A major hole has been blown in Joe Biden’s fired Ukrainian prosecutor story.

New US government memos obtained by Just the News through a FOIA lawsuit reveal that the Obama Administration was still actively communicating with former Ukrainian Prosecutor Victor Shokin after Biden’s December 2015 threat to withhold $1 billion in US aid unless then-President Petro Poroshenko fired him.

The memos, obtained by Just the News via FOIA lawsuit, reveal:

• Senior State Department officials sent a conflicting message to Shokin before he was fired, inviting his staff to Washington for a January 2016 strategy session and sent him a personal note saying they were “impressed” with his office’s work.
• U.S. officials faced pressure from Burisma emissaries in the United States to make the corruption allegations go away and feared the energy firm had made two bribery payments in Ukraine as part of an effort to get cases settled.
• A top U.S. official in Kyiv blamed Hunter Biden for undercutting U.S. anticorruption policy in Ukraine through his dealings with Burisma.

To review – starting in 2015, Ukraine’s top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, had an active and ongoing investigation into Burisma and its owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, according to a 2020 US Senate Committee report.

You may recall Zlochevsky from such hits as ‘the Bidens coerced me to pay $10 million in bribes,’ and ‘I’ve got 17 recordings of the Bidens as insurance.’

Zlochevsky, who hired Hunter Biden to sit on his board, granted his own company (Burisma) permits to drill for oil and gas in Ukraine while he was Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources. Shokin stated in a 2019 deposition that there were five criminal cases against Zlochevesky, including money laundering, corruption, illegal funds transfers, and profiteering through shell corporations while he was a sitting minister.

Shokin’s days were numbered…

In July 2015, US Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt began smearing Shokin, according to the deposition.

“US Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt told him that the investigation [into Zlochevsky] has to be handled with white gloves, which according to Mr. Shokin, that implied do nothing. On or about September 2015 Mr. Pyatt gave a speech in Odessa where he stated that the cases were not investigated correctly and that Mr. Shokin may be corrupt.”

In December, 2015 – leaked audio provided by Ukrainian MP Andrii Derkach revealed that former Secretary of State John Kerry was laying out the case for Shokin’s ouster to former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, saying that Biden is “very concerned” about the lack of reform in the prosecutor general’s office.

In February 2016, the US Senate provided more cover for then-VP Biden, pushing for reforms to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office on the basis that it was corrupt. Yet, that same month, “warrants were placed on the accounts of multiple people in Ukraine. There were requests for information on Hunter Biden to which nothing was received,” according to Shokin.

Also in February 2016, less than three months after the Kerry conversation- Poroshenko delivers some “positive news” to Biden despite the fact that “we didn’t have any corruption charges” or “information about him doing something wrong,” referring to SHokin.

“Yesterday I met with General Prosecutor Shokin,” says Poroshenko. And despite of the fact that we didn’t have any corruption charges, we don’t have any information about him doing something wrong, I specially asked him – no, it was day before yesterday – I specially asked him to resign. In, uh, as his, uh, position as a state person. And despite of the fact that he has a support in the power. And as a finish of my meeting with him, he promised to give me the statement on resignation. And one hour ago he bring me the written statement of his resignation. And this is my second step for keeping my promises.“

To which Biden replied: “I agree.”

In April 2016, Shokin stated that Poroshenko “called him and told him he had to be fired as the aid to the Ukraine was being withheld by Joe Biden. Mr. Biden told Mr. Poroshenko that he had evidence that Mr. Shokin was corrupt and needed to be fired. Mr. Shokin was dismissed in April of 2016 and the US aid was delivered within one and one half months.”

And then in November 2016, Biden threatens Poroshenko with the $1 billion US loan guarantee.

Shokin was then fired, which Joe Biden openly bragged about in 2018.

“I looked at them and said: ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden said.“I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars,” unless they immediately sacked Shokin. To the glee of his CFR listeners who laughed audibly, Biden added, “Well, son of a bitch. He got fired!”

So as Shokin chased Hunter Biden’s employer, his father – the Vice President of the US, with the support of a US Ambassador and the US Senate – made their case for Shokin’s ouster – despite the fact that US officials maintained positive communications with Shokin’s office (and praised him) right up until that point.

Oh – and the guy who replaced Shokin, Yuriy Lutsenko, backed him up. According to a January 2019 deposition taken by Rudy Giuliani and associates which was released by the US State Department, Lutsenko “went on to say that he began looking at the same case Mr. Shokin was looking at (mentioned above) and he believes Hunter Biden receives millions of dollars in compensation from Burisma. He produced a document from Latvia that showed several million dollars that were distributed out of Burisma’s account. The record showed two (2) companies and four (4) individuals receiving approximately sixteen million dollars in disbursements as follows:

Companies:

1. Wirelogic Technology     $14,665,982
2. Digitex                         $1,900,000

Individuals:

1. Alexsander Kwasnewski $1,150,000
2. Alan Apter                    $302,887
3. Devon Archer   Amount not revealed by Latvia
4. Hunter Biden   Amount not revealed by Latvia

“Mr Lutsenko stated that there was also a payment of $900,000 to Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC for consulting fees. Hunter Biden is a partner in Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC along with Devon Archer and the dates of this transaction are approximately anywhere from January to December 2015. According to Mr. Lutsenko the $900,000 invoice was for services rendered for lobbying by Joe Biden.“

And of course, we now know that it was much, much more. And let’s not forget that former President Donald Trump was impeached by the Democrats for asking about the above.

That aged well, no?

Authored by Tom Luongo via Gold, Goats, ‘n Guns blog,

Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again

–Tori Amos, “Little Earthquakes”

So, the story of Oliver Anthony and his song, “Rich Men North of Richmond” just keeps getting better and better.  

Oliver’s folk anthem for what Gary North used to call “The Remnant” and what Ron Paul deemed “The Silent Majority” has not just jumped containment it’s become a living, breathing thing.

And I can’t overstate how important this moment is.  It’s such a simple thing, his song.  And yet, simple truths speak volumes.

After making it to the top of the streaming charts at both Spotify and Apple Music, Oliver becomes a bona fide folk hero by turning down the music industry’s fundamentally dirty money.  $8 million of it.

He knows that money comes with an awful lot of strings; strings that would be the kind of temptations that led him to write the music he did in the first place.

Not only does he turn them down, he all but spits on their offer.  Because their offer was, in his words, “Bullshit Pay.”  Even if he doesn’t care about the money, he’s worth 10 times that now thanks to spitting in their face.  

It’s a moment where someone finally says, “It ain’t about the money.”  

It’s about “people like me and people like you.”

Ironically, when you turn down the big money, when you don’t sell out, that’s when the real money gets made, especially in this age of crowdfunding and the ability of content creators to bypass the corporate gatekeepers.

If you have any doubts about this, if your emotional armor goes up and you immediately start looking for the man behind the curtain laying AstroTurf, I’m going to do something I never do…  I’m linking to *shudder* a Facebook page, so you can read this man’s story yourself.

Here’s the link.  

Stop reading my pablum and read his tale, because it’s the kind of thing that speaks directly to why he turned the money down.

The pay comes from hearing the stories, feeling the pain and anguish of people moved by his music.

That’s real capital. People are happy to spend money on real things that give them value. They feel honored to support someone who speaks for them. And with that comes the responsibility to keep it as real as possible, because tomorrow is another struggle.

Ask me how I know this…

Authenticity Is the Real Coin of the Realm

One of the very first blog posts I published on Gold Goats ‘n Guns back in 2016 was called “The Authenticity Gap.”  There I identified why the Millennials would be the generation that would betray the establishment and hand Trump the Presidency over Hillary Clinton.

This is a generation more aware of how screwed they are than mine was.  And while their political identity is in flux– reared on diet of Comedy Central snark as a coping mechanism for the lying — they have a near obsession with natural things – real fiber clothing, lumberjack fashion, farm-to-table food choices, etc.

They’ve turned their Masters of Social Justice into Ph.D’s in Cocktails, Cappuccinos and Craft Beers… and bless their hearts.  I can finally get a good whiskey sour when I visit my friends in South Florida.

At least now some of them are entrepreneurs.

Their cultural identity is one big cry for authenticity in a sea of smarm.  Hillary’s authenticity gap is simply too big for many millennials to square with that value system.

And that’s exactly what happened.  Many of them stayed home and some, guys like Oliver Anthony, voted for Trump.  No political analyst had guys like him modeled in 2016.

He was 23 working double-shifts in a paper mill.

Now let’s come back to the present.  Read that article again, sub out “Hillary” for the entire “Davos establishment post-COVID.”  And tell me the same issues are not about to play themselves out again.

The DNC is currently at war with itself over who should be their standard bearer. There are at least three factions I can identify by inference vying for control. Hillary is back trying to deal herself back into the club by crowing over Trump’s indictments while speaking for the Neocons desperate to keep the war in Ukraine going.

Obama is trying to hold onto his fourth term while simultaneously trying to figure out how to replace Biden and Harris before the primary season.

Someone else (Wall St.??) is taking aim at Obama now.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. playing the Bernie Sanders role but as a realist rather than a fake populist while Trump keeps doing his thing.  

For the record, where your Spidey sense should be tingling is over Vivek Ramaswamy, who looks for all the world like a stalking horse for Davos to take up the populist reins once he tests well enough to replace Trump when they put Trump in jail next year.

Fight me, bro!  But that’s what AstroTurf really looks like!

Today, the Millennials are even more shell-shocked than they were in 2016.  They now have three instances of their Boomer grandparents stealing what little is left of their future in their PTSD files.

They can see these things for what they are.

Little Heroes

Even their music has been inauthentic and they know it.  My daughter, a first-year ‘Zoomer’ by the Fourth Turning model, tells me all the time, “Dad, our music sucks.”

My reply is always pretty much, “Yup.”

Their music was purposefully vandalized just like everything else these ghoulish Davos pricks touch.

Promoting ugliness and garishness is their MO, folks.  Normalizing the absurd and the deviant is their obsession.

They lie all the time so they can blame it on the excesses of ‘capitalism’ or ‘greed.’

Then they scold us like children for our simply breathing in oxygen and out carbon dioxide while turning our children against us and into literal zombies.

Their sickness is so staggeringly vast that they have weaponized our very existence against us, taking Catholic Original Sin doctrine and turning it into yet another form of psychological torture over plant food.

There can be nothing beautiful in the world again until we submit to their truly inhuman schemes.  

They’ve stepped up their assault on us this summer; setting wild fires, terrorizing farmers, blowing up grain silos, killing dissidents and blaming all of it on Climate Change.

And now rumblings of another new deadly Canadian COVID variant is out there.  

Until we submit to them, they will parade an endless series of Skinner Box buttons to take our fear and anxiety out on each other in acts of impotent rage rather than turn our eyes North of Richmond and East of Calais.

So, yeah, if I’m Oliver Anthony and I’m genuinely pissed off at this world, I look at that $8 million and piss on it too.  Their dollars’ ain’t shit.  But ours can change everything, one or two at a time.

And that’s the thing that scares them more than anything else.  All of us looking at each other as victims of their abuse rather than rivals for a shrinking pile of cold comfort foods is the beginning of real empathy, of societal healing.

There is something so primal about music that cannot be quantified.  It’s effect on us can’t really be studied.  Properly executed the right song is a whole body experience.  It takes us out of our heads and puts us right with ourselves.  

Whenever I feel the most detached from the world it is when I realize I’m not listening to or making enough music.  

The music industry is an even bigger garden of ashes than the movie or social media industries with production that is flat and bombastic.  It screams insecurity and oppression.  They know that you know that it sucks just like a movie that gives you endless action to obscure the fact that there is no story.  

It’s audio porn.  And it’s as fake as the AI-generated thots on Instagram and the boobs on the chicks at Pornhub.

Norman Spinrad warned us about this in his insanely cool book Little Heroes back in 1987, envisioning a music industry with fake performers, glitz, sex, all the soul of a corporate boardroom having tofurky and sprouts catered in for lunch.

Recently I watched the sheer joy of a music producer like Rick Beato talking on YouTube about, the vast dynamic range of Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes.  He was nearly in tears at the mastery of the production, no less the songwriting.  It’s that ache for the authentic, the real, the connection that is now not only lacking in modern music production but purposefully kept from us.

That video alone tells you just how far the industry has fallen.

You don’t have to like Tori Amos to appreciate how a man like Rick can be so moved by that album.  

Everything is mid-heavy and in your face, compressed to hell with no soundscape. There’s no depth like in Dark Side of the Moon. There is zero chance to let the music breathe, worm its way in and bring you joy. 

Music production today is crap, cynically designed to trigger your brain into paying attention rather than stirring your soul.  

And this is why Oliver Anthony cut through the noise so easily.

Just a guy with a great voice, a couple of Go-Pros, a rented $2000 microphone, a $700 resonator and, most importantly, something to fucking say.  

Gorgeous in its simplicity.  Powerful in its honesty.  This is how you wake up the world.  Not by blaring an emergency siren at them all day, but by speaking the truth in their ear quietly. 

The media wing of the oligarchy were presented a valuable lesson last week.  And they probably didn’t hear a word of it.

Lies are expensive.  The Truth sells itself.  

Your days are numbered.  The cycle has turned.  

We don’t want your money.  We want our lives back that you stole from us one small toll at a time.

*  *  *

Join my Patreon if you have a soul.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in South Africa for the 15th BRICS summit, running from August 22-24, where he was greeted in Johannesburg by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is hosting the summit in the executive capital of Pretoria.

It is merely the Chinese leader’s second trip abroad this year, after in March he met his “dear friend” President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Putin will be absent for the BRICS meeting after South Africa signaled it was being pressured to enforce the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which would require the government to arrest the Russian leader.

Over 60 heads of state are expected in South Africa, with Foreign Minister Lavrov representing Russia in place of Putin, among other leading countries of Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“I believe that this summit of the leaders of the member countries of the association will be an important milestone in the history of the development of the BRICS mechanism, that it will strengthen cohesion and cooperation among developing countries to an even higher level,” the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry cited Xi Jinping as saying just ahead of the summit’s first day.

According to the FT, “China will push the Brics bloc of emerging markets to become a full-scale rival to the G7 this week, as leaders from across the developing world gather to debate the forum’s biggest expansion in more than a decade.”

However, there’s reportedly fierce disagreement over whether to continue pursuing non-alignment for the economic interests of developing countries or to transform BRICS into a rival to the West.

JUST IN: 🇨🇳 China’s President Xi Jinping arrives in South Africa for BRICS 15th annual summit. pic.twitter.com/f6pVeT37ZO

— BRICS (@BRICSinfo) August 21, 2023

Xi’s pre-summit statement also laid out that the members of the association have become “a constructive force that optimizes global governance and promotes the democratization of international relations.”

Illustrating the divide over the broader mission and scope of BRICS, FT cites further:

“If we expand Brics to account for a similar portion of world GDP as the G7, then our collective voice in the world will grow stronger,” said one Chinese official, who declined to be identified.

Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s foreign minister, said this month it was “extremely wrong” to see a potential Brics expansion as an anti-western move. However, western capitals are likely to regard the possible additions of Iran, Belarus and Venezuela as a move to embrace allies of Russia and China.

But some influential countries like Brazil under left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are likely to be in Beijing’s corner on this, given Lula has come out in favor of admitting for membership neighbors like Argentina and Venezuela – the latter a longtime enemy of Washington.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva arrives in South Africa ahead of BRICS Summit. pic.twitter.com/Sg2DsFFeQ7

— BRICS (@BRICSinfo) August 21, 2023

Some leaders also want to sea Saudi Arabia and the UAE admitted, which will trigger debate over conditions and criteria for expansion. Currently Saudi Arabia is the closest to becoming the newest member, given talks are ongoing. Over 20 more countries have sought and applied to join.

Shortly after Russian Foreign Minister’s arrival at the airport tarmac in Johannesburg…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in South Africa, where he will take part in the BRICS summit pic.twitter.com/lod1riSf57

— Russian Market (@runews) August 22, 2023

Despite rumblings that some countries, Russia among them, are pushing for the end of the dollar’s dominance, the FT has cited diplomatic sources to note that a common currency is not on the agenda.

Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com,

• Owners of the typical convenience gas stations face hurdles to adding EV chargers or completely switching to EV charging services only.

• Energy majors are investing in EV charging infrastructure alongside investment in new fuel station infrastructure.

• As EV sales rise, the number of EV charging points is not enough now and the density of charging stations in some states is much lower than in others.

The adoption of electric vehicles calls for more public EV charging points to allay consumer concerns about accessibility to chargers on long trips, but the unfolding reality is that the majority of gas station owners can’t afford this bet on the future. 

While integrated energy supermajors with large gas station networks are investing in EV charging across the U.S., owners of the typical convenience gas stations face hurdles to adding EV chargers or completely switching to EV charging services only. 

These hurdles include high upfront costs which could be as high as $1 million per store, land availability to add EV charging points, and potential investment in amenities to keep customers entertained while their EVs are charging. 

“I would never recoup my investment,” Blake Smith, founder of gas station and convenience store operator SQRL Holdings in Florida and Arkansas told CNBC. 

“We’re not flipping a switch to where gas vehicles are getting off the road and it will be EV-only,” Smith said, adding that a future of all-electric convenience locations is decades away. 

The U.S. has ambitious targets for EV adoption, as part of the Biden Administration’s clean energy plans. The Administration is supporting efforts to build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers along America’s highways and in communities and have EVs make up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $7.5 billion will be invested in EV charging, $10 billion in clean transportation, and more than $7 billion in EV battery components, critical minerals, and materials, the White House has said. 

But it’s not enough.  

There are some 104 gas pumps per 1,000 road miles on average in the United States, compared to just 22 EV charging points for the same road distance, a study by smart fuel card management platform Coast showed earlier this month.  

As EV sales rise, the number of EV charging points is not enough now and the density of charging stations in some states is much lower than in others, according to the study. The team at Coast used data from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation to explore the state of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. 

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington are the U.S. states with more EV charging opportunities than gas stations, the study found. 

Massachusetts is top of the list. In this state, there are 31.4 EV charging stations on average per 100 square miles and only 18.4 gas stations per 100 square miles. Rhode Island and California follow closely behind, as both states provide residents with extensive charging networks to reinforce their commitments to cleaner transportation alternatives. 

Yet, across America, there aren’t sufficient public EV charging points despite investment-ready dealerships and automakers rolling out chargers. 

New franchise dealerships are leading investments in EV infrastructure, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) said earlier this year. Franchise dealerships are on track to spend $5.5 billion in EV infrastructure installments, the association has estimated, based on available data from a selection of brands.  

However, investment requirements from manufacturers vary widely with estimated costs ranging from $100,000 to over $1 million per store, which do not necessarily include the specialized equipment purchases needed to service EVs or the additional costs from local utilities for extending new power lines or adding transformers. Batteries add significant weight to vehicles, which require heavier-duty forklifts, safety systems, and battery storage – those costs could add more than $40,000 to the bill, NADA says. 

According to a report on the future of gas stations by Matthews Real Estate Investment Services from early this year, “Gas stations planning to cater to the new generation of electric vehicles will face some challenges including high equipment and construction costs and potential disruptions during renovation.” 

The Black Sea export corridor wars continue, after Russia has been striking ports and Ukraine has with NATO members Romania and Bulgaria’s help utilized ‘alternate’ routes to get grain to global markets.

Russia’s military on Tuesday said it destroyed two Ukrainian military boats in the Black Sea within the space of merely a few hours. It indicates the ongoing trend of ramped up naval activity and aggression following the collapse of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative deal when it expired on July 17.

“Russia said on Tuesday its forces destroyed a Ukrainian military boat in the Black Sea, the second vessel it claims to have attacked in the space of a few hours,” AFP reports.

“On Aug. 22 at about 11:00 Moscow time (08:00 GMT) east of Snake Island, a U.S.-made Willard Sea Force speedboat with a Ukrainian landing group was destroyed by a Russian army aircraft,” Moscow’s Defense Ministry said in a fresh statement.

The past two weeks have seen Russia accuse Ukraine of seeking to destroy its warships utilizing Western-supplied advanced marine drones.

Russia’s defense ministry has issued new video which purports to show the destruction of a Ukrainian patrol ship on the Black Sea. Given Ukraine’s general lack of air power compared to superior Russian aerial forces, the Ukrainian boat appears to be a sitting duck…

⚡️Footage of the supposed destruction of a Ukrainian recon vessel by a Russian war plane over the black sea today pic.twitter.com/fGh2EN2SgJ

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) August 22, 2023

On August 4th, a sea drone did score a direct hit on the Olenogorsky Gornyak warship, severely damaging it while off the port of Novorossiysk, a major hub for Russian exports. Video and images showed the vessel is listing in the aftermath.

Importantly, the port is among the largest in the Black Sea basin and is significantly far from Ukrainian shores, on the clear other side of the Crimean peninsula. Russia has meanwhile taken aim at Ukraine ports and grain silos along the Danube River, just across from NATO member Romania. 

⚡️The moment a drone exploded in Moscow tonight pic.twitter.com/9abUVLAMA2

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) August 22, 2023

Kiev has all along increased its cross-border drone attacks on Russia, with more drones overnight being sent as deep into Russian territory as the capital of Moscow.

Existing home sales were expected to decline very modestly in July (-0.2% MoM) – after June’s drop (the biggest since Nov ’22). However, existing home sales tumbled more than expected (down 2.2% MoM), leaving sales down 16.6% YoY…

Source: Bloomberg

On a SAAR basis, that is the slowest pace of sales for July since 2010…

…and is worse than at the peak/trough of the COVID lockdowns…

Source: Bloomberg

On the bright side, at the margin, the inventory of unsold existing homes increased 3.7% from the previous month to 1.11 million at the end of July, or the equivalent of 3.3 months’ supply at the current monthly sales pace.

“Two factors are driving current sales activity – inventory availability and mortgage rates,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

“Unfortunately, both have been unfavorable to buyers.”

As Mike Shedlock recently noted:

To boost sales, builders have passed along drops in lumber prices, reduced home sizes, reduced lot sizes, and bought down mortgage rates. But the easy fruit is off the vine.

For existing home sales, current transactions reflect a combination of mortgage rates, price, and willingness of consumers to speculate on rising home prices.

For new home sales, factor in ability and willingness of homebuilders to make homes more affordable with incentives or by building smaller homes. More incentives reduces profit.

At this rate, new home prices will drop below existing home prices for the first time since 2005 – when the last housing bubble peaked..

Source: Bloomberg

Despite all the excitement of homebuilder stocks and new (over-incentivized) home sales, there remains a giant chasm between homebuyer confidence and homebuilder confidence…

Source: Bloomberg

And if mortgage rates are anything to go by, it’s about to get very real…

Source: Bloomberg

Especially as savings dry up. Is this what Powell is waiting for?

Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

There are reports circulating that colleges and offices are beginning to reinstate COVID mask mandates and contact tracing despite no new cases of the virus being reported.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that Morris Brown College, a black private liberal arts college has reinstated the measures as part of a “precautionary step.” 

The report notes that students and staff will all be asked to mask up while on campus, only one week after classes began.

A communication issued by the college claims there have been “reports of positive cases among students in the Atlanta University Center,” a consortium of black colleges and universities located on the western side of Atlanta.

From Instagram Morris Brown College bringing back a mask mandate. pic.twitter.com/KyqJUjMJgy

— Covid Report (@CovidDataReport) August 21, 2023

The measures, which include social distancing, temperature checks and no large gatherings are to be in place for two weeks, it is claimed.

This isn’t from 2020. This is from today.

Alex Jones had the scoop of a lifetime that this was coming back. https://t.co/SfRqduWV4u

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 22, 2023

Infowars’ Alex Jones reported last week that restrictions were on their way back:

BREAKING: Alex Jones says a TSA whistleblower has told him TSA employees were instructed on Tue that masks are coming back by October for travelers & full Covid restrictions/lockdowns by December due to a new “dangerous variant” out of Canada. pic.twitter.com/sw4b2XYuoh

— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) August 19, 2023

Alex Jones was right. https://t.co/qHymOshp9t

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 21, 2023

In addition, it has been reported that California-based film studio Lionsgate has reimplemented a mask mandate at its Santa Monica office.

“Amid rising Covid cases in Los Angeles, Lionsgate has brought back the mask mandate for nearly half of the company’s employees at its flagship office at 2700 Colorado Ave. in Santa Monica.” https://t.co/XLKaAjAWA3

— laurie allee (@laurieallee) August 21, 2023

An internal memo states that “Employees must wear a medical grade face covering (surgical mask, KN95 or N95) when indoors except when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking at their desk or workstation, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace.”

.@Lionsgate‘s Santa Monica headquarters:

-Medical mask mandate
-Daily self-screening for symptoms
-Quarantine for 10 days after international travel
-Contact tracing
-Covid tests upon requesthttps://t.co/HK8ec0jmZD pic.twitter.com/2JMJxvyLIo

— Anthony LaMesa (@ajlamesa) August 21, 2023

Los Angeles County Public Health has recommended that higher-risk residents need to wear masks, claiming that COVID cases are increasing, while admitting that hospitalizations remain low.

With COVID-19 Transmission Increasing, Those at Higher Risk Should Adopt Simple Strategies to Reduce Exposure, Prevent Severe Illness. View: https://t.co/VKLwWmbdqA pic.twitter.com/rjkrNUoZdQ

— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) August 18, 2023

The mainstream media is on board with this imaginary “COVID resurgence”:

They’re trying to do the Covid thing again. pic.twitter.com/QPJS2PuXIC

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 18, 2023

*  *  *

Brand new merch now available! Get it at https://www.pjwshop.com/

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After a positive surprise in July, Philly Fed’s non-manufacturing survey slumped back into contraction in August (from +1.4 to -13.1). Additionally, while respondents continue to expect a growth over the next 6 months, that optimism is fading rapidly…

Source: Bloomberg

On a non-seasonally-adjusted basis, the Philly Fed Services survey plunged to -20.0 – practically its lowest level since the COVID lockdowns…

Source: Bloomberg

Under the hood it’s even uglier with stagflationary impulses rearing their ugly heads.

Price indicator readings suggest continued increases in prices for inputs and the firms’ own goods and services.

The prices paid index increased 7 points to 46.2 this month. More than 50 percent of the firms reported increases in input prices. Regarding prices for the firms’ own goods and services, the prices received index rose from 7.8 to 14.6.

At the same time the indexes for sales/revenues and new orders both recorded negative readings this month

Source: Bloomberg

Is the ‘Services’ side of the economy finally catching down to the reality of the ‘Manufacturing’ side as savings run dry?

Authored by Ven Ram, Bloomberg cross-asset strategist,

Interest-rate traders reckon that the Federal Reserve won’t have to raise rates again in this cycle. They may be wrong.

Here are some reasons why.

The short-term real neutral rate that underpins the US economy will reach 2.5% by the end of this year, according to researchers at the New York Fed. Given that average PCE inflation hit 3.7% in the second quarter, the Fed may be forced to tighten its policy benchmark to at least 6%.

The findings also suggest that the Fed will find it hard to cut interest rates as the market widely expects should the neutral rate remain sticky.

In that case, higher for longer may indeed turn out to be the Fed’s mantra.

The Taylor Rule rate, which is premised on a stable neutral rate, was already pointing to a higher funds rate.

The restrictive rate for the US economy is 6.55%, assuming a real neutral rate of just +50 basis points.

Neutral rate, popularly known as r*, is the rate which is consistent with an economy that is at full employment together with steady inflation.

In a recent blog post, researchers at the New York Fed led by Katie Baker contended that in the short-run r* “has increased notably over the past year, to some extent outpacing” the aggressive tightening done by the Fed in its current policy cycle.

That implies that “the drag on the economy from recent monetary policy tightening may have been limited, rationalizing why economic conditions have remained relatively buoyant so far despite the elevated level of interest rates”.

The higher neutral rate posited by the researchers is in sharp contrast to the Fed’s own assumptions as laid out in its June summary of economic projections. The central bank had assumed a real longer-run inflation forecast of 2% and a policy rate of 2.5%, consistent with a real neutral rate of 50 basis points.

There are plenty of reasons why the neutral rate may be rising. Baby boomers already in retirement and spending their nest eggs, governments running larger and larger deficits, investment in green technology and trade fragmentation may all help to tip the balance between the demand for borrowing and supply of savings.

The recent surge in real rates resonates with the findings of the New York Fed. The yield on dollar-denominated debt for 10 years reached 1.90% on Tuesday, the highest level since 2009. Nominal yields have risen in consequence, with the 10-year yield fast approaching its cyclical peak of 4.34% set in October last year.

Those are ominous signs that the real neutral rate, already running at elevated levels, may continue to rise in the coming months.

Hawaiians are livid at President Joe Biden, who finally showed up to Maui two weeks after wildfires ravaged Lahaina, killing 114 and leaving over 850 missing – only to crack inappropriate jokes and lie about his wife ‘almost’ dying in a fire.

“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” Biden joked.

JUST IN: President Biden jokes about how hot the ground is in Maui after a fire ripped through, killing hundreds.

“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” he joked.

Despite media reports of roughly 100 deaths from the fires, locals estimate that at least… pic.twitter.com/mRlVuN9kns

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

At another point, Biden told the Mayor of Maui County: “You look like you played defensive tackle for, I don’t know who, but somebody good,” before calling the wildfires a “national travedy.”

Biden says to the Mayor of Maui County: “You look like you played defensive tackle for, I don’t know who, but somebody good” and then says the wildfires are a “national travedy.” pic.twitter.com/ZbQDx5ZW3i

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 21, 2023

Then Biden lied about almost losing his wife in a 2004 kitchen fire. In truth, the fire was “under control in 20 minutes” and firefighters “got it pretty early.”

Fact check: Biden is lying. pic.twitter.com/gySGLRURBW

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 22, 2023

I also just picked up on the fact that he said he was in DC doing a tv show when the fire happened and then said he somehow made it all the way back to Wilmington, Delaware in time to watch the firefighters put it out when, according to the report, it under control in 20 minutes https://t.co/KGkUBAjfE6

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 22, 2023

Watch Biden’s entire speech below:

Residents are pissed…

“Hearing you talk about your house that, you know, had a little fire… you almost lost your cat and your Corvette,” said one enraged resident, adding: “There were children that were incinerated to as,” after Gov. Josh Green (D) said on Sunday that “it’s possible that there will be many children” among the missing.

“You’re so out of touch with the common man, you don’t even know how to speak to them,” he continued, adding “the only way you think you can establish commonality with them is to lie – that the ‘same thing happened to you’ “

“You’re a disgusting, despicable bastard.“

Watch:

CITIZEN RESPONSE TO JOE BIDEN’S SPEECH IN MAUI *
pic.twitter.com/krd0CaC9ON

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) August 22, 2023

I did not realize until today that the potential death toll was this high

If the death toll is even close to this, that would make this one of the 3 deadliest natural disasters in the US in the 21st century

How is this not the only thing we are talking about? https://t.co/UoVgOerwdk

— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) August 21, 2023

“Fuck You” shouted more residents as Biden’s motorcade rolled down the street.

F*CK YOU: Maui residents BLAST Joe Biden after he finally shows his face 13 DAYS after fires 🔥
pic.twitter.com/1aRD37oC41

— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) August 22, 2023

Military finally flies into Maui. To deliver 2 of Biden’s limousines and his executive helicopter.

— NEWS MAKER (@NEWS_MAKER) August 21, 2023

🚨 JOE BIDEN IS ON MAUI

While Biden flies around in circles above Maui, residents are TRAPPED on closed roads for the next several hours.

Biden will then be meeting with pre-selected “residents” and will NOT be taking media questions.

Go figure.

Police are telling me that… pic.twitter.com/JiR1iZganY

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 21, 2023

That’s definitely what it looks like.

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

Why the relatively muted media response to one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history? Theories abound.

I did not realize until today that the potential death toll was this high

If the death toll is even close to this, that would make this one of the 3 deadliest natural disasters in the US in the 21st century

How is this not the only thing we are talking about? https://t.co/UoVgOerwdk

— PoIiMath (@politicalmath) August 21, 2023

Still amazed that Hawaii officials themselves admitted that they withheld water and audible warnings in the name of equity but the media is loudly and joyously blaming climate change for the deaths.

We have no hope when nobody is ever held accountable and we blame make-believe…

— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) August 21, 2023

Governor of Hawaii:

-We didn’t manage the unnatural savanna from fallow plantations.
-We didn’t use our emergency alert system.
-We didn’t use any water to fight the fire until it was too late.
-The electrical grid was poorly maintained.
-Described his desire to clame the… https://t.co/ZfvCq9NbG0

— TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) August 21, 2023

 Stay classy, Joe. And Maui Mayor Richard Bissen (D)…