager , Paul Petrino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wasn ’ t sure what prompted the attorneys to question whether the information was public .
“ I was actually taken aback when they called us , ” said Petrino , adding that the office views the release of information as an important part in helping the public understand the unfolding epidemic .
“ I ’ d hate to see anything hinder that , ” he said .
“ Hopefully , it won ’ t. ” Palm Beach County Attorney Denise Marie Nieman declined to answer specific questions about why the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter was under review .
The moves to withhold information comes at a sensitive moment for state leaders .
Florida ’ s coronavirus death toll is continuing to rise and state officials have begun talks about when and how to start reopening .
The health department didn ’ t begin releasing information on which nursing homes have had infections until a consortium of news organizations , including the Herald and the Times , moved to sue for the information .
The news organizations filed a lawsuit Monday seeking additional records .
Transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ examiners say comprehensive information about deaths is critical to understanding the epidemic ’ s path and impact .
Barbara Petersen , president emeritus of the First Amendment Foundation , said the interactions between the health department and medical examiners seemed to fit a troubling pattern .
“ It ’ s just shocking to me the level of interference , ” Petersen said .
Under Florida law , the state ’ s 22 medical examiner officers are responsible for investigating and certifying all COVID-related deaths .
They have been sending detailed information about each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for inclusion on a central list .
Nelson said medical examiners have been keeping such lists during every state emergency since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 .
They have always been made public , he added .
But the state health department has kept its own count of coronavirus deaths and published it to an online dashboard .
Its figure has been lower than the medical examiners ’ figure .
please visit the Source : Tampa Bay Times to continue reading the full article

by Kujo17
State officials have stopped releasing the list of coronavirus deaths being compiled by Florida’s medical examiners, which has at times shown a higher death toll than the state’s published count. The list had previously been released in real time by the state Medical Examiners Commission. But earlier this month, after the Tampa Bay Times reported that the medical examiners’ death count was 10 percent higher than the figure released by the Florida Department of Health, state officials said the list needed to be reviewed and possibly redacted.
They’ve now been withholding it for nine days, without providing any of the information or specifying what they plan to remove. Dr. Stephen Nelson, the chairman of the state Medical Examiners Commission, said the change in policy came after the state health department intervened.
The medical examiners’ list does not include names. But it provides demographic information, probable cause of death and case summaries with information about each person’s medical and travel history.
Nelson — who is also the medical examiner for Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties — said state officials told him they plan to remove causes of death and case descriptions. Without that information, the list is meaningless, he said.
Nelson said he believes the entirety of the list is public information — a stance supported by Florida public records experts. “This is no different than any other public record we deal with,” Nelson said. “It’s paid for by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayers have a right to know.”
The health department acknowledged that it “participated in conference calls” with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which provides administrative support to the Medical Examiners Commission. The topic was “privacy concerns for the individuals that passed away related to COVID-19,” health department spokesman Alberto Moscoso said.
The agency has attempted at least once to block information about deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, from becoming public.
Last month, it tried to persuade the medical examiner’s office in Miami-Dade County to restrict access to its death records, according to the Miami Herald and correspondence between the two agencies obtained by the Times.
The county released the records, which include the names of those who died, anyway.
Other Florida medical examiner offices have been making the information public, including the offices that cover Pinellas and Pasco counties; Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties; Orange and Osceola counties; and Broward county.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner used to provide a spreadsheet of its COVID-related deaths, but was directed last week by county attorneys to stop releasing it, that office’s operations manager, Paul Petrino, told the Times.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Petrino said he wasn’t sure what prompted the attorneys to question whether the information was public.
“I was actually taken aback when they called us,” said Petrino, adding that the office views the release of information as an important part in helping the public understand the unfolding epidemic.
“I’d hate to see anything hinder that,” he said. “Hopefully, it won’t.” Palm Beach County Attorney Denise Marie Nieman declined to answer specific questions about why the county stopped releasing the information, saying that the matter was under review.
The moves to withhold information comes at a sensitive moment for state leaders. Florida’s coronavirus death toll is continuing to rise and state officials have begun talks about when and how to start reopening.
The health department didn’t begin releasing information on which nursing homes have had infections until a consortium of news organizations, including the Herald and the Times, moved to sue for the information. The news organizations filed a lawsuit Monday seeking additional records.
Transparency advocates, public health experts and medical examiners say comprehensive information about deaths is critical to understanding the epidemic’s path and impact.
Barbara Petersen, president emeritus of the First Amendment Foundation, said the interactions between the health department and medical examiners seemed to fit a troubling pattern.
“It’s just shocking to me the level of interference,” Petersen said.
Under Florida law, the state’s 22 medical examiner officers are responsible for investigating and certifying all COVID-related deaths. They have been sending detailed information about each case to the state Medical Examiners Commission for inclusion on a central list.
Nelson said medical examiners have been keeping such lists during every state emergency since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. They have always been made public, he added.
But the state health department has kept its own count of coronavirus deaths and published it to an online dashboard. Its figure has been lower than the medical examiners’ figure.
please visit the Source: Tampa Bay Times to continue reading the full article